A split decision (SD) is a winning criterion in boxing, most commonly in
full-contact
A contact sport is any sport where physical contact between competitors, or their environment, is an integral part of the game. For example, gridiron football. Contact may come about as the result of intentional or incidental actions by the playe ...
combat sport
A combat sport, or fighting sport, is a contact sport that usually involves one-on-one combat. In many combat sports, a contestant wins by scoring more points than the opponent, submitting the opponent with a hold, disabling the opponent (''knock ...
s, in which two of the three judges score one particular competitor as the winner, while the third judge scores for the other competitor.
A split decision is different from a
majority decision. A majority decision occurs when two judges pick the same competitor as the winner, and the third judge scores the contest a draw (tie). The official result remains the same in both split and majority decisions, but the margin of victory is greater in a majority decision and less in a split decision.
Occasionally, the judges' final decision is a tie, because the first judge scores for one competitor, the second one scores for the other competitor, and the third judge scores the contest a draw (tie); so in this case the official result is a
split draw.
Often, a split decision causes controversy due to its lack of
unanimity
Unanimity is agreement by all people in a given situation. Groups may consider unanimous decisions as a sign of social, political or procedural agreement, solidarity, and unity. Unanimity may be assumed explicitly after a unanimous vote or imp ...
. As a result, especially in high-profile or title fights, the victor may be encouraged or pressured to grant a rematch, in the hopes a return match-up will have a more decisive outcome.
Notable examples from boxing
Outside of boxing
In the
Philippines
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
, the term "split decision" is also used on
GMA Network
GMA Network (an acronym of its legal name, Global Media Arts and commonly known as GMA) is a Television in the Philippines, Philippine commercial broadcast network, serving as the flagship property of publicly traded GMA Network (company), ...
's
reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring ordinary people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 1990s ...
show ''
The Clash
The Clash were an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1976. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they are considered one of the most influential acts in the original wave of British punk rock, with their music fusing elements ...
'', when two of the three members of the clash panel (
Ai-Ai delas Alas,
Christian Bautista, and
Lani Misalucha) chose a clasher (among two) to advance to the next round, while the other clasher is eliminated. An example of it that
Golden Cañedo won the clash against Fatima Espiritu via split decision. Cañedo was later the Clash grand winner of
the show's first season.
See also
*
10 Point System
Professional boxing, or prizefighting, is regulated, sanctioned boxing. Professional boxing bouts are fought for a purse bid, purse that is divided between the boxers as determined by contract. Most professional fights are supervised by a regul ...
References
Split Decision
A split decision (SD) is a winning criterion in boxing, most commonly in full-contact combat sports, in which two of the three judges score one particular competitor as the winner, while the third judge scores for the other competitor.
A split de ...
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