🏛️Official — FIAS
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Combat Sports
1–2 players
indoor
jacket, shorts, footwear
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...
Following the FIAS Executive Committee's March 31, 2026 amendments to the procedures for Certification of SAMBO Athletes, Coaches and Accreditation of SAMBO Clubs, athletes and coaches must hold cu...
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
The FIAS Regulations on SAMBO Referees were likewise amended by the Executive Committee on March 31, 2026. FIAS describes the round as intended to unify officiating practices across FIAS-sanctioned events; mat referees, corner judges, and the scor...
The Executive Committee's March 31, 2026 amendment round did not change throw, groundwork, submission, or total-victory scoring for Sport Sambo.
FIAS separately sanctions Sambo for the Blind and Visually Impaired under its own Classification Rules of SAMBO for the Blind and Visually Impaired, which the Executive Committee revised on March 31, 2026 alongside a newly approved FIAS Specificat...
A distinct, separately classified division — SAMBO for the Blind and Visually Impaired — carries its own mandatory headgear specification; see Section 4 for the classification and equipment requirements that apply to that division only.
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
The FIAS Regulations on SAMBO Referees were likewise amended by the Executive Committee on March 31, 2026. FIAS describes the round as intended to unify officiating practices across FIAS-sanctioned events; mat referees, corner judges, and the scor...
The Executive Committee's March 31, 2026 amendment round did not change throw, groundwork, submission, or total-victory scoring for Sport Sambo.
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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