A standing eight count, also known as a protection count, is a boxing judgment call made by a referee during a bout. When invoked, the referee stops the action and counts to eight. A boxer can take 3 standing eight counts in a round. During that time the referee will determine if the boxer can continue.

It was designed to protect boxers by allowing the referee to step in and give an overwhelmed fighter an eight-second respite. Standing eight counts by the referee are scored the same as a knockdown, whether the boxer was knocked down or not. The United States Association of Boxing Commissions eliminated the standing eight count in 1998.