To organize a savate competition, affiliate your club with the FFSavate, choose the form (assaut, combat) and the level, file the event declaration, define the weight and age classes, open registrations, run the weigh-in, choose between a pool and an elimination bracket, recruit a referee and judges, schedule the arenas, then publish the results. Allow 3 to 6 months of preparation.
Step 1: choose the governing framework and the rules
Which federation organizes a savate competition in France?
In France, the FFSavate (Fédération Française de Savate Boxe Française et Disciplines Associées) is the governing body for savate. It is affiliated with the Fédération Internationale de Savate (FISav). Savate is not an Olympic sport. An official competition requires licensed fighters and a set of rules laid down by the federation and your league.
Your first choice shapes everything else: the form and the level of the event. Competitive savate comes in assaut (the touch, judged on technique, without power, the only form open to minors) and combat (full contact, knockout possible, reserved for adults). An internal club tournament leaves room for freedom; a qualifying competition follows the FFSavate requirements, with accredited officials and licence checks.
Get in touch early with your departmental committee and your league: they validate the entry on the calendar, provide the officials and specify the requirements (form, open gloves, categories). State clearly, right from opening, the form (assaut or combat), the categories and the open gloves, because they determine who can register.
Step 2: define the categories, the format and the durations
What are the weight and age classes in savate?
Savate matches athletes by gender, weight and age. Among adults, ten weight classes: flyweight (-48 kg), bantamweight, featherweight, lightweight, super-lightweight, welterweight, super-welterweight, middleweight, light-heavyweight and heavyweight (+85 kg). The age classes range from pré-poussins to veterans, and the gloves (blue, green, red, white, yellow) mark technical progression.
The FFSavate weight and age grids frame each category, with rules adapted for the youngest competitors. An important point: assaut is the only form open to minors; combat is accessible only to adults (or from age 16 with parental consent). The glove also conditions access to the competition. Check the exact limits for the season with the FFSavate before publishing your categories.
As for the format, an assaut is contested over three rounds of one minute thirty, a combat over five rounds of two minutes, with a referee and three or five judges. In assaut, the winner is designated on the technical quality of the touches (touch to the leg, the torso or the head), without seeking power, and there is no draw. In combat, the decision is made on points, by knockout, referee stoppage or retirement.
Step 3: set the date, the venue and the budget
How long does it take to organize a savate competition?
Allow 3 to 6 months. Book the venue and set the date from the start, taking your league's calendar into account. File the event declaration within the legal deadlines. Open registrations 6 to 8 weeks ahead, and set a closing date to lock the categories and prepare the weigh-in and the brackets.
The venue must accommodate an arena (ring) with its clearance, a warm-up area, a weigh-in and medical check space set apart, locker rooms, a scoring table and public space. The arena is a square ring 4.5 m to 6 m per side, with three ropes: plan the surface and the setup logistics accordingly, especially if you set up several arenas.
The budget depends on the number of fighters, the arena and the equipment you already have. Build it item by item (venue, arena, officials, awards, insurance, communication, catering) rather than as a single figure. The breakdown of items appears below. Do not announce any licence amount or entry fee without having verified it at the official source.
Step 4: check the rules, the federation and the authorizations
What authorizations are needed to organize a savate competition?
Declare the sporting event: the town hall for a single commune, the prefecture for several. Allow at least two months ahead for a competition with a ranking, one month without a ranking, and more if it spans several departments. Take out civil liability insurance. On the federal side, follow the FFSavate requirements and check the licences.
The declaration is filed 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 fighter must present a current FFSavate licence. For combat, the federation requires a medical certificate of no contraindication and a medical passport presented at the pre-bout medical examination; for assaut, a health questionnaire is most often enough, the certificate being required only depending on the answers. The licence includes civil liability insurance. Check the arrangements and the current fees with the FFSavate, and date each step on your countdown plan.
Step 5: open registrations and lock the categories
How do you manage registrations for a savate competition?
Open registrations online: each fighter chooses their form (assaut or combat), their weight and age class, and indicates their club and their glove. 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, gender, date of birth (for the age class), form, target weight class, glove, club and licence number. This information helps you verify eligibility and build balanced pools and brackets. As coaches enter a whole club, plan to enter lists in one go rather than registration by registration. Plan a clean closing date.
On weigh-in day, the actual weight can tip a fighter into another category: anticipate that margin. Competition management software collects these registrations online by category, where an Excel sheet forces you to copy 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 brackets.
Step 6: choose between a pool and an elimination bracket
Pool or elimination bracket for a savate competition?
