Judo rules: scores, penalties, refereeing and categories
Ippon, waza-ari, yuko, shido, golden score, referee calls, age and weight categories: competition judo rules explained by practitioners.
Judo rules: a complete guide to how a match works
Judo rules explained by a referee: the mat, match length, ippon, waza-ari, yuko, shido, golden score, judogi and categories under current IJF rules.
Blue and white judogi: who wears blue and the dress rules
Blue and white judogi in competition: why there are two colors, who wears blue, the sokuteiki sleeve check, back numbers and the judogi rules to follow.
Golden score in judo: rules and how to prepare for it
Golden score in judo: when it starts, what ends it, why it has no time limit and how to prepare for overtime physically and tactically.
Hajime, matte, osaekomi: judo referee commands explained
Hajime, matte, sono-mama, yoshi, osaekomi, toketa, sore-made: what each judo referee command means, how to say it and the hand signal that goes with it.
Hansoku-make in judo: direct disqualification vs three shido
Hansoku-make in judo: the difference between a direct disqualification and three shido, the actions that cause it and what happens next in the tournament.
Illegal techniques in judo: banned moves and penalties
Illegal techniques in judo explained: leg grabs, joint locks other than the elbow, kawazu-gake, kani-basami, head diving and the extra bans for young judoka.
Ippon in judo: the exact criteria that end a match
Ippon in judo explained: the four criteria of a perfect throw, the 20-second hold-down, submission, the referee's signal and where the word comes from.
Judo age categories: cadets, juniors, seniors and veterans
Judo age categories explained: IJF cadets, juniors, seniors and veterans, how birth year decides your group, youth categories and what changes with age.
Judo referee: the role, video review and how to become one
What a judo referee does on the mat, how the judges and video review (Care System) work, the usual pathway to become a referee and the qualities that matter.
Judo weigh-in: how it works, tolerance and random checks
Judo weigh-in explained: how the official weigh-in works, the IJF random weigh-in and 5% tolerance on competition day, and how to make weight safely.
Shido in judo: the penalties and how to avoid them
Shido in judo explained: passivity, false attacks, stepping out, illegal grips and defensive posture. Why three shido means hansoku-make and how to stay clean.
Waza-ari in judo: criteria, 10 seconds and two waza-ari
Waza-ari in judo explained: what referees want in a throw, the 10-second hold-down, waza-ari awasete ippon and how the rule has changed since 2017.
Yuko in judo: the history of yuko and koka, and the 2025 return
Yuko in judo: why koka disappeared after 2008, why yuko was dropped in 2017 and how it came back in 2025 with a different definition.