After hearing the frustrating outcome of a close match, many of us boxing fans find ourselves throwing up our hands and wondering how that judge got their job in the first place. We think, and some of us are certain, we could do a better job of judging the match.
I started to wonder, how to become a boxing judge? Becoming a professional boxing judge is a long process that involves licensing, training, and mentorship. The specific requirements vary by state. You must contact your state’s Athletic Commission for specific details.
But if you have a true passion for boxing and the details of scoring, then becoming a boxing judge could be a great opportunity to get involved in boxing, and you get a front row seat for all the action. In this article, I will take you step-by-step through the process of becoming a boxing judge.
Step-by-Step Process to Becoming a Professional Boxing Judge
Becoming a professional boxing judge is not the most straightforward process. Every state has its own requirements for boxing judges, and some states will not issue licenses if they do not have any openings for a professional boxing judge.
To know exactly what is required by your state, you can check your state’s Athletics Commission website or contact them by phone or email.
Even though the particulars of the process will vary from state to state, generally here is what you can expect to have to do to become a professional boxing judge:
- Contact your State Athletic Commission for information on how to become a state certified professional boxing judge.
- Some states require completion of a state certified training program, fingerprinting, financial information, criminal history, and/or medical exams.
- If you need amateur experience to become certified, you can begin with the USA Boxing Level 1 certification process, which oversees amateur boxing in many areas. You can also contact your local boxing gym.
- Before you are permitted to judge an actual match, amateur or otherwise, you will need to watch a lot of matches and shadow judges.
- In order to be able to find a job as a boxing judge, you need to find a mentor, make connections, meet other officials and promoters.
- Continue to work on your judging skills and show that you are dependable, consistent, and a good judge.
Even if your state only requires that you submit an application and send in a processing fee, chances are you will not get hired without real experience, and you will want to follow most of these steps anyway.
What Licenses Do You Need to Become a Boxing Judge?
The licenses you need to become a boxing judge depends on the type of boxing matches you would like to judge. If you just want to judge some sparring at your local boxing gym, then you may not need any certification.
If you want to judge amateur matches, you may need to get a certification through USA Boxing. USA Boxing oversees most Olympic-style amateur boxing in the United States. Depending on the state you are in and the matches you are judging, this certification may not be necessary, but it will certainly set on the path to judging pro matches.
The certification offered through USA Boxing is a general certification for all boxing officials, but there is a specific pathway for becoming a judge. The certification also offers multiple levels as you gain experience, which can help build up your resume.
If you are looking to judge at the professional level, you will need to become a licensed boxing judge through your state’s Athletic Commission. You will still need to gain enough experience and credentials that pro promoters will want to hire you, but they can’t hire you without the license.
The Cost of Licenses
To get your Level 1 Official’s Certification through USA Boxing, you will first need to become a non-athlete member of USA Boxing.
The cost of registering with USA Boxing is $90 for a non-athlete with an additional cost of $25 for a background screening. The certification test can be taken online or at an in-person clinic through your Local Boxing Committee (LBC). Check with your LBC for any costs associated with this.
The cost to get certified through your state’s Athletic Commission will vary depending on what the state requires.
In New York, for example, you must get fingerprinted, complete a medical evaluation, and complete a training course, and each of these have their own cost.
- Believe it or not, New York charges people to have their fingerprints taken, but the fee varies depending on how you go about getting this done.
- Depending on your medical insurance situation, you may have to pay copays or coinsurance for a medical exam.
- The training course offered by New York state costs $125.
- Finally, when you submit your application there is a $50 processing fee.
The total cost for a license in New York can easily be over $200. States that do not have as many requirements will still charge a processing fee, and there will likely be costs associated with any courses you must take for certification.
After You Apply for the License
The work of becoming a boxing judge is only just beginning when you submit the paperwork to become licensed. You may still need to take one or more training courses and gain valuable experience by working alongside veteran judges.
Training courses typically review all aspects of boxing and judging. They also often go over topics concerning safety and regulations. USA Boxing also requires that judges regularly go through the Safe Sport training. Safe Sport training helps prevent abuse in sports including bullying, harassment, hazing, physical abuse, emotional abuse, and sexual misconduct and abuse.
The training courses aren’t enough to prepare you for judging real matches. If you are just starting out with a USA Boxing Level 1 license, you will still need to spend a lot of time shadowing other judges and learning before the certification is complete.
How quickly you can start judging matches depends on the recommendation of the Chief of Officials at your LBC. He or she will determine when you are ready to start judging matches and to what capacity you are ready.
Many state licenses for boxing judges require that you judge several amateur matches or that you have been judging amateur matches for a certain length of time.
Once you have completed the state licensing requirements for becoming a professional boxing judge, you may still have to spend some time judging amateur matches before you get hired to judge for professional matches.
Licensing is not a guarantee that you will be called up to judge professional matches.
Finding a Job as a Boxing Judge
By the time you have your license to be a boxing judge, either through USA Boxing or through your state’s Athletic Commission, you’ve probably already made a lot of connections and friends in the business.
Finding a job as a boxing judge will require that you make good use of those connections. Make sure everyone knows that you’re licensed and looking for work, and if you do a good job, the work should start to come to you.
More experienced judges will be in higher demand, and with perseverance, in time you will get the experience you need to get regular work.
How Much Money Can I Make?
Honestly, most people don’t get into judging boxing matches for the money. They do it because they like the game, they enjoy scoring, and judging gives them the chance to be a part of it all. It is a long road before you will start making enough money to make a living out of it.
Amateur boxing judges make basically nothing or close to it. Even those who judge professional matches don’t make more than $25,000 per year (source). Many judges enjoy the work as a hobby that earns them some extra cash, not as their full-time gig.
The promoter is the person in charge of hiring and paying judges. The amount of money you can make as a judge depends on the size of the purse. A judge can earn between $150 and $25,000 per fight, but most will be earning at the lower end of this range (source).
The low pay and hard work involved in becoming a judge contribute to the fact that most people don’t last longer than 2 months (source). The more experience you have as a judge, the more likely it is that you will have the skills and make the connections necessary to get a spot judging the bigger matches.
The Takeaway
To become a professional boxing judge, you need to get a license from your state Athletics Commission, which in itself is a time-consuming process with no guarantee of being hired to judge professional matches.
If you love boxing and the technicalities of scoring, and you want a behind the scenes experience, becoming a boxing judge is an amazing opportunity, but in order to make it as a boxing judge, you must put in years of hard work with low pay. It’s not for everyone.