Registration Details

• All entries must be submitted online via WebPoint by the registration deadline

• Registration opens: February 19, 2026

• Registration closes: March 12, 2026 at 5:00 PM CST

• ⚠️ Late or incomplete registrations will not be accepted

Eligibility Details

• Open to male and female boxers, ages 18–40

• Boxers must:

  • Be at least 18 years old by March 21, 2026

  • Be no older than 40 years old by May 16, 2026 (non-advancing divisions)

• Tournament is limited to boxers residing within the Upper Midwest Golden Gloves region

• Both Novice and Elite division are contested

2026 National Golden Gloves Tournament

• Only boxers aged 18–40 in the Elite division are eligible to advance and compete at the 2026National Golden Gloves Tournament

• Boxers need to be in the Elite division prior to registering in order to qualify to advance to the 2026National Golden Gloves Tournament

Boxers

All boxers must be currently registered with USA Boxing and must present the following before weigh-ins:

• Valid 2026 USA Boxing membership

• Passbook with verified Date of Birth (DOB)

• Current athlete physical, valid through May 17th, 2026

• Uploaded documents in USA Boxing member profile:

  • Photo ID

  • Birth certificate or passport

  • Current physical

⚠️ Important:

• Membership card showing verified DOB and valid documents must be printed and placed in the front of the passbook

• Tournament registration will not be accepted unless all requirements are complete

• Approval of uploaded documents may take up to 8 business days through USA Boxing—plan accordingly

Coaches

All coaches must:

• Hold a current USA Boxing membership

• Be certified (test completed)

• Have current SafeSport certification

• Have a completed and cleared background check

  • Approval of uploaded documents and background checks may take up to 8 business days

Coaches will not be permitted to work a corner without proof of current membership and certification.

• Open to male and female boxers, ages 18–40

• Boxers must:

  • Be at least 18 years old by March 21, 2026

  • Be no older than 40 years old by May 16, 2026 (non-advancing divisions)

• Only boxers aged 18–40 in the Elite division are eligible to compete at the 2026 National Golden Gloves Tournament

Bout Requirements:

• Novice Division: 0–9 bouts

• Elite Division: 10+ bouts

  • All Elite bouts will be contested as three (3), three-minute rounds.

Are you missing bouts in Matchtraker? You can download the Missing Match form and email it to membership@usaboxing.org

Advancement Requirement:

• Only boxers aged 18–40 in the Elite division are eligible to compete at the 2026National Golden Gloves Tournament

• Boxers need to be in the Elite division prior to registering in order to qualify to advance to the 2026National Golden Gloves Tournament

Additional Experience Rules

• Boxers with prior experience in other amateur combat sports (e.g., MMA, kickboxing) must compete in the Elite division

  • Such athletes may not enter as Novice without explicit permission from USA Boxing

  • Individuals who have competed in amateur combat sports must declare their record at the time of registration for USA Boxing membership.

  • Waiver requests are outlined on page 68 of the USA Boxing Rulebook https://www.usaboxing.org/usa-boxing-rulebook

Division Rules

• Boxers must declare one division and one weight class

• Competing in multiple divisions or weight classes is not permitted

• Weigh ins are held on the day of the event, and only those scheduled to box on that date are required to weigh in.

• Boxers that have a "walk through“ will need to cross the scale and medical one time during tournament time.

• No weight allowance will be given for boxers. Failure to meet the weight disqualifies them.

Men’s Elite & Novice Division Weight Classes

• 110, 121, 132, 143, 154, 165, 176, 187, 198, 198+

Women’s Elite & Novice Division Weight Classes

• 106, 112, 119, 125, 132, 143, 154, 165, 176, 176+

Weigh-Ins

• Weigh-ins are conducted on event days only

• Only boxers scheduled to compete that day must weigh in

• No general weigh-in is held

• Boxers must be in line at the designated weigh-in time

• Each boxer may weigh in up to two times during the weigh-in period

• No weight allowance is granted

• We HIGHLY recommend that boxers have a blue and red uniform for this tournament. This is not required. Wearing the opponent’s color is discouraged.

