Can You Kick in Boxing?

Since the eighteenth century, the rules of boxing have been changed and added to over time in order to become the sport that we know and love today.

The rules of boxing can vary slightly depending on the jurisdiction and whether it is an amateur or professional fight, but generally, the main rules are the same. What is considered to be a foul is the same in all boxing matches, and the rules are there for one very important reason, safety.

The safety of the two boxers during a match is very important. This is the main reason why the rules were created in the first place, to keep them safe and without serious injury.

Gloves were introduced due to this, and many rules have been created to make the fight fair. Any foul play will receive either a warning or point reduction or, in extreme circumstances, disqualification.

There are no exceptions to the rules that are in place, and everyone that is taking part in the sport will have to follow them closely. 

The rules are ensured by the boxing referee, who will be present in the ring at the time of the match to make sure that both parties are fighting fairly, and that nobody is breaking any of the rules.

Just keep reading to find out more about the rules of boxing and whether kicking is allowed in the sport.

Can You Kick in Boxing?

Boxing is a combat sport in which two people that are wearing boxing gloves throw punches at each other for a certain amount of time in a boxing ring. The boxing match is closely followed by a referee to make sure that everybody is following the rules.

If the referee were to see someone kick their opponent, it would be considered a foul, which can result in a warning, point deduction, or complete disqualification. You should never kick your boxing opponent, as it is against the rules of the sport. 

The Rules of Boxing

There are so many rules in boxing that it can be difficult to keep up with them all.

To help you better understand the rules of the game, we will leave some of them here for you to read.

• You are not allowed to hit your opponent below the belt.
• You cannot hold, trip, kick, headbutt, wrestle, bite, spit on, or push your opponent.
• You must not hit with your head, shoulder, forearm, or elbow.
• You cannot hit with an open glove, the inside of the glove, the wrist, the backhand, or the side of the hand.
• You can’t punch your opponent's back, or the back of his head or neck,, or on the kidneys.
• You cannot throw a punch while holding on to the ropes to gain leverage.
• You can't hold your opponent and hit him at the same time or duck so low that your head is below your opponent's belt line.
• When the referee breaks you from a clinch, you must proceed to take a full step back, and you cannot immediately hit your opponent as this is illegal.
• You cannot spit out your mouthpiece on purpose to take a break.
• If you score a knockdown of your opponent, you will then have to move to the farthest neutral corner while the referee makes the count.
• If you floor your opponent, you cannot hit him when he's on the canvas.
• A boxer that has been floored will have a maximum of ten seconds to get back up onto his feet. Failure to do so will result in losing the bout by knockout.
• A boxer who is knocked down cannot be saved by the bell in any round.
• A boxer who is hit with an accidental low blow has up to five minutes to recover. If they do not recover after five minutes, it is considered a knockout.
• If the foul results in an injury that causes the fight to end immediately, the boxer who committed the foul is disqualified.
• If the foul causes an injury, but the bout continues, the referee orders the judges to deduct two points from the boxer who caused the injury.
• If a boxer is knocked out of the ring, he gets a count of 20 to get back in and on his feet without any assistance.

The majority of these rules that we have shown here are based upon how you can and can’t hit your opponent.

If you hit your opponent in any way that is not allowed as per the rules, it will result in a foul, and you could be disqualified from the match entirely.

Can You Fake a Kick in Boxing?

It is fully legal to fake a kick during a boxing match, as long as the kick doesn’t land on your opponent. There is no rule to prevent you from doing this.

There is only really one reason why you might want to feign a kick, and this is to catch your opponent off guard in order to land a punch. This isn’t common practice in professional boxing, but there is no rule or question of legality surrounding it. 

What is Kickboxing?

A sport where you can use kicks against your opponent is kickboxing. Kickboxing is a form of martial arts that has come a long way from karate.

It takes different moves from other martial arts including full-contact karate, Muay Thai, and boxing. Though you might think that it only involves kicking, you would use both punches and kicks when taking part in kickboxing. 

During kickboxing matches, elbows and knees are not usually used like in some other martial arts, and the typical points of contact are limited to the hands and the feet.

This sport is just as popular as regular boxing, and even among those who aren’t trained in such a sport. It is a more easily accessible sport and many public gyms and centers will offer kickboxing classes.

This is because it is a very efficient way to take part in exercise and it gets different parts of your body working.