To organize a judo competition, affiliate your club with the FFJudo, choose the level (animation, departmental, regional), file the event declaration, define the weight and age categories, open registrations, choose between a pool and an elimination bracket with repechage, recruit referees and commissioners, plan the weigh-in and the tatami, then publish the rankings. Allow 3 to 6 months of preparation.
Step 1: choose the governing framework and the rules
Which federation should you use to organize a judo competition in France?
In France, the FFJudo (Fédération Française de Judo, Jujitsu, Kendo et Disciplines Associées, FFJDA) is the national governing body for judo. It applies the refereeing rules of the IJF (International Judo Federation). An official competition requires licensed judoka and a set of rules laid down by the federation and your regional league.
Your first choice structures everything else: the level of the competition. An internal club animation or a friendly interclub event leaves a lot of freedom over the format and the awards. A qualifying competition (departmental, regional, national) follows the specifications of the FFJudo and your league, with accredited officials, checks on licences and grades, and a format that complies with the rules.
Get in touch early with your departmental committee and your league: they validate the entry into the calendar, provide the officials and specify the requirements (minimum grade, open categories, mandated format). Judo for the youngest follows a particular philosophy, detailed in the next step: you do not treat a gathering of poussins like a senior championship.
Step 2: define the categories, the format and the durations
What are the weight and age categories in judo?
Judo matches athletes by gender, weight and age. Senior men: -60, -66, -73, -81, -90, -100, +100 kg. Senior women: -48, -52, -57, -63, -70, -78, +78 kg. The age categories run from poussins (8-9 years) to veterans (30 years and over), with weight grids specific to benjamins, minimes, cadets and juniors.
The FFJudo age categories are based on the calendar year of birth (the ages shown remain indicative): poussins (8-9 years), benjamins (10-11 years), minimes (12-13 years), cadets (14-16 years), juniors (17-19 years), seniors (20 years and over) and veterans (30 years and over). The youngest have more numerous and tighter weight grids; cadets, juniors and seniors get closer to the international categories. Check the exact boundaries of the current season with the FFJudo before publishing your categories.
Beware of a strong specificity of French judo: for poussins (8-9 years) and the youngest, the FFJudo favors educational animation (gatherings, supervised randori, everyone fights several times) rather than elimination with a podium. Bracket competition with medals begins in practice with the benjamins and the minimes, whose bouts last 3 minutes. For cadets, juniors and seniors, a bout lasts 4 minutes. In case of a tie at the end of regulation time, the bout goes into golden score, with no time limit, until the first advantage or the decisive penalty.
Step 3: set the date, the venue and the budget
How long does it take to organize a judo competition?
Allow 3 to 6 months. Book the venue and set the date from the start, taking your league's calendar into account to avoid clashes. File the event declaration within the legal deadlines. Open registrations 6 to 8 weeks beforehand, and set a closing date to lock the categories and prepare the brackets.
The venue must accommodate one or more combat areas with their safety zone, a warm-up area, a weigh-in space set apart, separate changing rooms, a scoring table per tatami and public space. A combat area measures from 8 m x 8 m to 10 m x 10 m, surrounded by a safety zone of at least 3 m, and 4 m between two adjacent areas: plan the surface accordingly if you set up several tatami.
The budget depends on the number of judoka, the number of tatami and the equipment you already have. Build it item by item (venue, mats, officials, awards, insurance, communication, catering) rather than as a single figure. The breakdown of items appears further down in the budget section. Do not announce any licence or entry-fee amount without having checked it at the official source, because the scales are revised every season.
Step 4: check the rules, the federation and the authorizations
What authorizations do you need to organize a judo competition?
Declare the sporting event to the town hall (or to the prefecture depending on the scope), within the legal deadlines (from 3 to 15 clear days beforehand for a standard indoor event). Take out civil liability insurance and present the certificate no later than 6 clear days beforehand. On the FFJudo side, follow your league's specifications and check licences, passports and grades.
The administrative declaration depends on the format: an indoor event is declared to the town hall a few days to two weeks beforehand, whereas an event on public roads requires a much longer lead time. Attach the civil liability insurance certificate, required no later than 6 clear days before the start. For up-to-date rules, rely on service-public.fr (declaration of sporting events) and on the FFJudo website.
