Whether you are a new judo student, a parent watching from the sidelines, or a coach brushing up before tournament season, understanding judo scoring is essential. The rules have evolved over the years, and the current IJF system is simpler than it looks once you break it down.
The Three Scores
Under the current IJF rules (2025–2028) there are three scores: ippon, waza-ari and yuko. An ippon ends the match immediately. A waza-ari is a lesser score — two waza-ari in a match also end it (this combination is equivalent to ippon). A yuko is the smallest score.
Yuko was removed from international judo in 2017 and brought back for the 2025 rules. Yuko never add up to a waza-ari: at the end of time, the judoka with more waza-ari wins, and if waza-ari are level, more yuko wins.
Ippon — The Ultimate Score
An ippon is awarded when a judoka throws their opponent largely on their back with considerable force and speed, or holds them in an osaekomi (pin) for 20 seconds, or forces a submission through armlock or choke.
Ippon ends the match immediately — it is the judo equivalent of a knockout. The referee calls 'Ippon!' and the contest is over regardless of how much time remains.
Waza-ari — The Half Score
A waza-ari is awarded for a throw that is close to ippon quality but lacks one element — perhaps the opponent did not land fully on their back, or the throw lacked speed or force. It is also awarded for a pin held between 10 and 19 seconds. A pin held for 5 to 9 seconds scores yuko.
Two waza-ari in the same match combine to form a waza-ari-awasete-ippon, ending the contest. This means every waza-ari puts the opponent one score away from losing.
The Penalty System — Shido
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Download FreePenalties in judo are called shido. They are given for infractions like passivity (not attacking), defensive postures (bending over to avoid throws), stepping outside the contest area, or false attacks (pretending to attack without commitment).
The first two shido are warnings and do not affect the score directly. The third shido results in hansoku-make (disqualification) and the opponent wins. Short of that third shido, penalties don't decide the match — a difference in shido alone doesn't win it.
Golden Score — Overtime
If the match ends with equal scores, it goes to golden score. This is an unlimited overtime period where the first score of any kind — ippon, waza-ari, yuko, or a third shido against the opponent — wins the match.
Golden score can theoretically go on forever, though in practice the referees will award shido for passivity if neither athlete is attacking. The IpponBoard Scoreboard automatically transitions to golden score when regular time ends in a draw.
Match Duration
Senior matches are typically 4 minutes. Junior durations vary by age and federation, usually 2-3 minutes. Golden score has no time limit.
The clock stops whenever the referee calls 'Matte!' (stop) and restarts on 'Hajime!' (begin). Osaekomi has its own clock that runs separately — 20 seconds for ippon, 10–19 seconds for waza-ari, 5–9 seconds for yuko.
Scoring in Practice
If you are running club training sessions or internal competitions, you need a reliable way to track scores in real time. The IpponBoard Scoreboard app handles all of these rules automatically — including golden score transitions, shido accumulation, and osaekomi timing.
It is free, works offline, and runs on iPad, iPhone, Mac, and Windows. No account required — just download and start scoring.
This article is part of the Complete Guide to Running a Judo Club — a step-by-step resource for judo instructors and club managers.