The
Marquess of Queensberry rules is a code of generally accepted rules in the sport of
boxing. They were named so because
John Douglas, 9th Marquess of Queensberry publicly endorsed the code, although they were written by a sportsman named
John Graham Chambers. The code of rules on which modern boxing is based, the Queensberry rules were the first to mention gloves in boxing. The Queensberry rules are intended for use in both professional and amateur boxing matches, thus separating it from the less popular American Fair Play Rules, which were strictly intended for amateur matches. In popular culture the term is sometimes used to refer to a sense of
sportsmanship and fair play.