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USA Judo Referee Commission 2009 Rule Changes and Interpretational Adjustments
OFFICIAL ORDER OF IMPLEMENTATION
November 25, 2008
These new 2009 rule changes and interpretational adjustments are to be implemented at all USA Judo competition events. The implementation date is January 1, 2009.
These new changes may be employed at earlier events on a test basis if approved by USA Judo.
Please read carefully the six IJF rule change documents.

Terms:
New = Actual rule change Adjustment = A change in the interpretation of an existing rule.

Partially NEW = Part of this rule has been in effect in the past, but part of this rule has been added to or changed.

Reiteration (Clarification) = This is not a change, it is a reaffirmation of how a rule is to be interpreted and applied.

These reiteration notices generally occur because of erroneous applications.
1. The score KOKA will no longer be called or scored in Judo Competition. NEW
U.S. Referee Commission Commentary
1. Landings (buttock(s) or side of the thigh) that were considered Koka may score Yuko if the throw is
deliberate (skillful technique), has force and shows clear control. (IJF is working on a video.)
2. Throws where the landings (to the buttock(s) or side of the thigh) are borderline, partially lack control
or are weak (soft), Koka should not be scored.
3. We must reiterate that landings to the front/side are not to be scored.

2. Osaekomi Durations Partially NEW
1 -14.9 seconds = No score (During Golden Score (Kinsa-Advantage))
15 -19.9 seconds = Yuko
20- 24.9 seconds = Waza-ari
25 seconds = Ippon

U.S. Referee Commission Commentary
1. This change needs no additional clarification.

3. There will be four shido penalties; the first one will be free (a warning). Partially NEW
U.S. Referee Commission Commentary
1. The first shido will be awarded and displayed on the scoreboard however, the opponent will NOT receive the score of Koka. Adapt for electronic boards with auto scoring for penalties.
2. During Golden Score, the first shido may be given by the referee without consultation with the judges.
3. The free shido should not be considered in the hantei decision in Golden Score unless it is absolutely the only difference between the two athletes (essentially impossible).
4. During Golden Score, the second shido may only be given after consultation with the judges. If 2 of the 3 officials agree to award the penalty, then the penalty is awarded and the contest is ended. The referee and judges have the option of consulting with the Jury.

5. If the team is split 2-1 against, the referee and judges just do not give the penalty and the Golden Score period continues. The referee and judges have the option of consulting with the Jury.

4. The Golden Score duration will change from length of the original contest to three minutes.
Partially NEW U.S. Referee Commission Commentary
1. The decision for hantei is based only on the kinsas that occur during the Golden Score period.
1 of 3 Referee Commission 2009 Rule Changes and Interpretational Adjustments Page 2
5. Dynamic Edge (IJF Wording) “Let the fighters fight!” Partially NEW
“All actions are valid and may continue (no Mate) as long as either contestant has some part of his (or her) body touching the contest area”. (Similar Ne-waza criterion is to be applied).

U.S. Referee Commission Commentary (Dynamic Edge)
1. Translation: “Actions” are while the competitors are gripping (kumi kata) each other as long as they are moving rapidly (tsugi ashi, etc.), no attack (entry into a throw) need take place, but could take place.
2. A competitor in “action” may play in the safety area as long as either contestant has some
part of his/her body touching the contest area. Any break in or stall of the action warrants Mate.
This is very different from what we have been doing in the past. This is a more liberal application. The referee and judges must be cognizant of the safety issues brought about by this change.
3. The cardinal principle to follow is Continuity of the Action and Dynamic Action.
4. After the original attack inside, award the appropriate score (if any) for any subsequent renraku-waza or kaeshi-waza whether one player is inside (contest area) or both are in the safety area (outside), as long as there is “continuity” and there is no clear break in the dynamic action.
5. If the referee calls “Mate” in error and the judges believe the action and attack to be valid, they may nullify the Mate and score the throw. The Jury may be consulted.
6. Any attack in the Dynamic Edge situation should have immediacy of result (reasonable completion time).

Interpretational Adjustments
Negative judo penalties must be more strictly enforced. However, we must be sure that a penalty is given only when it is obvious. Referees must not hunt for penalties. If infractions happen, they must be penalized. Please do not go overboard.
There had been a trend for the past two years in some parts to not give any shido penalties unless they were “extremely” obvious. This trend is NOT what the IJF or the U.S. Referee Commission wants!

