🏛️Official — FIAS
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Combat Sports
1–2 players
indoor
glove, helmet
10 essential rules
Sambo is a Russian/Soviet-developed martial art and combat sport ("Sambo" = "SAMozashchita Bez Oruzhiya" — "self-defense without weapons"), combining judo-style throws with groundwork and joint-locks. FIAS (International Sambo Federation) is the IOC-recognized international governing body since 2...
1 point: 5-second pin (sufficient to maintain control); 2 points: 10-second pin; Joint locks legal on arms + legs (including kneebar, leg lock, ankle lock)
Two 4-minute periods (single 5-minute period for some events); Active wrestling required; passivity penalized
No chokes in Sport Sambo (key difference from BJJ/judo); No strikes; Joint locks on knees and ankles legal at Senior level only
Sambo jacket (Sambovka): distinctive jacket with belt loops + shoulder cinches — red or blue per competitor; Sambo shorts: matching jacket color; Sambo wrestling shoes (Sambovki): mandatory — soft, ankle-supportive
FIAS-spec mat: 11m × 11m total, with central 9m circle competition area; Padded outer safety zone; Mat colored to distinguish competition area from safety zone
Two competitors per match (one red, one blue jacket); Weight classes (Adult Male, kg): -58, -64, -71, -79, -88, -98, +98; Weight classes (Adult Female, kg): -50, -54, -59, -65, -72, -80, +80
Two 4-minute periods (single 5-minute period for some events); Active wrestling required; passivity penalized; 1 point: Takedown landing opponent on side (no full back exposure)
Decision priority: total victory > technical superiority > points > last-scoring competitor; Tournament: single-elimination + repechage for bronze; Gold/Silver/two Bronze per weight + age + gender
Passivity: verbal warning → caution → opponent awarded points; Fleeing mat: caution; Illegal techniques (chokes, prohibited joint locks, strikes): caution → DQ
Sport Sambo injury profile: shoulder/knee/elbow strain from throws + joint-lock applications. No chokes = lower asphyxiation risk vs judo.
Release submissions instantly on tap or verbal concession
Once an opponent taps the mat, taps the body, or verbally submits, continuing pressure even for a fraction of a second is considered a serious breach of honor. The submission signal is inviolable. Practitioners who ignore the tap are viewed with lasting distrust in the community, regardless of competitive outcome.
Applies equally in competition and training (randori). Referees may stop the contest first, but the competitor is still expected to recognize submission immediately.
Greet your opponent and the referee with genuine respect before and after the bout
A firm, sincere handshake with both the opponent and the referee before and after the match is expected. A perfunctory or dismissive gesture is noticed and remembered. In Soviet-era sambo culture, this ritual was treated as a statement of character, not mere formality.
Some national federations incorporate a brief bow to the mat or referee table as well, though this is not universal across all FIAS member nations.
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