What does it take to become an official?

becoming a judge

Our volunteer officials come into the sport for a multitude of reasons; sometimes a child wants to pursue the sport, they may have boxed themselves and wish to give back and support the sport they loved or perhaps they simply wanted to see young people flourish in the community.

What do you need to become an Official? Become a judge first.

Step 1

Have a passion for the sport of boxing, then contact the London regional secretary, Terri Kelly, londonboxing1@gmail.com. Details will be passed on to the London Tutor, Tony Kennelly.

Step 2

Make sure you understand the rules of amateur boxing. That’s the England Boxing (EB) rules, which can be found on the England Boxing website: englandboxing.org. You will need to register with EB via The Locker and can apply for available courses.

A valid DBS will be a mandatory requirement from 1 January 2026.

Step 3

You will need to complete a two-day course over one weekend.

  • The first day will be in the form of a seminar covering the rules and all the requirements needed to become a judge.

  • The second day will be a practical demonstration using Club Boxers/videos to allow you to practice officiating several bouts as a judge and/or Timekeeper, finishing the day with an online multiple-choice exam.

If you pass the exam, 70%+ is required, you will become a probationary judge.

Step 4

As a probationary judge, you will be expected to attend several shows where you will be mentored and evaluated before being passed as a judge. Your probation period will be six months from date of exam.

Step 5

Once passed, the Tutor will advise EB who will update your Locker profile and issue you with a certificate and lanyard.

Step 6

You will now be considered a Grade C Judge. You will be appointed to officiate at club shows to develop confidence and consistency.

Keith Mills and Lenny Hagland allocate officials for club shows in the region. Progression to Grade B and above is achieved with activity and performance.

becoming a referee

STEP 1

Having achieved a high level of competency as a judge, you may wish to progress as a referee. You MUST have been an active judge for 12 months.

Notify a supervisor, the secretary or one of our evaluators to express your interest; details will be passed on.

Step 2

You will need to complete the two-day course over one weekend and complete an online multiple-choice exam on the second day. The pass mark is 80%+.

Step 3

You will then be mentored and evaluated under supervision by a qualified referee. This begins with attending a club on a training night to referee sparring. When your mentor has assessed you as ready, you will then progress to step 4.

Step 4

Your practical element MUST be assessed at several shows by an A Grade referee or above. You will start with skills bouts, and progress in the following order: minors, schools, juniors, youths, seniors and finally senior elite. Your probation period will last a maximum of six months from date of exam.

Step 5

If you reach the minimum standard, as assessed by any of the four London referee evaluators, you will be signed off and will receive your certificate from EB.

Step 6

You will be appointed to referee club shows; mentoring continues to enhance performance and confidence.

Progression to Grade B and above is achieved by activity and performance. Once you achieve Grade B level, you can begin to referee championships.

becoming a supervisor

Step 1

Having achieved competency as a judge, you may wish to progress as a supervisor.

  • A grade C judge must have judged for the minimum of 12 months and have judged at least 100 competitive bouts to move into this position.

  • A supervisor should continue to read the rule book and keep up to date on any changes and know the responsibilities of a supervisor.

  • You may ask to sit with a supervisor at a show to see what duties it entails.

  • When you are ready, notify the regional secretary, a supervisor or one of our adjudicators to express your interest. Details will be passed on.

Step 2

You will be mentored by active supervisors over several shows to learn both the manual and electronic process. The Locker means lots of changes for us all so being computer literate will be an advantage.

Step 3

The R & J team are responsible for conducting regional assessments. A written exam will also take place under his supervision.

Step 4

The final assessment is an online interview with the England Boxing Panel (one Grade A Supervisor, one Grade B Supervisor and an internal verifier). A regional adjudicator may be invited to observe the process.