Section 4: Players & Officials
- 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
- Age categories: Cadet, Junior, Senior, Veteran
- Officials: 1 mat referee + 2 corner judges + scoring official + timekeeper
Athlete, Coach & Club Certification
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 current FIAS certification and the club they represent must hold current FIAS accreditation to be eligible to enter FIAS-sanctioned Sport Sambo competition.
Match Officials
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 scoring official listed above are appointed and credentialed under the amended regulation.
SAMBO for the Blind and Visually Impaired
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 Specification Sheet for the Manufacturing of a Helmet for Blind SAMBO. Classification is based on the athlete's degree of visual impairment and ability to maintain balance, and assigns competitors to one of two classes:
- SVI1: includes totally blind athletes; competitors in this class must wear a helmet built to the FIAS specification, protecting the head and eye area and fitted with a black, non-light-transmitting eye patch and a curtain that seats snugly against the nose and cheekbones.
- SVI2: athletes with shaped/partial vision who can distinguish objects at a distance.