LONDON (Kyodo) — The International Judo Federation has decided to reintroduce the score of yuko for the first time since 2017 as part of rule changes announced Friday, made toward the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and seemingly aimed at deciding bouts by technique rather than penalties.
The new rules, including the reintroduction of yuko as a third scoring category alongside the more significant ippon and waza-ari, will be implemented at the international level during the Paris Grand Slam in February and used through June’s world championships in Budapest before being reviewed.
Waza-ari has incorporated elements for scoring yuko in recent years. With two waza-ari counting as ippon, there have been opinions that some bouts were won by ippon despite the techniques lacking quality and the rule being a far cry from the sport’s essence.
With ground techniques, a yuko will be given at five seconds of a mat hold in the new rule.
Hooking of the legs, which had been flatly banned since 2013, is now partially permitted, among other changes.
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