Yes, Darren is also an excellent referee and really does understand the sport.

We are currently attempting to formalise referee training and offer formal assessments. Hopefully this will lead to a larger body of referees who have the appropriate skills and knowledge to allow boxers to perform both optimally as well as safely as possible.

Skills assessed will include:
Full understanding of the rules;
consultation with medical staff, judges, and timekeeper;
checking the boxers before the fight;
position in before the fight and during the Wai Kru and round breaks;
quality of rules overview in changing rooms and /or in the centre of the ring; checking officials are in place before the bout commences; starting the bout; positioning and footwork during the bout;
correctly breaking the fighters in the middle of the ring, on the ropes and in the corners;
the timing of breaking the fighters;
maintaining the flow of the bout by making quick decisions and actions; identifying fouls and taking appropriate action including cautions, warnings and using appropriate signals;
saving the boxers when thrown to the canvas;
counting protocol of a standing fighter, a fighter who is down, a fighter who is injured, thrown through the ropes;
intervening to count a boxer at an appropriate time;
dealing with cuts and other injuries appropriately;
collecting score cards, signalling the winner of the bout.


Sandy Julie won.

Nathan, Julie won clearly and scored well. The referee did break the clinch inappropriately but Julie still scored well in the clinch. Miss America seemed to grasp the fact that Julie won before the decision was announced and seemed to understand who was ahead better than the 'expert' commentators.

We do need to educate the public but I really think inconsistent commentary really confuses the public. To be honest if I were to take my information about scoring from commentators on various DVDs, internet broadcasts and TV, I would be as confused as hell about the sport.