by Elie A. Morrell, Shichidan

INTRODUCTION

The contents of this paper are based on writer conducting a thorough review of the new 2003 judo refereeing rules in order to fully understand the changes to the rules since the last issuance of the same document.

While reviewing the rules it was noted that numerous editorial errors existed in the document. Most of these errors are such that they would not influence in any way how individuals would officiate in a judo contest.

Aside from minor editorial errors, some errors were noted that could easily cause confusion and/or result in misinterpretation. Based on noting these more serious errors, the writer felt it to be prudent to prepare this document to make available the findings to the judo community.

A review of this article should benefit those individuals involved in officiating in judo contests at all levels. While reviewing this article, a clearer understanding of the comments, corrections and any suggested additions should be much clearer to the reader if the reader has a copy of the new 2003 judo refereeing rules to use as a cross reference.

In several cases, some of the flagged errors result in a necessary change in page number.

These errors resulted due to several articles having their appendices out of sequence and appearing on the wrong page. In most cases throughout the document, the appendix to each of the articles immediately follows the article. This is as it should be. For those cases where errors occur that could possibly have an impact on officiating, an asterisk is used to highlight the comment and/or correction.

A summary of all of the comments, corrections and any suggested additions follows.


PAGE 1– Article 4 should be shown on page 9. This change would place the article ahead of the appendix where it belongs.

Article 30 should be shown on page 57 after the Appendix of Article 29.

PAGE 4– Article 2- Equipment.
Item g) should be deleted. A judo gi is not supporting equipment as shown. This Item is appropriately included in Article 3-Judo Uniform ( Judogi ) as item b) on page 6.

PAGE 5– Appendix Article 2- Equipment. The entry called ‘Position of Scoreboard Keepers/Contest Sheet Writers/Timekeepers’ is not peripheral equipment. The correct location of this entry is in Appendix Article 5, Referees and Officials, on page 11.

The entry called ‘Distance of Spectators’ has nothing to do with equipment and should be deleted from this article. The only possible relocation spot that the writer could find for this entry was Appendix Article 9- Location (Valid Areas) on page 25. This new location could be entered as paragraph five and labeled ‘Miscellaneous’.

PAGE 8– Article 4- Hygiene.
This article is out of sequence and belongs on page 9 immediately following Appendix Article 3- Judo Uniform (Judogi). The page is really page 7 when in correct sequence.

PAGE 7– Appendix Article 3- Judo Uniform (Judogi).
The correct number for this page is 8.

PAGE 9– Appendix Article 4- Hygiene.
The portion of the paragraph discussing Kiken-gachi after the contest has started is ambiguous. It indicates that the officials failed to recognize that the losing contestant was in non-compliance with Articles 3 and 4 before the contest started.

PAGE 13-Appendix Article 6- Position and Function of Referee.
A suggested new paragraph 3 to read as follows: ‘If the viewed judge indicates a differing opinion, the referee must immediately look at the second judge to ascertain if he also has a differing opinion. If the second judge has no opinion or agrees with the referee, the referee’s call stands.’

Insert as paragraphs 4 and 5 paragraphs 2 and 3 from page 14, Article 7- Position and function of Judges. These two paragraphs apply strictly to the referee’s function.

*The word ‘penalty’ should be deleted from the first line in these two paragraphs. The adjustment for penalties by the referee was only possible when four penalties were part of the rules. Adjustment is not possible with only two penalties under the new rules.

*In the existing paragraph 3, after the word ‘outwards’ insert the words ‘while in close proximity to the safety area.’ This avoids confusion if both contestants are facing outwards but located at or near the center of the contest area.

In the existing paragraph 4, delete the words ‘and judges’ in the first line. Also, delete the same two words in line 5.

This same paragraph should be inserted on page 14, Article 7- Position and Function of Judges and have it only applicable to judges.

Add the first paragraph of Appendix Article 7- Position and Function of Judges on page 15 without the words ‘and judges.’

PAGE 14– Article7-Position and Function of Judges
Delete paragraphs 2 and 3. Add paragraph 4 from Appendix Article 6 on page 13 and have it apply to judges only.

PAGE 15– Appendix Article7-Position and Function of Judges
In paragraph 1, delete the words ‘referee and’ in line 1. Delete paragraph 6 since it is redundant and already stated on page 14 ,Article7 -Position and Function of Judges in paragraph 6.

PAGE 16– Gestures
Gesture number 4 (Yuko). Delete the words ‘his body’ and add the words ‘the side of his body’ after the word ‘from.’

*Gesture number 18 (Non- Combativity) Delete the words ‘with a forward motion’.

NOTE: Rotation of the arms is either in a clockwise or a counter clockwise direction. At any given instant while rotation exists, either forearm will be moving in one of four possible directions. These directions are either forward and down, backward and down, backward and up and forward and up. Therefore, to say rotate with a forward motion has no real physical meaning.

*Gesture number 19 (False Attack)
After the word ‘closed’ add the words ‘and thumbs up.’

