Judo Rules Clinic

January 5th, 2025

“Our Members are our Mission”

Speakers

• Yodan
• IJF Continental Referee
• 2016 World Veterans Champion, F2-57kg
• Panamerican Kata Champion

• Sandan
• National Referee since 2016
• PJC Kata Judge
• Panamerican Kata Champion
• ML Program Coordinator for Berkeley County School District

Thank You and Welcome!

• International Judo Federation consists of 5 regions and 200 national organizations.
• Official language is English
• All of the rules can be found in the SOR (Judo Rule Book)
• The SOR is freely available:

https://www.ijf.org/

Goals

• Widely disseminate the rules of Judo�
• Offer insight in the interpretation and application of the rules�
• Assist clubs and their members in getting the most enjoyment from the sport aspect of Judo

The following will be addressed during the seminar:

1. General Procedures
1. Uniform
2. Match Protocol
2. Hajime / Matte / Osaekomi / Toketa / Sore Made
3. Scores
• Ippon
• Waza ari
• Yuko
4. Penalties
• Shido - Prohibited actions
• Hansokumake (HSM) - Disqualification
5. Coaching Procedures
6. Q&A

Purpose and Intent

“Judo is not a struggle where one accumulates advantages or points,: whether standing

up or on the ground, judo is a duel with a code . . .The refereeing must consider the philosophical aspect of the duel between the two athletes and reward them by the correct value or the correct sanction.

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• IJF SPort and Organization Rules, page 113

“The only goal is ippon; all other values

can be counted only if there is a will to score ippon.”

• SOR, pg. 113

The “Code” of Judo

Courage

Respect

Sincerity

Self-control

Politeness

Friendship

Modesty

Honor

About the 2025 IJF Rules Changes

This clinic is meant as a COMPREHENSIVE overview of judo rules.�

New rules changes will be addressed where the intent and application are clear. Questions are welcome, but may be tabled for purposes of time as needed.��American Judo Foundation (501c3) has no control over the IJF rules or process. We will limit discussion to what is within our sphere of control, which is positive action to prepare for the upcoming season.

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General Procedures - Uniform Requirements

• A white uniform and white belt are required at every tournament.
• Girls need a white t-shirt under their uniform.
• Blue side needs a blue belt or a blue uniform
• Clean uniform
• Hair not touching collar
• Fingernails trimmed
• Foot wear off the mat and bare feet on the mat
• Jacket must touch wrists, cover buttocks, and close in the front
• Pants must be tied tightly, strings tucked, and pants reaching ankles
• Uniform should completely cover any sleeves or leggings

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General Procedures - Match Protocol

• Remove glasses, phone, watch, all metal, warm up gear, etc. and leave them on your foot wear.
• Wait for the referee to signal you onto the mat.
• Move outside the mat to the center of your side and wait for your opponent.
• Enter the mat at the same time, bow 2 meters from the center and step forward with the left foot.
• Wait for hajime, play, and listen for matte.
• At Matte, return to starting position while fixing your uniform.
• At the end of the match stand in front of the 2 meter line, wait for the referee to signal the winner.
• At the same time as your opponent step back with the right foot, bow, shake hands, then walk straight back until you are outside the contest area then back to the edge of the mat.

Hajime, Matte, and Sore Made

• Hajime means “Begin”
• Matte means “Wait”
• Sore Made means “Finished”

Matte

• Any dangerous situation
• Out of bounds
• No progress in groundwork
• For a shido or HSM

Sore Made

• Time has run out
• A score ends the match
• A player gives up

Sonomama and Yoshi

• Freeze in place
• Very rare

Golden Score - Sudden Death

If time has run out with no leading score, the match will continue until a score is awarded or 3 shidos are given.

Golden Score has unlimited time except for the youngest age categories.

If there is a pin in golden score, the match ends after the pin reaches 5 seconds (score would be yuko - more on that later)

Tachi-Waza (Standing) and Ne-Waza (Groundwork)

Tachi-Waza

• Both players are standing.
• One standing, other does not have knees and elbows on the mat.