Generally more than five seconds means 6-8 seconds, not 15-20 seconds or longer!
Repeated offenses should be penalized even faster (4-5 seconds). Non-combativity is still 20-30 sec.
6. Article 27.1 Avoid taking hold (To avoid taking hold or prevent your opponent from taking hold)
Adjustment
This includes blocking to prevent kumi-kata. This includes covers (gripping one’s own lapel in order to prevent the opponent from gripping), hold-aways (gripping one’s lapel and pulling it away out of reach of one’s opponent) etc.
This also now includes crushing (excessive obi-tori gripping). That is keeping the opponent in a bentover posture using an over-the-back “crushing” grip to prevent kumi-kata.
The time frame on this is generally more than five seconds.
Application of any negative judo penalties, such as refusal to grip should be made with logical
(intuitive) timing and should be made in conjunction with the dynamic (spirit) of the contest.
7. Article 27 Excessively Defensive Posture (Generally more than five seconds.) Reiteration
This prohibited act will be penalized more quickly (6-8 seconds). The goal is to discourage wrestling and wrestling style tactics.
2 of 3 Referee Commission 2009 Rule Changes and Interpretational Adjustments Page 3
8. Article 27 False Attack Reiteration The referee will be more vigilant in the enforcement of false attacks including diving at the legs without a clear attempt at a throw, drop seoi-nage without a clear attempt at a throw or similar unskillful attacks. These are mitigated of course by the opponent’s obvious defense. A true failed attack is not a false attack.
9. Article 27 Hikkomi (Hikikomi) Unskillful take downs in order to enter Ne-waza Reiteration
This includes unskillful tomoe-nage, unskillful sumi-gaeshi and similar unskillful attacks where the intent is to enter ne-waza and not to throw one’s opponent. These types of attacks should be penalized with shido.
The uses of Tomoe-nage to enter into Juji-gatame or similar techniques (Hikkomi gaeshi) are acceptable as long as the attack is continuous and skillful.
10. Article 27 Pants Grasping Partially NEW A player may NOT "first" grab the trouser leg(s) then attack, but may grab the trousers to assist in finishing an attack that has already been initiated. Grabbing the trousers first, results in an immediate Mate and (shido). Grabbing the pants in the midst of an ongoing attack or even simultaneously in order to finish the attack should not be stopped or penalized.
Grabbing (Grasping) the leg (not pants) – arm-hook or hand-hook (as in Morote-gari and Kibisu-gaeshi) without grabbing the trousers/pants is still legal. These actions should not be stopped or penalized and any subsequent action should be scored.
11. Judogi Control Article 3 NEW There will be stricter enforcement of the judogi criteria. At National and International Events it is the responsibility of the coach, manager and competitor to meet the judogi rules. The new judogi caliper (Sokuteiki) will be available at National Level and at Elite point events. Before coming to a tournament, a competitor and his or her coach should be sure the competitor’s judogi meets all the judogi requirements as outlined in Article 3 of the Refereeing (Contest) Rules. Before the competitor comes onto the contest area (On-deck) a gi caliper (Sokuteiki) will be available at each contest area so the contestant and/or coach may check to see if the judogi meets all the requirements of the rule. When a competitor comes to the contest area s/he has assumed responsibility that the judogi is legal. This official judogi check will be done only if after a visual inspection, which the referee and judges do every contest when the competitors are walking up to the side edge of the mat, one of the officials on the mat believes that the judogi may not meet the judogi requirements. If the referee and judges determine (all agree) that the judogi is “illegal” after measuring it with the judogi caliber (Sokuteiki), then that contestant will lose by Hansoku Make. If two officials believe the judogi is illegal, then they will consult the Jury. If only one official believes the judogi is illegal, the contest will be allowed to continue. This Hansoku Make will eliminate the competitor only from that contest, not from any subsequent contests.
Future discussion by the U.S. Referee Commission will be taking place with regard to the application of this rule at Local and Regional tournaments.
12. Long Landings: (It ain’t over until it’s over) (Continuity of the landing): Reiteration
Judgment on how a throw should score is based on the entire landing from the initial point of contact or impact to the final part of the body or back landing on the tatami when all controlled movement ceases.
The complete landing in nage-waza must be considered in total for scoring purposes, even if the action is slow, uneven (slight hesitation), or irregular (e.g. opposite side), so long as there is no clear break in the technique. The landing must be continuous.
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