REFEREEING IN BOXING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18762, 16 July 1924, Page 6

REFEREEING IN BOXING.

DUTIES OF THE OFFICIAL.

SCORING BY POINTS.

INFORMATION FOR PUBLIC,

Some of the finer points of boxing were discussed by Mr. T. Sampson, the wellknown referee, in the Town Hall concert chamber .yesterday morning. Mr. A. H. Gyllies presided over a good attendance of amateur and professional boxers and officials.

The essentials for success as a referee, said Mr. Sampson, ware commonsense, uromptaess, and a sound knowledge of ,he duties. As an authority, " the ipeaker used "The Boxing Referee!' (J. ?. Bradley), a handbook compiled by ihe authority of the National Sporting jlub, liondon. The duties of an official second should have a wider interpretation. Seconds should be men with a £air knowledge of the sport who were preparing for the position of referee. In short, they should be junior referees, able to relieve the referee of some of bis responsibilities by carefully watching for any ixregular and illegal practices. Further, there was no reason why a second should not take points and confer with the referee after the bont, thus preparing himself for the senior position by means of hints from a man who already had been well instructed in his duties. All instructions, .warnings and disqnaUJications should be given in a load and clear voice, without hesitation, so that all might hear, continued Mr. Sampson. When the man in the gallery could not hear he becaime suspicious. Scoring by points was discussed by Mr. Sampson, who said there was reallj nothing to hide and nothing secret about i the system. The public had a right to I know* what points were awarded in a J boxing contest as much as in any other , branch.of sport. It should be rememj bered that the winning of rounds was not ! the decisive factor, as points were scored ; for defence and attack, and rounds were I only divisions in the contest. He would I advocate publishing of points by a referee i at the end of each contest. | Discussing technical points, Mr. Samnj son eaid that in the case of a double j knock-out the contest would be awarded Ito the man who was ahead on points | prior to the occurrence. A break, when ! ordered, should be a clean break. If J a man held on when his opponent's handt < were free a break could not be ordered, j The duty of the referee was to ordei

;he holding man to desist. There -was too much holding to-day, and this would continue as long as the American style of swinging, instead of British hitting straight from the shoulder. Moreover, swinging tended to unsettle balance. Demonstrations of illegal punches wero then given by Mr. Sampson.