To organize a karate competition, affiliate your club with the FFKarate, choose the level and the format (kumite, and possibly kata judged separately), declare the event, define the weight and age classes, open registrations, run the weigh-in, choose between pool and single-elimination bracket with repechage, recruit the referees, schedule the tatami, then publish the podiums. Plan on 3 to 6 months of preparation.
Step 1: choose the governing framework and the rules
Which governing body to organize a karate competition in France?
In France, the FFKarate (Fédération Française de Karaté et Disciplines Associées) is the national governing body for karate. It applies the rules of the WKF (World Karate Federation) and of the European Karate Federation. Karate appeared at the Tokyo 2020 Games but was not retained for Paris 2024 or Los Angeles 2028. An official competition requires licensed athletes and a set of rules laid down by the governing body and your league.
Your first choice shapes everything else: the level of the competition and the format. Competition karate splits into kumite (sparring, run by weight class) and kata (technical forms judged by a panel of seven judges, with no weight class); this guide focuses on kumite. An internal club tournament or a friendly interclub leaves room for flexibility; a qualifying competition follows the FFKarate requirements, with accredited officials, licence checks and a format compliant with the WKF rules.
Check in early with your departmental committee and your league: they validate the entry on the calendar, supply the officials and spell out the requirements (open categories, minimum grade, mandated format). Karate for the youngest follows adapted rules (reduced contact and durations, mandatory helmet for the young): you do not run a gathering of pupilles like a senior championship.
Step 2: define the categories, the format and the durations
What are the weight and age classes in karate?
In kumite, karate pits athletes against each other by sex, weight and age. WKF seniors: men -60, -67, -75, -84, +84 kg; women -50, -55, -61, -68, +68 kg. The FFKarate age categories run from the pupilles (8-9 years) to the juniors (16-17 years), then espoirs, seniors (18 and over) and vétérans (35 and over). Kata is judged separately, with no weight class.
The FFKarate weight and age grids follow the WKF framework, with more numerous and tighter categories for the young. The grade (belt, from the kyu system for colored belts to the dan for black belts) can be used to open or reserve certain competitions. Check the exact bounds of the current season with the FFKarate before publishing your categories.
On the format side, a senior kumite bout lasts three minutes, for both men and women. On the tatami, the referee and the judges count the points: a yuko (1 point) for a punch, a waza-ari (2 points) for a kick to the body, an ippon (3 points) for a kick to the head or a throw followed by a technique. The bout ends if a competitor builds an eight-point lead, and a tie is settled on the senshu (the first to have scored an unanswered point wins).
Step 3: set the date, the venue and the budget
How long does it take to organize a karate competition?
Plan on 3 to 6 months. Book the venue and set the date right 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 weigh-in and the brackets.
The venue must accommodate one or more tatami with their safety zone, a warm-up area, a weigh-in space set apart, changing rooms, a scoring table per area and public space. A WKF combat area measures 8 m x 8 m, surrounded by a safety zone of 2 m (about 12 m x 12 m in total): plan the surface accordingly if you set up several tatami.
The budget depends on the number of competitors, the number of tatami and the equipment you already have. Build it item by item (venue, tatami, officials, awards, insurance, communication, catering) rather than as a single figure. The breakdown of items appears further down. Do not announce any licence amount or entry fees without having verified it at the official source.
Step 4: check the rules, the governing body and the authorizations
What authorizations to organize a karate competition?
Declare the sporting event: within a single municipality, to the town hall; across several municipalities, to the prefect, via the State platform. Allow a lead time of at least one month, longer for large-scale events. Take out civil liability insurance. On the governing-body side, follow the FFKarate requirements and check the licences.
The declaration is made online at declaration-manifestations.gouv.fr. For up-to-date rules, rely on service-public.fr and sports.gouv.fr (organizing a sporting event), and attach the civil liability insurance certificate.
On the participation side, each competitor must present a valid FFKarate licence and a sports passport. For competition kumite, the FFKarate requires a medical certificate of no contraindication dated less than a year ago. The licence includes civil liability insurance. Check the current arrangements and fees with the FFKarate, and date each step on your countdown plan.
Step 5: open registrations and lock the categories
How do you manage registrations for a karate competition?
Open registrations online: each competitor chooses their weight and age class in kumite, and states their club and grade. Also collect, depending on your rules, the licence number. Validate or reject each request, set a closing date, then lock the categories to prepare the weigh-in and the brackets. Software avoids double entry and the Excel list to cross-check.
For the competition, plan to collect from each entrant: name, sex, date of birth (for the age class), targeted weight class, grade (belt), club and licence number. This information lets you check eligibility and build the categories. As teachers enter a whole club, plan to input lists in one go rather than registration by registration. Plan a clean closing date, because a category that shifts the day before disrupts every bracket.
On weigh-in day, the actual weight can tip a competitor 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 for the weigh-in and the generation of the brackets.
Step 6: choose between pool and elimination bracket
Pool or elimination bracket for a karate competition?