Transition to Ne-Waza

• After a valid attack that leads to the ground with or without a score
• After an false attack the one standing can choose to throw or transition to ne-waza

Ne-Waza

• Both players are kneeling

Transition to Tachi-Waza

• Both players stand about the same time voluntarily while maintaining grips.

Osaekomi and Toketa

• Osaekomi means “hold down” or “pin”
• Toketa means “undone” or “broken”

Osaekomi

• Tori pins Uke with a large portion of the back on the mat and some portion of Tori’s torso over Uke. Tori should be able to stand up without Uke holding him down (guard, half guard)

Toketa

• Uke must completely break free of the pin or reverse the pin.
• Get to your belly
• Trap Tori’s leg or torso with your legs.

Scores - Ippon

• A Throw with speed, force, control, largely on the back with a recognizable throw (skillful)
• A pin of 20 seconds
• A submission by choke or locking the elbow joint
• Landing or attempting to land in a bridge position from a throw�

Scores - Waza Ari

• A throw there the angle of the shoulder and the mat is greater than 90 degrees
• A throw to the back that lacks speed, force, or control
• A pin of 10-19 seconds
• A second waza-ari is awarded “Waza-ari awasete Ippon”

Yuko

• Throw resulting in a side landing (90 degrees) or close to side landing

Yuko

• Throw landing on the upper back

Yuko

• Throw landing on the elbow and side of the hip with shoulders 90 degrees or more

Yuko

• Throw landing buttocks with back 90 degrees or more to the rear

Yuko

• A pin of 5 - 9 seconds
• Throw resulting in a side landing (90 degrees) or close to side landing
• Throw landing on the upper back
• Throw landing on the elbow and side of the hip with shoulders 90 degrees or more
• Throw landing buttocks with back 90 degrees or more to the rear

Yuko scores are unlimited and do not add to Waza-ari.

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No Score

Yuko will not be awarded if the front part of the stomach, the front part of the hip or the knee to the front are touching the mat at time of back contact. Yuko will not be awarded if the buttocks landing is less than 90 degrees.

Penalties - Shido “Slight Infringement of the Rules”

• A Shido is just a warning and does not affect the outcome of a match.
• 3 Shidos warrant disqualification known as Hansoku Make (HSM).

Common Shidos

• Non-combativity (30 sec)
• False attack
• Defensive posture
• Defensive gripping
• Intentional out of bounds
• Avoiding the grip
• Breaking the grip with leg
• Interlocking or fingers

• Pulling guard
• Grabbing the leg (Standing)
• Throwing with an armlock that uke might reasonably avoid
• Striking with hand or foot
• Entangling your leg to stall
• Not fixing your uniform or hair
• Undoing your own uniform
• Face contact

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Actions in match that do not proceed to the goal of ippon, or which violate the code of judo, or are unsafe, are sanctioned with shido or HSM.

Penalties - Shido “Slight Infringement of the Rules”

• Bear hug with hands clasped

Groundwork Shidos

• Choking with your belt or bottom of jacket
• Stretching the leg while choking
• Uniform in the mouth
• Entangling legs around head (no arm)
• Foot in opponents uniform/belt
• Peeling fingers
• Choking with fingers only

Cadet Shidos

• Reverse Seoi-nage
• Using the head as a post during a throw
• Defending with the head as a post during a throw

Actions in match that do not proceed to the goal of ippon, or which violate the code of judo, or are unsafe, are sanctioned with shido or HSM.

Penalties - NOT a Shido

These are NO LONGER Penalized

• Fingers inside the cuffs of the uniform
• Gripping below the belt but above the top of the thigh (standing)
• Unintentionally going out of bounds
• Landing with two hands or elbows back
• Reverse seoi nage for IJF Junior, Senior, and Veteran divisions
• Bear hug where arms don’t overlap
• Using your head as a post during a throw or to defend against a throw for Junior, Senior, and Veterans

Penalties - Hansoku Make (HSM) “Grave Infringement”

• Hansoku Make means disqualification and can result from 3 shidos (indirect) or by violating a more serious rule.
• Direct HSM can be from a match or from the entire contest.

Match Disqualification (HSM)

• 3 shidos
• Head dive
• Continued on next slide . . .

Actions in match that do not proceed to the goal of ippon, or which violate the code of judo, or are unsafe, are sanctioned with shido or HSM.

