Section 5: Rules of Play
Match Start
At the starting signal, both teams begin simultaneously: attackers advance toward the opponent's pole while defenders take up their assigned positions around their own pole. There is no phase delay between attack and defense — both happen from the first second.
Victory Condition
- A team wins if its attacking players tilt the opposing team's pole to 30 degrees or more from vertical before the 2-minute time limit expires
- The tilt is judged visually by the officiating panel; no mechanical sensor is used
- Once the pole reaches 30 degrees and officials confirm the condition, the match ends immediately in favor of the attacking team that achieved the tilt
Simultaneous Action
Both teams attack and defend at the same time on the same field. There is no concept of a separate offensive or defensive phase; a team can win while simultaneously under attack on its own pole. Strategy involves both the efficiency of the attacking contingent and the holding ability of the defending contingent.
Match Duration
- Duration: 2 minutes from the starting signal
- If neither team has tilted the opponent's pole to 30 degrees when time expires, the match continues to an angle-judgment decision (see Scoring)
Tournament Format
At the NDA Kiryu-sai festival, bo-taoshi is organized as a class-bracket competition among the NDA's cadet classes. Individual class units compete in elimination rounds, with the bracket structure determined by the Academy's event committee for each festival year.