The International Amateur Boxing Association is considering whether to make bouts longer and eliminate headgear.
The proposals are being studied by AIBA's medical commission after a reform committee suggested the changes at a recent meeting, according to spokesman Richard Baker.
If approved by the medical committee, AIBA would try having boxing matches last for three rounds of three minutes each, rather than the current four rounds of two minutes each.
This change, along with the removal of protective headgear worn by amateurs, could apply to selected competitions from August onward, but not at the 2008 Olympics or the 2007 worlds, Baker said.
He also confirmed that plans to scrap AIBA's electronic scoring system in favor of a more transparent one would not be implemented until after the Beijing Olympics.
Under the old system, three of the five judges have to press a button within the same second to validate a blow. It will be replaced by one in which each judge counts blows separately, and the highest and lowest of the five judges' scores will be discarded.
"There are still some minor adjustments required," Baker said. "Therefore the reform recommendations, particularly those of the scoring system, will not be introduced until after the Beijing Olympic Games."
AIBA considers longer bouts, dropping headgear
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