Under boxing’s 10-point must system, the maximum score a boxer can receive for one round is 10 points.
The system requires judges to award 10 points to the boxer they believe won the round. The opponent normally receives nine points, producing the familiar 10–9 score. If the round is especially one-sided, or if a knockdown occurs, the losing boxer may receive eight or even seven points, depending on the rules and circumstances.
The “must” in the name means the winner of each round must receive 10 points; it does not mean every round is automatically scored 10–9. A close round can be 10–9, an even round may be 10–10 where permitted, and a round involving a knockdown might be 10–8 or lower.
The score is awarded by each judge separately, usually at ringside after every round. At the end of the fight, the judges’ round scores are added to determine the decision. Thus, 10 is the maximum for one boxer in one round, not the maximum combined score for both boxers.