Section 6: Scoring
Judo scores at three levels — ippon, waza-ari and yuko. Yuko was removed from the scoring table in the 2017 revision and has since been reinstated: in the rules in force from 21 January 2026, Article 15 is titled "Waza-ari and Yuko" and defines yuko in both standing and groundwork phases (Article 15). Any description of modern judo as a two-score sport reflects the 2017–2025 period, not the current rules.
6.1 Ippon (Full Point — Instant Win)
The four criteria for ippon are speed, force, landing on the back, and skilful control maintained until the end of the landing (Article 14). Scoring requires a continuous action: if there is a stop in the action, there is no score, and the technique must be identifiable among the Kodokan classified techniques or their recognised variations (Article 14). An ippon immediately ends the match. It is awarded for:
- Throw: Throwing the opponent on the back with considerable ability and maximum efficiency. All four criteria must be present; the absence of one reduces the score to waza-ari or yuko (Article 14).
- Pin (Osaekomi): Holding the opponent with osaekomi-waza for 20 seconds (Articles 15, 17).
- Submission: Forcing the opponent to tap out by verbal signal, tapping the mat or the opponent's body, or tapping with the foot. Submissions result from arm locks (elbow hyperextension) or chokes (Article 14).
- Waza-ari-awasete-ippon: On a second waza-ari in the contest the referee announces waza-ari-awasete-ippon — two waza-ari score ippon — ending the match (Article 16).
6.2 Waza-ari (Near Ippon)
Waza-ari is announced when the technique lands the opponent more than 90 degrees of the shoulder axis but not on the back, or when the four ippon criteria are not fully achieved (Article 15). A score is given for a whole side of the body landing even when the elbow is out; only the shoulder position is considered, and anything outside that range is yuko or no score (Article 15).
- A throw landing beyond 90 degrees of the shoulder axis but short of the back (Article 15).
- A throw missing one of the four ippon criteria (Article 15).
- A pin held for 10 seconds or more but less than 20 seconds (10–19 seconds) (Articles 15, 17).
The second waza-ari ends the contest as waza-ari-awasete-ippon (Article 16).
6.3 Yuko
Yuko — glossed in the IJF terminology as "nearly waza-ari" — is awarded in tachi-waza for (Article 15):
- A side landing at 90 degrees, or more toward the front landing (Article 15).
- Landing on the upper back (Article 15).
- Landing on the side on the shoulder axis with one elbow or one hand (Article 15).
- Landing on both buttocks, close to 90 degrees to the front or 90 degrees or more to the rear — yuko, and no shido (Article 15).
- Landing on one buttock, with or without the elbows or arms touching the mat (Article 15).
- Landing on the neck (Article 15).
Yuko is not awarded if the front of the stomach, the front of both hips, or both knees touch the mat before a side landing of 90 degrees or more toward the front (Article 15). In ne-waza, yuko is awarded for an osaekomi held 5 seconds or more but less than 10 seconds (5–9 seconds) (Articles 15, 17).
Yuko scores are counted individually (1, 2, 3, and so on) but never add up to a waza-ari (Article 15). No quantity of yuko can promote itself into a higher score — this is what separates the reinstated yuko from the pre-2017 accumulating scores.
6.4 Score Hierarchy and Match Outcome
If a match reaches the end of regulation time without an ippon, the athlete with the higher score wins. The levels rank:
- Ippon — immediate victory; the match does not reach time (Article 14).
- Waza-ari — outranks any number of yuko (Articles 15, 16).
- Yuko — counted, but never aggregating into waza-ari (Article 15).
- Fewer penalties — with scores equal, the athlete with fewer shido wins (Article 18).
- Golden Score — with scores and penalties identical, the contest is decided by a golden score period (Article 16).
The relative weight of the three levels is explicit in the IJF's own round-robin classification, which values ippon and waza-ari-awasete-ippon at 100, waza-ari at 10, yuko at 1, and hantei at 0. There is no draw in judo; every match must produce a winner.