On the federal side, each competitor must present a current FFJudo licence and a sports passport (mandatory from the benjamins category), have completed the health questionnaire, with a medical certificate depending on the answers and the age, and most often hold a minimum grade, frequently the green belt. Check the federal insurance scheme in force (provider and coverage) with the FFJudo before your event. Date each step on your countdown plan.
Step 5: open registrations and lock the categories
How do you manage registrations for a judo competition?
Open registrations online: each judoka chooses their weight and age category, and indicates their club and grade. Depending on your rules, also collect the required licence number and grade. Approve or reject each request, set a closing date, then lock the categories to prepare the pools and the brackets. Software avoids double entry and the Excel list to cross-check.
For the competition, plan to collect from each entrant: name, gender, date of birth (for the age category), target weight class, grade (belt), club and licence number. This information helps you check eligibility yourself (minimum grade, passport, medical certificate), on the organizer side, and compose the categories. Plan a clean closing date, because a category that shifts the day before throws off all the brackets.
On weigh-in day, the actual weight can move a judoka from one category to another: anticipate this margin. Competition management software collects these registrations online by category, where an Excel sheet forces you to retype everything by hand. You keep a clean list, filterable by category and by status, with search by name, ready to generate the pools and the brackets.
Step 6: choose between a pool and an elimination bracket
Pool or elimination bracket for a judo competition?
The choice depends on the size of each category. Below a handful of entrants, the pool (round-robin) guarantees several bouts to everyone. Beyond that, the direct elimination bracket with repechage is the way to go: the losers of the quarter-finals are repechaged, and the winner of each repechage faces a beaten semi-finalist for a bronze medal (two bronzes). You can also combine seeding pools then a final bracket.
The pool has all the judoka of a category face one another: it is the fairest format for small categories, because no one is eliminated after a single defeat. The direct elimination bracket, for its part, suits large categories, and judo's repechage corrects its main flaw: a judoka beaten in the quarter-finals by a future finalist is not definitively out, they can aim for the bronze.
Drawing these brackets by hand, recomposing them after each result and tracking the repechage on paper is the leading source of error and delay. A software that automatically generates your judo bracket produces pools, single elimination and the repechage bracket (two bronze medals) in one click, and advances the winner as soon as you enter the result of a bout.
Step 7: plan the weigh-in and the tatami
How does the weigh-in work in judo?
The official weigh-in is held before the competition, often the evening before or early in the morning, in the presence of officials and away from the public. Each judoka is weighed to confirm their weight class. Plan a sufficient slot and a margin: some competitors may move from one category to another depending on their actual weight on event day.
Build your schedule around the weigh-in and the number of tatami. Distribute the categories across the combat areas so as to keep the bouts running with no dead time, grouping what can be grouped (same age brackets, neighboring categories). Display an indicative timetable per tatami for the clubs and the public.
When several categories run in parallel, tracking who fights, on which tatami and at what time quickly becomes unmanageable on paper. Assigning a combat area and a time to each bout, and detecting slot conflicts, is exactly the kind of task that competition management software handles, keeping the schedule up to date as the bouts progress.
Step 8: recruit the referees, the commissioners and the volunteers
Who referees a judo competition, and how?
Each combat area is run by a central referee, who directs the bout on the mat and awards the main scores (ippon, waza-ari) and the penalties (shido). In international competition, the central referee is supported by video assistance (the CARE system). Also plan a scoring table and a timekeeper per tatami.
The score is read simply. The ippon ends the bout on the spot: it is the immediate victory. The waza-ari is an advantage, and two waza-ari equal an ippon. On the penalty side, the shido sanctions faults: three shido equal a decisive penalty (hansoku-make) that hands the victory to the opponent. The central referee manages all of this on the mat; your role as organizer is to give them the right conditions and to relay the result to the table.
Around the referee, plan the other roles: a sporting commissioner who oversees the running of the event and compliance with the rules, a scoring table per tatami (entering results, calling the fighters), a timekeeper, a weigh-in supervisor, a first-aid post and volunteers at reception and the refreshment stand. For a club animation, the organization is lighter; for an official competition, the officials are accredited and provided or validated by the league.
Step 9: prepare the tatami and the equipment
What tatami and what equipment for a judo competition?
