Beach Sambo vs Sport Sambo — Same Game, Different Rules

Sambo jacket + shorts (red/blue per competitor) — same as Sport Sambo; Barefoot (no Sambovki required on sand); Mouthguard recommended; protective cup permitted (men)

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

Sand court: 10m × 10m FIAS-spec compacted-but-soft sand area; Minimum sand depth: ~30 cm; Marked boundary tape or cord

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; Beach Sambo weight classes typically consolidated to 3-4 categories per gender (vs. 7 indoor); Officials: 1 mat referee + 1 corner judge + scoring official + timekeeper

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

Match length: 3 minutes (single period; vs 4-min indoor Sport Sambo); Throws scored as in Sport Sambo (1, 2, or 4 points based on landing position); Groundwork: pin-time reduced to account for sand difficulty (3-second pin = 1 pt; 6-second = 2 pts)

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; Gold/Silver/two Bronze per weight + gender

Decision priority: total victory > technical superiority > points > last-scoring competitor; Tournament: single-elimination + repechage for bronze; Gold/Silver/two Bronze per weight + age + gender

Standard Sport Sambo foul taxonomy (passivity, illegal techniques, fleeing, etc.); Sand-specific: eye-poke with sand → DQ if intentional; Equipment violation: warning + correction

Passivity: verbal warning → caution → opponent awarded points; Fleeing mat: caution; Illegal techniques (chokes, prohibited joint locks, strikes): caution → DQ

Sand surface reduces blunt-impact injury risk vs indoor mat (softer landing), but increases ankle/knee instability injuries from uneven footing during throws. Mandatory pre-event medical screening.

Sport Sambo injury profile: shoulder/knee/elbow strain from throws + joint-lock applications. No chokes = lower asphyxiation risk vs judo.