Judo tournament guide

Weight categories

Judo competitions are divided by weight category. The standard IJF senior categories are:

Junior and cadet events use different weight categories. National federations may also run combined or open-weight categories at local events. Always confirm which categories apply with your national federation before publishing the event bulletin.

Weigh-in is typically held the evening before competition or on the morning of the event. Competitors must make weight within the declared category. At local events, organisers sometimes allow a small tolerance or offer a single category change if the adjacent category is also running. Define this policy clearly in the event bulletin.

IJF competition systems

The IJF defines specific competition systems based on entry numbers per weight category. Rather than running a standard single-elimination bracket for every entry count, judo uses tailored systems that ensure fairness and an appropriate number of matches when entries are low.

The key principle is that the system is determined by how many competitors enter a given weight category, not how many enter the event overall. A tournament with 60 competitors may run a large bracket in one category and a small 3-person pool in another.

The exact system used at 6 and 7 entries varies between national federations and event levels. Some run two groups of 3, some use a modified bracket with byes. Always verify with your federation's current competition rules.

Repechage in judo

Repechage is a core feature of IJF senior competition. Any competitor who has been defeated by one of the two finalists is eligible to enter the repechage bracket. Two separate repechage brackets run — one for each finalist — and each produces a bronze medal contest.

This means a judo tournament at senior level always awards two bronze medals, never just one third-place result. The bronze contests are between the two semi-final losers and the winners of their respective repechage brackets.

At junior, cadet, and local club level, repechage rules differ. Some national federations use a simplified quarter-final repechage — only the four competitors who lost in the quarter-finals are eligible. Others run no repechage at all at lower levels and resolve third place with a single bronze contest between the two semi-final losers.

Confirm which repechage system applies before publishing your schedule. The match count difference is significant: a 16-person bracket with full IJF repechage produces around 19–21 matches compared to 16 for a standard single elimination with one bronze match.

How long does a judo tournament take?

Duration depends on the number of weight categories, entries per category, the competition system in use, match length, and how many mats are running simultaneously. A typical club or regional judo tournament runs as follows:

Senior IJF match length is 4 minutes of golden score — effectively unlimited time after the regular period, but most matches end within the first 4 minutes. Cadet and junior matches are typically shorter at 3–4 minutes depending on the age group and federation rules.

When estimating your schedule, allow 6–8 minutes per match slot including mat changeover, bowing-in, and any brief delay between bouts. On a mat running continuously, this gives roughly 7–10 matches per hour. Two mats running in parallel can handle a category of 16 competitors with full repechage in approximately 90 minutes.

Mat requirements

IJF competition requires a tatami area of at least 8×8 metres for the contest area, surrounded by a safety area of at least 3 metres on each side, giving a minimum overall mat size of 14×14 metres per mat. At international level this increases to a 10×10 contest area within a 16×16 total area.

At local club events, these dimensions are sometimes reduced with the agreement of the organising federation. Check your national federation's minimum requirements for the event category you are running.

The number of active mats directly determines event duration. Running one mat at a small club tournament is normal. Regional events with 100+ competitors typically need 2–4 mats to complete in a single day. Adding a mat roughly halves the remaining schedule time.

The draw

The draw assigns competitors to their positions in the bracket. In judo, seeding is based on current ranking where available. Seeds are placed in the bracket to ensure they cannot meet until the later rounds: the top seed and second seed are placed in opposite halves, and seeded competitors from the same club or country are typically separated where possible.

At local events without formal rankings, the draw is often random with only club separation applied. Competitors from the same club should not meet in the first round if it can be avoided.

The draw should be completed and published before competition begins — ideally the evening before, so coaches and competitors can see their first opponents. Changing the draw after publication causes confusion and should only be done to accommodate verified late withdrawals.

Officials and staffing

Each active mat requires a referee and two mat judges at IJF level, though local events often run with a single referee per mat. A table official handles the scoreboard and timer per mat. A chief table coordinator manages the overall match call order and communicates with the competition manager.

At minimum, a local club event needs: one referee per mat, one table official per mat, one person managing the bracket and match callsheet, and at least one person handling weigh-in and registration. These roles can overlap, but having a single person responsible for calling matches and updating results prevents the most common source of schedule delays.

Checklist for judo tournament organisers

1. 1Confirm which IJF or national federation rules apply, including competition system and repechage type
2. 2Define weight categories and age groups; publish them in the event bulletin
3. 3Set and communicate the weigh-in time and tolerance policy
4. 4Calculate expected match count and total duration using the estimator before committing to a schedule
5. 5Confirm venue mat size meets the minimum requirements for your event level
6. 6Decide number of active mats; this determines your running time
7. 7Set a registration deadline; finalisé entries before the draw
8. 8Complete the draw and publish it, separating same-club competitors in early rounds
9. 9Brief all officials on the specific rules and systems in use
10. 10Prepare a match callsheet that clearly shows which pool or bracket stage follows which
11. 11Build buffer time into the schedule for overruns and the repechage phase