You need a combat area of 8 m x 8 m to 10 m x 10 m, surrounded by a safety zone of at least 3 m (4 m between two adjacent areas), compliant mats (panels of 1 m x 2 m, thickness of 4 to 5 cm, standard NF EN 12503-3), lighting of at least 300 lux, a scoring table and a timer per tatami.
The tatami must absorb falls and stay stable: the standard NF EN 12503-3 governs their safety, and the density recommended for competition is higher than for training. Clearly mark the safety zone with a contrasting color, check the assembly so that no gap opens up during the bouts, and ensure uniform lighting of at least 300 lux on each area.
Round it out with the sound system, a display of the scores and the line-ups, the signage, a first-aid kit and a care post, the officials' table and the means to award medals and diplomas. If you are short of tatami to set up several areas, borrowing from another club is common: anticipate the logistics of transport and assembly.
Step 10: communicate and fill the competition
How do you communicate about a judo competition?
Create a public page with the presentation, the date, the venue, the rules (level, open categories, minimum grade) and the list of entrants by category. Share it with the clubs, your committee and your league, and on social media. Specify early the registration conditions (licence, passport, grade) to avoid back-and-forth by email.
The judo audience is local: neighboring clubs, families, departmental committee. Relay the announcement to the league's clubs, which gladly share the competitions on the calendar. Clearly indicate the level (animation, departmental, regional), the open categories and the required minimum grade, because these elements determine who can register. A public page with a presentation and a list of entrants by category gives a serious image and limits questions.
Step 11: manage the weigh-in and the bouts on event day
How do you follow the bouts of a judo competition on event day?
After the weigh-in and the check of licences and passports, launch the pools and the brackets. On each tatami, the referee directs the bout and designates the winner, which the scoring table records. The winner advances to the next round, the pool ranking updates, and the public follows the brackets and results with no paper sheet.
Event day moves fast. Reception and administrative check (licence, passport, certificate depending on the case), weigh-in set apart, confirmation of the categories, then the tatami get going. For each bout, the table calls the fighters, the referee directs and decides, and the result is entered right away. With a repechage, remember to open the bronze bracket only once the semi-finals are known.
Centralized tracking changes the day. When the table enters the winner, that person advances automatically in the bracket, the eligible loser joins the repechage bracket, the pool ranking recalculates, and the public page updates automatically for the clubs and the public. This removes scattered sheets, makes the brackets reliable and keeps the venue informed.
Step 12: publish the rankings and wrap up
How do you establish the ranking of a judo competition?
In an elimination bracket, the winner of the final is first, the finalist second, and the repechage designates two thirds (two bronze medals). In a pool, the ranking is done on points (three per win), tied broken on difference. Publish the results on the public page; entrants, pool ranking and schedule export to CSV.
Judo classically rewards a first, a second and two thirds per category, a direct consequence of the repechage. In a pool, you rank on the number of wins and points, then break ties. Once the podiums are set, thank the officials, referees and volunteers, draw up the actual financial wrap-up against the forecast, gather feedback from the clubs and archive the results and registrations.
Export the list of entrants, the pool ranking and the schedule to CSV for your archives and to send to your committee. This data prepares the next edition and feeds the wrap-up you report to the league.
How much does organizing a judo competition cost?
How much does organizing a judo competition cost?
The budget is built item by item: venue rental, tatami, officials, awards, insurance, communication and catering. The venue and the mats weigh the most when you have to rent them. Revenue (entry fees, refreshment stand, sponsors, subsidies) often balances a single day. Check every federal amount at the source before announcing it.
Here are the items to plan for, with indicative ranges to adapt to your context. The amounts tied to the federation (licence, entry fees, insurance) change every season: confirm them on the FFJudo website or with your league before any announcement.
| Item | Indicative range |
|---|---|
| Venue rental | often the top item, varies by municipality |
| Tatami (rental, transport, assembly) | variable, heavy if several areas |
| Officials and commissioners | allowances and expenses, depending on the league |
| Civil liability insurance | depending on the contract (FFJudo federal framework) |
| Awards (medals, cups) | variable depending on the number of categories |
| Communication and printing | variable |
| First aid and catering | variable |
| Contingency margin | 10 to 15% |
On the revenue side: entry fees per judoka (to be confirmed with your league), refreshment stand, local sponsors and a possible subsidy from the town hall or the department. A well-run refreshment stand often covers a notable share of the costs over a full day.
