About WSB

The WSB is a boxing competition without headguards or vests, with professional-style scoring, three judges and one referee and one supervisor. A WSB match consists of five bouts, with each bout consisting of five rounds of three minutes each. The team with most wins from five bouts wins the match.

 

There are five weight categories:

• Bantamweight (54kg)
• Lightweight (61kg)
• Middleweight (73kg)
• Light heavyweight (85kg)
• Heavyweight (91+kg)

 

On 31 July 2011, it was announced in Astana, Kazakhstan that following the global appeal generated by the World Series of Boxing (WSB) first season, the competition would move in its second year to a new format. The schedule would be based around a new intercontinental league where the Franchises would be divided into two world groups, moving away from the conference system employed the first time around.
Twelve teams were drawn in the Kazak capital, promoting a fair regional representation in each group. A separate draw was then made to determine the position of each team within its group and thus determined the full competition schedule for the season. Within each group, the teams would meet each other once at home and once away, giving a total of 10 matches for each team.

The top four teams in each group would go through to the play-offs, with the top team in one group facing the fourth place team in the other group and the second place team in one group taking on the third place team in the other group.

During the draw, the AIBA Executive Committee approved the amendments made to the WSB Technical and Competition Rules in order to make the competition even more attractive. These key changes were based around boxing squads and the competition format.
The WSB 2011-2012 which started on 11 November 2011 also introduced a deciding bout in the event of a draw over two-legged ties from the quarter-final stages onwards.

The minimum number of boxers in one Franchise was set at 15 for the second season with no limit on the maximum. The minimum number of international boxers per squad was decided as follows:

• For a 15-boxer squad: 4
• For a 16 to 18 boxer squad: 5
• For a 19 to 20 boxer squad: 6
• For a squad with more than 20 boxers: at least 7.

 

The maximum number of international boxers from the same country per franchise would remain at 2.
Furthermore, new rules in the event of draws meant that the ranking of the teams with equal points would be decided as follows (in order of priority):

• Least number of walkovers;
• Superior number of matches won;
• Superior number of matches won among the teams in question;
• Superior number of bouts won among the teams in question;
• Superior number of bouts won;
• Superior number of accumulated individual points.

 

In order to ensure that the winners and runners-up in each group do not meet each other before the team finals, the playoff schedule was determined as follows:

Quarterfinal 1: A1 - B4	Semi-final 1: Winner QF1 - Winner QF2	Final: Winner SF1 - Winner SF2
Quarterfinal 2: B2 - A3
Quarterfinal 3: A2 - B3	Semi-final 2: Winner QF3 - Winner QF4
Quarterfinal 4: B1 - A4

The quarterfinals, semi-finals and team final are to be played in a knock-out system, on a home-and-away basis (two legs) and the winner is be determined by the highest number of bouts won.

 

SUDDEN DEATH BOUT

If the scores are drawn after two legs, the winner is decided by a sudden death bout. The weight category of the sudden death bout for all play-off matches was determined by a draw.

Quarterfinal 1:	Heavyweight
Quarterfinal 2:	Middleweight
Quarterfinal 3:	Heavyweight
Quarterfinal 4:	Light heavyweight
Semi-final 1:	Lightweight
Semi-final 2:	Lightweight
Final:	Lightweight

 

During the regular season, an individual ranking is established per weight category. The ranking is then decided by the highest number of wins during the regular season. In case of equal amount of wins, it will be decided by (in descending order):

• Number of bouts competed in, less is prevailing;
• Amount of wins by walkovers, less is prevailing;
• Amount of technical draws, more is prevailing;
• The head to head results;
• Highest number of bouts won in away matches during the Regular Season;
• Highest number of points per judge obtained in victories. In case of a knock-out the winner will be awarded fifty (50) points per judge;
• Least number of warnings during the regular season.

 

For more information please read the WSB Technical and Competition rules.

The World Series of Boxing is an initiative of AIBA, the International Boxing Association, which is the international governing body for the sport of boxing recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).