The choice depends on the field size of each category. Below a handful of entrants, the pool (round-robin) guarantees several bouts for everyone. Beyond that, the single-elimination bracket with repechage is the way to go: the competitors beaten by the two finalists are brought back through repechage, and the two losers of the semifinals each earn a bronze medal. You can also combine seeding pools then a final bracket.
The pool has all the competitors of a category face each other: it is the fairest format for small categories, because no one is eliminated after a single defeat. The single-elimination bracket, on the other hand, suits the large categories, and repechage corrects its main flaw: a competitor beaten by a future finalist is not definitively ruled 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 karate 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: organize the weigh-in and schedule the tatami
How does the weigh-in work in karate?
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 kumite competitor is weighed to confirm their weight class. Plan a sufficient slot and a margin: some competitors may switch category depending on their actual weight.
Build your schedule around the weigh-in and the number of tatami. Spread the categories across the combat areas so as to chain the bouts with no idle time, grouping what can be grouped (same age brackets, neighboring categories), and slotting in the kata if it is on the program. Display an indicative timetable per tatami for the clubs and the public.
When several categories run in parallel, tracking who is fighting, on which tatami and at what time quickly becomes unmanageable on paper. Recording the weight of each competitor at the weigh-in and re-seeding them in the right category, then assigning an area and a time to each bout while detecting slot conflicts, is exactly the kind of task that competition management software takes on, keeping the schedule up to date as the bouts progress.
Step 8: recruit the referees and the officials
Who referees a karate competition and how?
In WKF kumite, each tatami is run by a head referee and four judges around the area, supported by a match supervisor and a score supervisor. They award the points (yuko, waza-ari, ippon), penalize infractions and designate the winner. Also plan a scoring table per tatami.
The score is built on points: a yuko (1 point) for a punch, a waza-ari (2 points) for a kick to the body, an ippon (3 points) for a kick to the head or a throw followed by a technique. Penalties are graded (category 1 warnings for excessive contact, category 2 for passivity or leaving the area, up to hansoku). The bout ends at an eight-point gap, on the highest total at the end of time or on the senshu in case of a tie. The refereeing team handles that on the tatami; your role as organizer is to give them the right conditions and to relay the result to the table.
Around the referees, plan the other roles: a sports manager who oversees the running and the rules, a scoring table per tatami (entry of results, calling of competitors), a timekeeper, a weigh-in manager, a first-aid post and volunteers at reception and the refreshment stand. For a club tournament, the organization is lighter; for an official competition, the officials are accredited and supplied or validated by the league.
Step 9: prepare the tatami and the equipment
What tatami and what equipment for a karate competition?
You need a combat area of 8 m x 8 m surrounded by a safety zone of 2 m (about 12 m x 12 m in total), an approved tatami (puzzle mats), a scoring table and a timer per area, a score display, and the competitors' kumite protective gear (gloves, mouthguard, shin and foot guards, body protector, groin guard, helmet for the young).
The protective gear must be WKF-approved, and the equipment of one color (red or blue) to distinguish the competitors. Check the assembly of the mats so that no gap opens up during the bouts, mark the safety zone clearly, and ensure even lighting on each tatami. If you are short of tatami to set up several areas, borrowing from another club is common: anticipate the logistics.
Round it out with the sound system, the display of scores and call-ups, the signage, a first-aid kit and a care station, the officials' table, a scale for the weigh-in and what you need to hand out medals and awards. A warm-up area close to the tatami smooths the call-ups.
Step 10: communicate and fill the competition
How do you communicate about a karate competition?
Create a public page with the presentation, the date, the venue, the rules (open categories, kumite and possibly kata, minimum grade) and the list of entrants by category. Share it with the clubs, your committee and your league, and on social media. Spell out the registration conditions early (licence, medical certificate, grade) to avoid back-and-forth by email.
The karate audience is local: neighboring clubs, families, departmental committee. Relay the announcement to the clubs of the league, which happily spread the competitions on the calendar. State clearly the level, the open categories and the minimum grade required, because these elements determine who can register. A public page with the presentation and the list of entrants by category gives a serious image and limits the questions.
Step 11: manage the weigh-in and the bouts on event day
How do you track the bouts of a karate competition on event day?
After the weigh-in and the licence checks, launch the pools and the brackets. On each tatami, the referee and the judges count the points and designate the winner, which the scoring table records. The winner advances to the next round, the pool ranking updates, the repechage fills in, and the public follows the brackets and podiums with no paper sheet.
Event day moves fast. Reception and administrative check, weigh-in set apart, confirmation of the categories, then the tatami get going. For each bout, the table calls the competitors, the referee and the judges decide, and the result is entered right away. With a repechage, remember to open the bouts for the bronze only once the finalists are known.
Centralized tracking changes the day. When the table enters the winner, that competitor advances automatically in the bracket, the eligible loser joins the repechage, the pool ranking recalculates, and the public page updates automatically for the clubs and the public. This removes the 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 karate competition?
In a single-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 on the difference. Publish the podiums on the public page; entrants, pool ranking, schedule and final ranking export to CSV.