Countdown plan and checklist to organize your judo competition
A countdown plan avoids missing the authorizations, the weigh-in and the tatami.
- D-6 to D-4 months: choose the level (animation, departmental, regional), book the venue, set the date according to the league's calendar, build the forecast budget.
- D-4 to D-3 months: file the calendar request with the committee and the league, prepare the sporting-event declaration, secure the tatami and equipment.
- D-3 to D-2 months: open online registrations, define the weight and age categories, communicate to the clubs, recruit referees, commissioners and volunteers.
- D-1 month to D-2 weeks: close registrations, lock the categories, prepare the pools and brackets, plan the weigh-in and the tatami distribution, finalize the equipment checklist.
- Event day: reception and check (licence, passport, certificate depending on the case), weigh-in, launch of the pools and the brackets, refereeing, entering of the results, automatic display.
- After: publish the rankings, export entrants, pool ranking and schedule to CSV, give thanks, draw up the financial wrap-up, archive for the next edition.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Putting the youngest in elimination. For poussins and the youngest, the FFJudo favors animation (everyone fights several times), not the elimination bracket with a podium. Adapt the format to the age category.
- Declaring too late. The sporting-event declaration and the insurance certificate each have their legal deadline: the civil liability insurance certificate no later than 6 clear days beforehand, and the declaration several days in advance, far more for public roads. Anticipate both.
- Neglecting the minimum grade. Many competitions require a minimum belt (often green) and an up-to-date passport. Announce it as soon as registrations open.
- Forgetting the repechage. In an elimination bracket, judo awards two bronzes via the repechage. Do not draw a plain bracket without planning for the return of those beaten by the finalists.
- Under-sizing the tatami safety. Allow at least 3 m of safety zone around the area and 4 m between two adjacent areas, compliant mats and sufficient lighting.
- Managing the brackets on paper. Redrawing the brackets and tracking the repechage by hand, across several tatami, quickly distorts the results. Centralized entry makes everything reliable.
FAQ: organizing a judo competition
Do you need software to organize a judo competition?
It is not mandatory, but strongly advised once you reach a few dozen judoka. Between the many weight classes, the pools and elimination brackets with repechage, the bouts running across several tatami and the ranking to maintain, tracking everything manually quickly becomes unmanageable. Software generates the brackets, advances the winner and publishes the ranking.
How long does a judo bout last?
A bout lasts 4 minutes of real time for cadets, juniors and seniors, and 3 minutes for benjamins and minimes. In case of a tie at the end of regulation time, the bout goes into golden score, with no time limit: the first advantage scored or the third penalty (shido) decides the winner.
What are the weight classes in judo?
Judo matches athletes by gender, by weight and by age. For seniors, seven men's classes (-60, -66, -73, -81, -90, -100, +100 kg) and seven women's classes (-48, -52, -57, -63, -70, -78, +78 kg). Benjamins, minimes, cadets and juniors have their own grids, often more numerous for the youngest.
How does repechage work in judo?
In an elimination bracket, the losers of the quarter-finals are repechaged; the winner of each repechage faces a beaten semi-finalist for a bronze medal. This system awards two bronze medals per category and limits the effect of an unfavorable draw.
What belt and licence do you need to take part?
For FFJudo competitions, the judoka must hold a current licence, a sports passport (mandatory from the benjamins category), have completed the health questionnaire (medical certificate depending on the case) and, most often, hold at least a green belt. Check the rules of the target competition.
Can you organize a judo competition for free?
You always pay for certain items (venue, tatami, officials, insurance, awards). The management tool, however, can be free: CompetHub is free to start, with no credit card. You manage registrations, pools, brackets, bouts and ranking with no software cost, which lightens the budget of a first club tournament.
The software to organize your judo competition
Once the method is in place, the tool does the rest. CompetHub links every step of this guide: online registrations by category, bulk entry of club lists (records without an account), weigh-in with re-seeding by weight, pools and a two-bronze-medal repechage bracket generated automatically, entering the bout (ippon, waza-ari, shido) and advancing the winner, pool ranking, schedule by combat area, a branded public page and CSV export of the entrants, the pool ranking and the schedule. Organize the competition. We bring it to life.
To compare the features in detail, see the judo competition software page.
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Registrations by category, pools, elimination brackets with repechage, bout tracking and ranking: it's all in one place. Free to start, no credit card.