# Scoring in Boxing

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scoring-in-boxing/1232>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [October 14, 1999, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scoring-in-boxing/1232 "1999-10-14T16:40:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![kidbrad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@kidbrad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidbrad)\
**Post date:** [October 14, 1999, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scoring-in-boxing/1232/1 "1999-10-14T16:40:00Z")

</div>

[http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mboxing.html](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mboxing.html)

OK, here’s what I don’t get about boxing. Why have 10 points to the winner or a round, when the loser invariably receives 8 or 9 points? Why not give the winner (for example) 3 points, and the loser of the round gets 0, 1, or 2.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![metroshane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/aeb1de/32.png) [@metroshane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/metroshane)\
**Post date:** [October 15, 1999, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scoring-in-boxing/1232/2 "1999-10-15T05:03:00Z")

</div>

i think starting with a scale of ten would better lend itself to the average at the end of the fight. and the reasoning that the other fighter gets 8 or nine, well think about it. if the one fighter gets 10 and the other got 2 or 3, he would probably have knocked out by that point anyway.