What is the boxing term for hitting an opponent below the beltline? It is a low blow.
In boxing, a low blow is an illegal punch that lands below the opponent’s beltline, generally on the groin or the protected lower abdomen. The rule exists because those areas are especially vulnerable and are not legal targets under the standard rules of the sport.
A referee may stop the action after a low blow and allow the injured boxer time to recover. Depending on the circumstances and the governing rules, the offending boxer can receive a warning, lose a point or be disqualified. An accidental low blow and an intentional one may therefore have different consequences.
The term is sometimes confused with a body shot. A body shot is legal when it lands on the torso above the beltline; a rabbit punch is an illegal strike to the back of the head or neck. A clinch, meanwhile, is holding or tying up an opponent rather than a type of punch.