Karate in kumite classically rewards a first, a second and two thirds per category, a direct consequence of the repechage. Once the podiums are established, thank the officials, referees and volunteers, compare the actual financial outcome against the forecast, gather feedback from the clubs and archive results and registrations. Export the list of entrants, the rankings and the schedule to CSV for your archives and to pass on to your committee.
How much does organizing a karate competition cost?
How much does organizing a karate competition cost?
The budget is built item by item: venue rental, tatami, officials, awards, insurance, communication and catering. The venue and the tatami weigh the most when they have to be rented. The revenue (entry fees, refreshment stand, sponsors, grants) often balances a day. Check each 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 governing body (licence, entry fees, insurance) change every season: confirm them on the FFKarate website or with your league before any announcement.
| Item | Indicative range |
|---|---|
| Venue rental | often the 1st item, varies by municipality |
| Tatami (rental, transport, setup) | variable, heavy if several areas |
| Officials and referees | allowances and expenses, depending on the league |
| Civil liability insurance | depending on the contract (FFKarate federal framework) |
| Awards (medals, cups) | varies with 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 competitor (to confirm with your league), refreshment stand, local sponsors and a possible grant 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 karate competition
A countdown plan prevents oversights on the authorizations, the weigh-in and the tatami.
- D-6 to D-4 months: choose the level and the format (kumite, kata), 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 tatami and equipment.
- D-3 to D-2 months: open online registrations, define the weight and age classes, communicate with the clubs, recruit referees and volunteers.
- D-1 month to D-2 weeks: close registrations, lock the categories, prepare the weigh-in, the pools and the brackets, plan the distribution across the tatami, finalize the equipment checklist.
- Event day: reception and check (licence, medical certificate), weigh-in, launch of the pools and the brackets, refereeing, entry of results, automatic display.
- After: publish the podiums, export entrants, rankings and schedule to CSV, give thanks, do the financial review, archive for the next edition.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Confusing kumite and kata. Kumite is run by weight class in brackets; kata is judged by a panel, with no weight. Separate the two clearly in your program and your registrations.
- Neglecting the medical certificate. For competition kumite, the FFKarate requires a medical certificate less than a year old. Announce it as soon as registrations open.
- Declaring too late. The sporting event declaration has its legal deadline (at least one month, more for large-scale events). Anticipate the procedure and the insurance certificate.
- Forgetting the repechage. In a single-elimination bracket, karate awards two bronzes via the repechage of those beaten by the finalists. Do not draw a dry bracket without planning their return.
- Undersizing the areas. Plan an area of 8 m x 8 m and a safety zone of 2 m around it, approved tatami and sufficient lighting.
- Managing the brackets on paper. Redrawing the brackets and tracking the repechage by hand, across several tatami, quickly skews the results. Centralized entry makes everything reliable.
FAQ: organizing a karate competition
Do you need software to organize a karate competition?
It isn't mandatory, but it is strongly recommended once you reach a few dozen competitors. Between the weight and age classes in kumite, the weigh-in, the pools and single-elimination brackets with repechage, the bouts running back to back on several tatami and the ranking to maintain, manual tracking quickly becomes unmanageable. Software generates the brackets, advances the winner automatically and publishes the podium.
How long does a karate bout last?
A senior kumite bout lasts 3 minutes, for both men and women, under the WKF 2026 rules. The bout ends before time if a competitor builds an 8-point lead. If the score is tied at the end of time, the senshu (first unanswered point scored) decides the winner.
What are the weight classes in karate?
In kumite, the WKF rules set five men's weight classes for seniors (-60, -67, -75, -84, +84 kg) and five women's (-50, -55, -61, -68, +68 kg). The pupilles, benjamins, minimes, cadets and juniors have their own grids. Kata, on the other hand, has no weight class: it is judged by a panel.
How does repechage work in karate?
In a kumite single-elimination bracket, the competitors beaten by the two finalists are brought back through repechage, and the two losers of the semifinals each earn a bronze medal. This system awards two third places per category and limits the effect of an unfavorable draw.
Which governing body for karate in France?
In France, the FFKarate (Fédération Française de Karaté et Disciplines Associées) is the national governing body for karate. It applies the rules of the WKF and of the European Karate Federation. Karate appeared at the Tokyo 2020 Games but was not retained for Paris 2024 or Los Angeles 2028. Follow the requirements of the governing body and of your league.
Can you organize a karate 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 handle registrations, weigh-in, pools, brackets with repechage, bouts and the podium with no software cost, which eases the budget of a first club tournament.
The software to organize your karate competition
Once the method is set, the tool does the rest. CompetHub links every step of this guide for kumite: online registrations by category, bulk entry of club lists (records with no account), weigh-in with re-seeding by weight, pools and repechage bracket with two bronze medals generated automatically, winner entry and automatic advancement, podium, pool ranking, schedule by combat area, branded public results page and CSV export of entrants, ranking and schedule. The counting of points stays in the hands of the referee and the judges on the tatami. Organize the competition. We bring it to life.
To compare the features in detail, see the karate competition software page.
Launch your karate competition right now.
Registrations by category, weigh-in, pools, single-elimination brackets with repechage, bout tracking and podium: it's all in one place. Free to start, no credit card.