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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 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. 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

Date	Fight	Scorecards			Source(s)
December 5, 1947	Joe Louis vs. Jersey Joe Walcott	9–6 Louis	8–6–1 Louis	7–6–2 Walcott	^[1]^[2]
March 31, 1973	Muhammad Ali vs. Ken Norton	7–4 Norton	5–4 Norton	6–5 Ali	^[3]
September 10, 1973	Ken Norton vs. Muhammad Ali II	7–5 Ali	6–5 Ali	6–5 Norton	^[4]
February 15, 1978	Muhammad Ali vs. Leon Spinks	145–140 Spinks	144–141 Spinks	143–142 Ali	^[5]
April 6, 1987	Marvin Hagler vs. Sugar Ray Leonard	118–110 Leonard	115–113 Leonard	115–113 Hagler	^[6]
May 5, 2007	Oscar De La Hoya vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr.	116–112 Mayweather	115–113 Mayweather	115–113 De La Hoya	^[7]
March 15, 2008	Juan Manuel Márquez vs. Manny Pacquiao II	115–112 Pacquiao	114–113 Pacquiao	115–112 Marquez	^[8]
April 19, 2008	Bernard Hopkins vs. Joe Calzaghe	116–111 Calzaghe	115–112 Calzaghe	114–113 Hopkins	^[9]
December 10, 2011	Amir Khan vs. Lamont Peterson	113–112 Peterson	113–112 Peterson	115–110 Khan	^[10]
June 9, 2012	Manny Pacquiao vs. Timothy Bradley	115–113 Bradley	115–113 Bradley	115–113 Pacquiao	^[11]
March 1, 2014	Orlando Salido vs. Vasiliy Lomachenko	116–112 Salido	115–113 Salido	115–113 Lomachenko	^[12]
July 12, 2014	Canelo Álvarez vs. Erislandy Lara	117–111 Álvarez	115–113 Álvarez	115–113 Lara	^[13]
December 10, 2016	Dillian Whyte vs. Derek Chisora	115–113 Whyte	115–114 Whyte	115–114 Chisora	^[14]
July 20, 2019	Manny Pacquiao vs. Keith Thurman	115–112 Pacquiao	115–112 Pacquiao	114–113 Thurman	^[15]
November 27, 2021	Teófimo López vs. George Kambosos Jr.	115–111 Kambosos	115–112 Kambosos	114–113 López	^[16]
February 26, 2022	Josh Taylor vs. Jack Catterall	114–111 Taylor	113–112 Taylor	113–112 Catterall	^[17]
April 30, 2022	Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano	97–93 Taylor	96–93 Taylor	96–94 Serrano	^[18]
August 20, 2022	Oleksandr Usyk vs. Anthony Joshua II	116–112 Usyk	115–113 Usyk	115–113 Joshua	^[19]
May 18, 2024	Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk	115-112 Usyk	114-113 Usyk	114-113 Fury	^[20]

Outside of boxing

In the Philippines, the term "split decision" is also used on GMA Network's reality television show The Clash, 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.