• No nicknames or phrases will be permitted on the competition uniform.

• Boxers are permitted to have last name screen printed or embroidered on the back of the jersey.

• No adornment may be affixed to the trunks such as a metal or plastic objects, sequins, etc.

• Boxers must wear a sleeveless athletic shirt (singlet, jersey, tank top), of a different color from the waistband of the trunks. NO sleeve cut off t-shirts are allowed!

• Sponsors and/clubs logos will be permitted on competition uniform. Slogans must be a part of the sponsor and/or club logo to be included on the competition. Must get pre-approval at weigh in.

• Boxers must wear a pair of loose-fitting trunks that reach halfway down the thigh, no lower than the knees. The trunks must provide a waistband of a different color than the athletic shirt.

• No tights may be worn under competition trunks.

• No knee braces with metal support may be worn.

• No tape or brace supports may be worn on shoulders or elbows of the boxer competing.

• Trunks cannot have fabric that is partially attached and therefore able to flap with the movement of the Boxer-this includes “gladiator/Thai” type trunks, fringe and tassels.

• Boxers are permitted to have their last name embroidered onto the competition trunks if it is a different color from the competition singlet/jersey/tank top.

• Boxers are not permitted to wear additional apparel other than the competition uniform into the ring or upon completion of the bout while in the ring before the announcement of the winner. No warmup t-shirt, sweatshirt in the ring. Boxer must be ready to box when they approach the ring.

• If USA Boxing or Golden Gloves provides competition uniforms, those competition uniforms must be worn by all boxers at national tournaments.

• No tape or binding of any kind will be permitted on the competition uniforms.

• Boxers are not required to shave

• Boxers with long hair must wear a hair cap or net underneath headgear. Hair may extend outside the headgear but must be secured to and remain at the back of the boxer’s head or the bout will be terminated, and boxer disqualified. No hair can stick out of the top of the headgear.

• Sport Hjab and modest dress is allowed for female boxers.

  • Example: Long sleeve fitted shirt and tights are allowed under completion jersey and trunks. Boxers need to wear the full modest dress. No zippers on any part of the uniform is permitted

• A full No-Foul protector must be worn by male boxers and optional for female.

• All hair MUST be under headgear! No braids or hair can be out of the head gear.

Headgear:

• All headgear must have either the USA Boxing, or AIBA stamp of approval on the headgear to be deemed certified

• USA Boxing approved open-faced headgear will be required for all regional levels in the Elite division advancing tournament. Open-faced headgear is NOT a requirement for the Novice division.

• Boxers with long hair must wear a hair cap or net underneath headgear. Hair may extend outside the headgear but must be secured to and remain at the back of the boxer’s head or the bout will be terminated, and boxer disqualified. No hair can stick out of the top of the headgear.

• List of Approved Headgear Manufactures
  

Hand Wraps:

Gauze or hand wraps must meet specifications below. Training hand wraps are allowed.

• GAUZE: A maximum of 49 feet length and 2 inches width of gauze plus a maximum of 16 feet length of 4 inches width of gauze pad.

• Athletic Tape: A maximum 16 feet length and 1 inch width.

• In all categories, athletic tape, no more than ¼ inches wide, may be applied between the fingers.

• A boxer may apply the gauze to the hands as he/she likes, provided that the knuckles are not covered by the tape.

• Hand wraps: Must not be longer than 14.76 feet and not shorter than 8.2 feet.

  • Hand wraps may be no wider than 2 ¼ inches wide.

  • Hand wraps must be made of stretchy cotton material with a velcro closure.

• Intermixing hand-wrapping materials is not permitted. Boxers using hand wraps may only use hand wraps. Boxers using gauze and tape may only use gauze and tape.

Gloves:

• USA Boxing–approved gloves provided by the tournament

• 10 oz gloves: Provided for athletes competing up to 143.0 lbs

• 12 oz gloves: Provided for athletes competing above 143.1 lbs