Quick answer: you can win a judo match — score ippon (an instant win), build a lead on the clock, force the opponent into three penalties, or win in overtime. Current IJF judo has three scores: ippon, waza-ari and yuko. Ippon is awarded for a throw landing the opponent largely on their back with control and force, a pin (osaekomi) held for 20 seconds, or a submission by armlock or strangle. A waza-ari is a lesser score — a throw missing one ippon element, or a pin held 10 to 19 seconds — and two waza-ari equal a win. Yuko includes a qualifying pin held 5 to 9 seconds; yuko scores do not combine into waza-ari. Senior matches last 4 minutes; a tie goes to sudden-death “golden score” overtime.
Last updated: (Pacific). This guide explains how judo is scored and how to win, the penalty (shido) system, match length and golden score, and the main prohibited actions, all under the current International Judo Federation rules. It is a plain-English overview for competitors and spectators, not a substitute for the official IJF Sport and Organisation Rules.
How do you win a judo match?
There are four ways a judo contest ends with a winner.
- Ippon — a single ippon ends the match immediately, whatever the clock says.
- Two waza-ari — two waza-ari scores combine into a win (waza-ari-awasete-ippon).
- Score lead at time — if neither fighter scores ippon, the higher technical score wins when the four minutes expire. Waza-ari ranks above any number of yuko; with equal waza-ari, yuko counts can decide the lead.
- Opponent disqualified — a third penalty (shido), or a single serious foul (hansoku-make), hands the win to the other athlete.
Judo scoring: ippon, waza-ari and yuko
Yuko returned for the 2025 IJF rule cycle and remains in the checked August 2026 Sport and Organisation Rules. Ippon ends the contest; two waza-ari combine into ippon. Yuko is counted separately and does not accumulate into waza-ari.
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| Score | Awarded for | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Ippon | A throw landing the opponent largely on their back with control, speed and force; OR a pin (osaekomi) held 20 seconds; OR a submission by armlock or strangle (tap or “maitta”) | Instant win — match over |
| Waza-ari | A throw with control but missing one element of ippon; OR a pin held 10 to 19 seconds | Two waza-ari = ippon; one waza-ari ranks above any number of yuko |
| Yuko | A throw meeting the IJF yuko landing criteria; OR a qualifying pin held 5–9 seconds | Counted separately; does not add up to waza-ari |
For a qualifying pin, the held athlete’s full back or upper back is on the mat and controlled from the side, rear or top. The controlling athlete’s body or legs must not be controlled by the opponent’s legs; staying off the floor is not a pin requirement. The referee calls “osaekomi” to start the count and “toketa” if the hold breaks.
How do yuko scores affect the winner?
Yuko counts can establish a lead when higher scores are equal, but they never combine into waza-ari. A hypothetical athlete with one waza-ari is ahead of an athlete with three yuko and no waza-ari. If both have one waza-ari, compare the yuko counts. In senior golden score, a new yuko can end the contest; a qualifying pin reaches that score after 5 seconds.
Source: IJF SOR, version 14 August 2026, articles 7, 13, 15 and 17. This guide concerns the IJF senior rules; age-specific and local event adaptations require their own check.
Judo penalties: the shido system
Minor rule-breaking is punished with a shido. The first two shido are warnings and do not add to the opponent’s score. A third shido becomes hansoku-make — the offending athlete loses the match. If the contest is otherwise tied at the end of regulation, the athlete with fewer shido does not automatically win; the match instead goes to golden score, where shido still count.
Common reasons for a shido include:
- Passivity — not attacking for a sustained period
- An excessively defensive, bent-over posture to avoid being thrown
- Stepping outside the contest area, or pushing the opponent out
- A false attack — faking a throw with no intent to complete it
- Illegal or overly defensive gripping, or breaking a grip without attacking
- Gripping inside the trouser-leg opening while standing; current rules distinguish this from permitted inside-sleeve grips
A hansoku-make can also be given directly, without prior shido, for a serious infraction: dangerous techniques such as kawazu-gake, dangerous headfirst diving, or lifting and driving a grounded opponent back onto the mat. Illegal leg grabbing is listed under shido, rather than an automatic direct hansoku-make. A direct hansoku-make can carry expulsion from the event as well as loss of the match.
Match length and golden score
Senior contests last four minutes of actual time for both men and women — the clock stops whenever the referee calls “matte” (wait). If the scores are level at the end of regulation, the match goes to golden score: a sudden-death overtime with no time limit, where the first score or the opponent’s third shido decides it. Any scores and shido from regulation carry over into golden score.
A judo match starts standing (tachi-waza) and can move to the ground (ne-waza) when a throw or attack takes it there. The referee controls the flow with three main calls: “hajime” to start, “matte” to pause, and “sore-made” to end the contest.
Judo rules vs BJJ rules
Judo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu share techniques but score them very differently. Judo rewards the throw above all — a clean throw ends the match instantly, and groundwork is time-limited, so a judoka must make something happen quickly on the mat. BJJ, by contrast, is built around the ground game: throws score a few points but the match is won on positional points and submissions over a longer time, with no rush to leave the floor.
Judo also bans leg grabs and most locks outside the elbow, where BJJ allows a much wider range of leg locks and takedowns. For the jiu-jitsu scoring system, see our guide to BJJ points and scoring, our judo vs jiu-jitsu comparison, and the judo throws, belt order and weight classes guides.
Frequently asked questions
How is judo scored?
Current IJF judo uses ippon, waza-ari and yuko. A qualifying pin earns yuko at 5–9 seconds, waza-ari at 10–19 seconds and ippon at 20 seconds. Two waza-ari combine into ippon; yuko does not add up to waza-ari.
What is an ippon in judo?
Ippon is the maximum score and an instant win. It is awarded for throwing the opponent largely on their back with control, speed and force; for pinning them for 20 seconds; or for a submission by armlock or strangle that makes them tap or say “maitta.”
How many shido can you get in judo?
Two. The first two shido are warnings that do not score for your opponent, but the third shido becomes hansoku-make and you lose the match. Serious fouls can bring a direct hansoku-make with no prior warning.
How long is a judo match?
Four minutes of actual time for senior men and women, with the clock stopped during “matte.” A tie goes to golden score with no time limit, decided by a new technical score or hansoku-make; an ordinary first or second shido is not itself a winning score.
Are leg grabs allowed in judo?
Standing leg grabbing, hooking the legs with a hand/arm, gripping trousers and touching the leg below the permitted upper-inner-thigh boundary are prohibited and penalized with shido. Current rules allow specified jacket and upper-inner-thigh grips; do not treat all below-belt contact as identical.
What is golden score in judo?
Judo’s sudden-death overtime. If the score is level after regulation, the match continues with no time limit and the first score or the opponent’s third shido wins. Scores and penalties from regulation carry over.
Sources
- International Judo Federation (Sport and Organisation Rules, refereeing rules)
- International Judo Federation: New rules — what to remember
- IJF current documents: Sport and Organisation Rules, version 14 August 2026 — articles 7, 13–18; scoring and category-specific restrictions.