Penalties - Hansoku Make (HSM) “Grave Infringement”

Contest Disqualification (HSM)

• Kawazu gake
• Do jime
• Kani basami
• Leg/ankle locks
• High risk armlock (standing)
• Reaping the support leg from behind
• Endangering the neck or spine

• Fall backwards with uke on your back
• Daki age
• Disregard the referee
• Derogatory gestures/remarks
• Wearing hard/metallic objects
• Against the Spirit of Judo (Poor sportsmanship)
• Chokes for age 60+
• Rear Kata-Sankaku throw or choke

Actions in match that do not proceed to the goal of ippon, or which violate the code of judo, or are unsafe, are sanctioned with shido or HSM.

Penalties - HSM

Diving:

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To “dive” headfirst on to the tatami, be bending forward and downward while performing or attempting to perform techniques such as Uchi-mata, Harai-goshi, Seoi-nage, Tai-otoshi, Kata-guruma, Tsuri-goshi, Ura-nage etc. it is forbidden to somersault forward when Uke is on the shoulders or the back of tori, and will be penalised with Hansokumake.

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• Must be an intentional action by tori, not a result of a mixed action where uke’s defense forces tori into a diving action.

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Coaching Procedures

Coaches play a vital role in the competition, particularly in teaching young players about good sportsmanship and resiliency. It is essential that we teach the core values of judo by example.

Coaching Protocol

• Always bow to the competition area and to the opponents coach at the beginning and end of match.
• Stay seated throughout the match.
• Direct comments to your player only.
• Encourage older advanced players to compete with less direction.
• Dress professionally (shoes, polo, no hat or sunglasses).
• Do not use your cell phone during the match.

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Courage

Respect

Sincerity

Self-control

Politeness

Friendship

Modesty

Honor

You’ve got questions? We’ve got answers!

Arigatou Gozaimashita!! Here’s a great resources!

Video Answer Key

Sport and Organization Rules (SOR), Appendix D - IJF Refereeing Rules (12.03.2024)

Penalties - Shido

Bear Hug with arms clasped

Additional Slides

Penalties - NOT Shido

Bear Hug with arms not clasped, regardless of previous kumi-kata

Penalties - Shido

Applying Kansetsu-waza or Shime-waza in Tachi-waza without a judo throwing technique, or with a judo throwing technique with a lower risk of injury, where Uke has the possibility to escape, performed with one or two hands on one arm will be penalised with Shido.

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Penalties - Shido

False Attack

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• False attack is considered when:
• Tori has no intention to throw.
• Tori attacks without kumikata or immediately release the kumikata.
• Tor makes a single fake attack or several repeated fake attacks with no breaking of Uke’s balance.
• Tori puts a leg in between ukes legs to block the possibility of an attack.
• Tori has no realistic possibility to throw (new).

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Penalties - Reverse Seoi-nage

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Reverse Seoi-nage at senior and junior events is allowed.

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Reverse Seoi-nage at cadet events will be penalised with Shido

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Penalties - Shido

Applying Kansetsu-waza or Shime-waza in Tachi-waza with a judo throwing technique with a higher risk of injury, where Uke has no possibility to escape, performed with one or two hands on one arm will be penalised with Hansokumake.

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Allowable gripping and actions

Penalties - NOT Shido

Jogai - Out of Bounds

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Intentionally going out of bounds, or intentionally pushing out of bounds if it is egregious, is still shido.

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Going out out of bounds in other cases will NOT be shido. It will be mate, reset in center, hajime.

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As long as ONE of the athletes has ONE foot inside the area, and there is kumikata, it is inside.

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All jacket grips and gripping under the belt to the level of the top of the inner thigh are allowed but shido will be given if using the jacket grip or under the belt to the level of the top of the inner thighs [to] grip negatively.

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Kumi-kata

Examples of newly allowable grips . . .

Hooking the legs with the hand or arm, leg grabbing, gripping the trousers and touching the leg from the top of the inner thigh down is forbidden and will be penalised with shido.

Kumi-kata

Examples of grips that are still considered SHIDO. . .

Examples of Yuko

More examples of Yuko