CanvasStretched over the padded floor; 6.10 m square inside the ropes.
Boxers' cornersBoxers rest here between rounds. Red at near left, blue at far right.
Neutral cornersWhite pads; a boxer waits here after a knockdown.
Apron85 cm wide outside the ropes; coaches step onto it.
StepsOne set per boxer's corner, one at a neutral corner.
From the side 5
RopesFour on each side, at 40, 70, 100 and 130 cm.
Corner postsFour, one at each corner, holding the ropes tight.
PlatformRaised 1 m off the ground and 7.80 m square.
Rope spacersTwo on each side keep the ropes from spreading apart.
Corner padsCover the posts and turnbuckles so a boxer is not hurt.
How this list was compiled: Read 2026-09-23. (1) IBA Technical & Competition Rules v7 (3 March 2024), section 43 Ring, https://www.iba.sport/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/20240303-IBA-Technical-Competition-Rules-v7-clean.pdf: 6.10 m inside the ropes; apron 85 cm outside the ropes; platform 7.80 m square and 100 cm from the ground; four corner posts with four corner pads, seen from the Technical Delegate: near left red, far left white, far right blue, near right white; canvas over the whole platform; four ropes at 40, 70, 100 and 130 cm from the canvas; the ropes joined on each side at equal intervals by two separators; three sets of stairs, two at opposite corners for the boxers and one in the neutral corner. (2) USA Boxing National Rule Book (revisions to 1 January 2026), Rule 27 Ring, https://usaboxingwi.com/wp-content/uploads/USA_Boxing_Rule_Book_Revisions_-_1.1.2026.pdf: 16 to 20 ft square within the ropes; apron at least 2 ft beyond the ropes; three sets of steps, one at each boxer's corner and one at a neutral corner; four ropes at 18, 30, 42 and 54 in; two spacer ties on each side; padding covered with canvas; ring posts; turnbuckles covered with padding; red or blue corner. (3) Wikipedia, Boxing ring, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boxing_ring: a raised square platform, a post at each corner; four ropes pulled tight with turnbuckles; spacers; padding topped by canvas; a red corner and a blue corner; posts about 5 ft above the mat. (4) World Boxing Competition Rules (Feb 2024), https://worldboxing.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/World-Boxing-Competition-Rules-Feb-2024-v3.99-ClEAN.pdf: seconds mount the apron; the neutral corner. Licence: own work
The drawing: Drawn for this site by script, 2026-09-23, from the IBA ring specification. Licence: own work
How it works
A boxing ring is a raised square platform: canvas inside four ropes, an apron outside them, and a padded post at each corner. Two corners belong to the boxers, red and blue; the other two are neutral.
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Two views
From above you see the canvas, the apron, the four corners and the steps. From the side you see how high it all is: the platform, the posts, and the four ropes held together by spacers.
Which corner is which
Seen from the officials' table, red is the near left corner and blue the far right. The two white corners between them are neutral: a boxer is sent to one after a knockdown.
Questions and answers
What are the parts of a boxing ring called?
The canvas (the floor inside the ropes), the ropes and their spacers, the corner posts and corner pads, the apron outside the ropes, the platform, the steps, and the four corners: red, blue and two neutral.
How big is a boxing ring?
Amateur rules set 6.10 m (20 ft) inside the ropes, with an 85 cm apron, so the platform is 7.80 m square and 1 m high. US amateur rules allow 16 to 20 ft inside the ropes.
How high are the ropes in a boxing ring?
Four ropes at 40, 70, 100 and 130 cm above the canvas under the international amateur rules; USA Boxing sets 18, 30, 42 and 54 inches.