When it is invoked, the referee stops the action and counts to eight while observing the boxer it is called against.
When the count reaches eight, the referee often moves back two steps and instructs the boxer to walk towards him and hold his arms out.
[1] If the boxer is unsteady on his feet or seems unable to focus on the referee, the bout is ended by TKO.
The standing eight count was instituted in 1982 after the death of boxer Kim Duk-koo.
[2] However, the Association of Boxing Commissions eliminated it in 1998, believing it to favor the fighter it is called against, so it is seldom applied in professional bouts today.