Rules and Method of Competition
RULES
The Championships will be conducted in accordance with the 2019 Contest Rules, Organization Code and Sporting Code of the International Judo Federation (IJF), as revised for the USA Judo Junior Olympic Championships.
COMPETITION METHOD
The standard ("true") Double Elimination System with winner's and loser's brackets will be used for all competition. The winner of the loser's bracket will compete against the winner of the winner's bracket for 1st and 2nd place. The first one of these two contestants to have two (2) losses will placed second; the other will be placed first. The loser of the final match of the loser's bracket will be placed 3rd.
For categories of five or fewer contestants, round robin will be the method of competition. International Competition (Sunday), IJF and Cadet categories will be contested using Double Repechage (cross over).
SEEDING
There will be no seeding for any junior categories with the exception of IJF Junior and Cadet, where the top four athletes in attendance will be seeded in each division.
In the event a ranked athlete is not competing, the lower ranked athletes WILL move up in seeding. Players having the same state affiliation will be placed as far apart in the bracket as possible.
DETERMINATION OF WEIGHT CATEGORY
Athletes must declare a weight at check-in and make that weight during official weigh-in. Weight category can be changed during the registration process. Failure to make declared weight, will eliminate the athlete from competition, with the exception of OPEN weight category if applicable.
No refunds or credits will be issued for missed weight.
MATCH LENGTHS
| Categories 6 -10 | 3 minutes / 2 minute golden score |
| Intermediate & Juvenile | 3 minutes / no golden score limit |
| Cadet & IJF Junior | 4 minutes / no golden score limit |
SHIME-WAZA and KANSETSU-WAZA AGE LIMITS
| Category / Year of Birth | Shime-waza (chokes) Allowed | Kansetsu-waza (arm bars) Allowed |
|---|---|---|
| Novice Only Year of Birth 2006 and earlier |
YES | NO |
| ALL athletes born after 2006 (includes all Intermediate or younger divisions) | NO | NO |
| Cadet & Older (Non-Novice) (2004 Year of Birth or earlier) |
YES | YES |
INJURY RULE
The following rule was approved by the Board of Directors of USA Judo on October 22, 1998:
Decisions as to whether an athlete may continue if injued while on the mat, are to be resolved in accordance with IJF rules; such decisions occurring off the mat or not covered by the IJF rules, are to be made by the coach, the athlete and the event Doctor. If there is not a unanimous opinion amojng these three individuals, the athlete may not continue.
JUDO Gi COLOR
Blue and white judo gi's are mandatory for all categories.
COACHES DRESS
All coaches must adhere to the USA Judo dress coded outlined at https://go.teamusa.org/2DYzyC5
All coaches must have a coaches wrist band to enter the championship.
• Wrist bands will be distributed at the coaches meeting
NOTICE OF POSSIBLE TESTING FOR BANNED SUBSTANCES
IJF Junior Categories only
Testing, in accordance with the Anti-Doping Rules and Procedures of the IJF, USOC and the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), may be conducted to determine whether an athlete is utilizing a substance forbidden by the International Olympic Committee.
As an athlete, before taking any medication or supplement, it is your responsibility to find out if any substance in the product is prohibited or restricted.
The Drug Reference Hotline is 1.800.233.0393. You can send correspondence and inquiries to: United States Anti-Doping Agency; 555 Tech Center Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80919 or visit USADA's website: http://www.usantidoping.org.
