With the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and more recently with the Tokyo Grand Slam, the last event of the season, a cycle has ended and a new one has opened which will lead to the Los Angeles 2028 Games. As at the end of each development period, the International Judo Federation has launched a vast consultation to determine the changes that should or could be made to international judo in order to meet the expectations of modernity and evolution linked to any sporting activity.
On 16th June 2024 all national federations were invited to send proposals for the rules of judo. This window closed at the end of September. All proposals were combined and presented at the IJF technical meeting that was held following the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam 2024. They were thoroughly evaluated and discussed by a group of experts before being approved by the IJF Executive Committee. The opinion of the media was also requested in order to be able to answer as many questions as possible.
Changes to the IJF Sport and Refereeing Rules (SOR), which are summerised below, will be officially presented during the technical meeting organised in Istanbul, Turkiye, in the days to come. Delegates from all national federations will be present.
The purpose of those modifications that will impact competitive judo during the upcoming Olympic cycle, is to put the decision of each contest in the hands of the athletes.
The new rules will be implemented for the first time at the international level during the Paris Grand Slam 2025. This version will be used up to and including the World Championships Seniors which take place in Budapest (13-20 June 2025) and will then be reviewed after the event.
Technical changes to the referee rules are as follows:
- Addition of a third score yuko, in ne-waza it will be given at 5 seconds.
- Use of head to throw and defend allowed except in cadet events where it will be penalised with shido.
- 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 grip negatively.
- 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 will be given 30 secs time for an attack.
- Bear hug in tachi-waza is allowed except with hands or hands and arms clasped, forming a circle which will be penalised with shido.
- Unintentionally leaving the contest area in tachi-waza and ne-waza will be given “Mate!”
- Kansetsu-waza applied while performing throws, with high injury risks (where uke cannot escape), will be penalised with hansoku-make. For kansetsu-waza applied with techniques, with lower injury risks (where uke has the possibility to escape), performed with two hands on one arm, it will be “Mate!” and “Shido!”
- Positive activity in ne-waza will be taken in consideration.
- Reverse seoi-nage is allowed except in cadet events where it will be penalised with shido.
In the weeks to come, an important phase will start to explain the rules and their application, baring in mind that the values of the sport and its educational dimension will remain at the center of present and future developments.
