Accident Insurance for Boxing
Medical limits available: $25,000 to $100,000
AD&D limits up to $10,000
Deductibles available: $100 to $5,000
General Liability Insurance for Boxing
Limits available: $1,000,000 to $6,000,000
Sex Abuse / Molestation available
Non-Owned Hired Auto Liability available
Amateur Boxing Risk Management
For starters, insurance carriers will require all participants, including parents in the case of a minor, to sign a waiver/release agreement. Waiver/release agreements are worth the paper they are written on despite advice that is often given by local legal counsel. See the sections below for additional steps that should be taken to minimize risks in facilities, equipment and training.
History of Amateur And Olympic-Style Boxing
Olympic-style or amateur boxing became an organized sport in 1888. The popularity of Olympic-style’s boxing has spread worldwide since then with an identity and rules independent from professional boxing. The sport provides competitive opportunities for hundreds and thousands of young men and women.
Every year a greater number of females compete in sanctioned amateur competition Rules regarding women’s boxing are similar to the men’s program with a few minor differences:
- The optional use of breast and groin protectors
- A required waiver stating the participant is not pregnant at the time of competition
- A difference in the number and time of rounds
Minimizing boxing injuries
Many studies indicate that Olympic-style boxing is among the safest of the contact sports. Benefits provided to participants include exercise, self-discipline, self-confidence, character development, structure, work ethic, and friendships.
The overall risk of injury in amateur boxing seems to be lower than in other collision sports such as football, ice hockey, wrestling, and soccer. But, unlike those sports, boxing encourages and rewards direct blows to the head and face.
The most common injuries associated with amateur boxing include concussion, facial lacerations, hand injuries, and bruised ribs. Boxers and coaches should guard against unnecessary risk by following best practices for training and competition.
- Use competition standards for sparring. Sparring partners should be paired based on weight and experience and outfitted with proper safety equipment
- A mouthguard should be worn any time a boxer is likely to be in contact with another boxer.
- Participants should warm up thoroughly before practice and bouts.
- Athletes should follow the coach’s and/or physician’s rehab instructions following an injury. Return to practice should only take place after full recovery from an injury.
- Boxers should stay hydrated. Weight lost during a training session should be replaced by water.
- Groin and breast protectors are optional equipment for female boxers. All other safety equipment is mandatory, including headgear, mouthguard and appropriate gloves.
Preventing Eye Injuries in Boxing
Boxers’ faces are susceptible to punches. Therefore, particular precautions should be taken to avoid eye injuries.
1. Require boxers to submit to an annual dilated eye exam by a licensed opthamologist.
2. Significantly myopic boxers have an increased risk of retinal detachment following ocular trauma.
3. Require athletes with a history of intraocular surgery to repair cataracts or retinal detachment be cleared for participation by an ophthalmologist.
4. Refractive ocular surgery:
- Radial Keratotomy: Trauma can significantly increase the risk of a ruptured cornea following RK surgery.
- LASIK: Due to the recognized increase in risk of injury to the cornea in combative sports, boxers are discouraged from undergoing elective LASIK surgery.
- PRK: PRK surgery does not appear to reduce corneal strength.
5. Boxers should be free of any major ocular disease such as glaucoma, macular abnormalities, major lens abnormalities, and retinal lesions.
6. Athletes with only one functioning eye should not be allowed to compete.
Minimizing Head Injuries in Boxing
Concussions occur less frequently in amateur boxing than professional boxing, which may be attributed to shorter matches and more stringent safety considerations, including standing eight counts.
USA Boxing Minimal Suspension Period Following TKO/KO |
|
SINGLE OCCURRENCE OF TKO/KO |
|
TKO or KO without LOC |
30-day suspension |
KO with < 1 minute LOC |
90-day suspension |
KO with > 1 minute LOC |
180-day suspension |
2ND OCCURRENCE OF TKO/KO in 90-day period after single-occurrence suspension |
|
TKO or KO without LOC |
90-day suspension |
Second KO with < 1 minute LOC |
180-day suspension |
Second KO with > 1 minute LOC |
360-day suspension |
3RD OCCURRENCE OF TKO/KO in a 365-day period |
|
TKO or KO without LOC |
12-month suspension |
Third KO with LOC regardless of time |
18-month suspension |
TKO: Technical Knockout
KO: Knockout
LOC: Loss of consciousness
The Association of Ringside Physicians makes the following recommendations with regard to reducing the risk of injuries and being prepared when injuries do occur in boxing.
- Sparring partners should wear oversized gloves to minimize the cumulative forces of the punches during training..
- Minimizing head shots during training lowers the risk of pre-existing injury prior to competition.
- A minimum of two ringside physicians should attend every boxing match.
- Injuries should be reported to the national medical data bank, which enables tracking of the boxer’s medical history during his/her career.
- Ringside physicians and EMS personnel should remain at the venue until all the competitors have left the competition/locker area.