A suggested new gesture: To indicate the cancellation of an expressed opinion followed by a score or penalty correction.

PAGE 17– Appendix Article 8-Gestures
In paragraph 4, delete the word ‘moving’ in line 1 and insert the words ‘making a quarter turn’ after the word ‘while.’

PAGE 19– Appendix Article 8-Gestures
The referee in the drawing for ‘5 seconds in the danger zone’ should have his hand raised above his head. It looks too much like the ‘Mate’ gesture.

PAGE 21– Appendix Article 8- Gestures
There should be no drawing shown for the verbal commands of Hajime and Soremade since these are not physical gestures. The drawing should be deleted.

PAGE 26– The appendices for articles 10, 12, 13 and 14 should immediately follow these articles. They now appear on page 27 out of sequence.

PAGE 28– Article 15-Start of the Contest.
In line 4 of paragraph 3, what is the signal given by the referee?

Delete the last sentence in paragraph 3. The sentence belongs in Appendix Article 19-End of Contest on page 35 that has been corrected and is now page 36.

*Paragraph 4 refers the reader to the Bowing Guide. The guide is nowhere to be found in this document.

PAGE 29– Appendix Article 15- Start of the Contest.
In paragraph 3, delete the words ‘at the waist’ and add the words ‘from the vertical’ after the word ‘measured.’ NOTE: Angles are measured from a line or a plane surface. ‘At the waist’ has no physical meaning.

This page also refers the reader to the Bowing Guide (not contained in the document).

PAGE 31– Appendix Article 16- Entry into Newaza.
For consistency, either the last paragraph in Appendix Article 27 (on document page 47 and corrected to be page 49) should follow paragraph 2 in this article, or paragraph 2 should be added to Appendix Article 27 on corrected page number 49.

PAGE 32– Article 17- Application of Mate.
*Refer to entry (b).There is a notable exception to entry (b).This exception is noted in Appendix Article 26-Osaekomi-waza on page 45 in paragraph number 3. This exception is noted in the first sentence of this paragraph. That is, when in a called osaekomi situation, if the contestant who is being held down commits an infringement meriting a penalty, the referee shall call SONO-MAMA and not MATE!

PAGE 34– Article 18-Sono-mama.
The Appendix to this article is out of sequence on document page 35 and should be placed on page 14 following Article 18-Sono-mama.

PAGE 35– Article 19-End of Contest (continued)
This page number is out of sequence and the correct page number is 36.

PAGE 36– Appendices to Articles 18 and 19.
This page number is out of sequence and the correct page number is 35.

PAGE 38– Article 21-Waza-ari-awasete-Ippon.
This article is out of sequence and should immediately follow Appendix Article 20- Ippon on page 39.

The statement in this article should be revised so as not to conflict with the requirements in Article 22-Sogo-gachi (compound win). The current statement could be very easily taken out of context since it does not clearly indicate how the contestant gains the waza-ari. (e.g. A waza-ari gained from a throwing or grappling technique or a waza-ari gained by ‘Equivalence.)

A new Article 21 statement should indicate that the contestant must score two (2) waza-aris from a throwing or a grappling technique in order to have the referee announce Waza-ari-awasete-Ippon. A waza-ari obtained by ‘Equivalence’ would only be applicable in the case of an announced Sogo-gachi.

PAGE 41– ??? Most interesting. This is a numbered page in this document but the page is a complete BLANK. I call this one the ghost page.

PAGE 42– Article 24-Yuko.
The Appendix is out of sequence on page 43 following Article 25-Koka. Insert the Appendix for Yuko on page 42. When this correction is made, the Appendix for Article 25-Koka will then be in proper sequence. It is now out of sequence on page 43.

PAGE 46– Article 27-Prohibited Acts and Penalties.
Should Shido entry number 1 contain the words ‘(Generally more than 5 seconds)’?

PAGE 47 is document page number 48 corrected to new page number 47 because it was out of sequence. The corrected page is part of Article 27-Prohibited Acts and Penalties (continued).

Should Shido entries 12 and 13 contain the words ‘(Generally more than 5 seconds)’?

PAGE 48 is document page number 50 corrected to new page number 48 because it was out of sequence. The corrected page is part of Article 27-Prohibited Acts and Penalties (continued).

PAGE 49 is document page number 47 corrected to new page number 47 because it was out of sequence. The corrected page is part of Appendix Article 27-Prohibited Acts and Penalties.

PAGE 50 is document page number 49 corrected to new page number 50 because it was out of sequence. The corrected page is part of Appendix Article 27-Prohibited Acts and Penalties (continued).

PAGE 56– Article 30-Situations not covered by the Rules
This article is out of sequence and belongs on page 57 immediately following Appendix 29-Injury, Illness or Accident (continued).

REFERENCE: Judo Refereeing Rules (2003) Ratified by the IJF Congress in Osaka, Japan on September 8, 2003.

When you go with the rhythm then you are able to grasp the overall situation. Then you are able to influence the flow of events. –Koichi Tohei