The choice depends on the number of entrants in each category. Below a handful of entrants, the pool (round-robin) guarantees several bouts for everyone. Beyond that, the single-elimination bracket takes over. Many competitions combine the two: seeding pools and then a final bracket by weight class.
The pool has all the fighters in a category face one another: it is the fairest format for small categories, because no one is eliminated after a single defeat, and it is valuable in assaut where technical consistency is rewarded. The single-elimination bracket, for its part, suits big categories and the final phases.
Drawing these brackets by hand, redrawing them with every result and tracking the pools on paper is the leading source of error and delay. A software that automatically generates your savate bracket produces pools and elimination brackets (with an optional match for third place) in one click, and advances the winner as soon as you enter the result of a bout.
Step 7: run the weigh-in and schedule the arenas
How does the weigh-in work in savate?
The official weigh-in takes place before the competition, in the presence of officials and, for combat, a doctor, away from the public. Each fighter is weighed to confirm their weight class. Plan a sufficient slot and a margin: a fighter can switch category depending on their actual weight.
Build your schedule around the weigh-in and the number of arenas. Order the bouts by category while accounting for recovery times, grouping what can be grouped (same age brackets, neighboring categories), and display an order of play for the clubs and the public.
When several categories run in parallel, tracking who is fighting, on which arena and at what time quickly becomes unmanageable on paper. Recording each fighter's weight at the weigh-in and re-seeding them into the right category, then assigning an arena and a time to each bout while 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 referee and the judges
Who referees a savate competition and how?
Each arena is run by a referee, who directs the bout and ensures safety, and by three or five judges who designate the winner. In assaut, the judges score the technical quality of the touches; in combat, they judge on points, the referee being able to stop the bout. Also plan a scoring table and a timekeeper, and a doctor for combat.
Judging belongs to the officials. In assaut, the touch is rewarded for its cleanness and its variety (touch to the leg, the torso, the head), without power, and the judge must award the victory to one of the fighters (no draw). In combat, power is allowed and the knockout is possible. Your role as organizer is to give them the right conditions (a compliant arena, a doctor present in combat) and to relay the result to the table.
Around the referee and the judges, plan the other roles: a competition manager who oversees the running and the rules, a scoring table (entering the results, calling the fighters), 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 by the league.
Step 9: prepare the arena and the equipment
What equipment is needed for a savate competition?
You need an arena (a square ring 4.5 m to 6 m per side, with three ropes, the floor covered with a stretched canvas), a bell and a stopwatch, and the fighters' equipment: savate gloves, mandatory savate shoes, mouthguard, groin guard and chest protector. The equipment must comply with the federal rules.
Savate has its specifics: kicks are landed with the shoe, hence the requirement for approved savate shoes, and the color of the glove marks the fighter's level. Check the assembly of the arena, the ropes well tightened and padded, and even lighting above the area.
Round it out with the sound system, the display of the bouts and the order of play, the signage, a first-aid kit and a treatment post (with a doctor for combat), the officials' table, a scale for the weigh-in and what is needed to award medals and prizes. A warm-up area near the arena keeps the call-ups flowing.
Step 10: communicate and fill the competition
How do you communicate about a savate competition?
Create a public page with the presentation, the date, the venue, the rules (assaut or combat form, open categories, gloves) and the list of entrants by category. Share it with the clubs, your committee and on social media. Specify the registration conditions early (licence, medical certificate for combat, glove) to avoid back-and-forth by email.
The savate audience is local: neighboring clubs, families, practitioners. Relay the announcement to the league's clubs, who gladly spread the word about the competitions on the calendar. State clearly the form, the open categories and the level, 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 the questions.
Step 11: manage the weigh-in and the bouts on event day
How do you follow the bouts of a savate competition on event day?
After the weigh-in, the medical check (for combat) and the licence check, launch the pools and the brackets. On each arena, the referee and the judges designate 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 without a paper sheet.
Event day moves fast. Reception and administrative check, weigh-in and medical check set apart, confirmation of the categories, then the arenas start. For each bout, the table calls the fighters, the referee and the judges decide, and the result is entered right away. Respect the recovery times between two bouts of the same fighter.
Centralized tracking changes the day. When the table enters the winner, that fighter advances automatically in the bracket, the pool ranking is recalculated, and the public page updates automatically for the clubs and the public. This eliminates scattered sheets, makes the brackets reliable and keeps the room informed.
Step 12: publish the rankings and wrap up
How do you establish the ranking of a savate competition?
In an elimination bracket, the winner of the final is first, the finalist second. In a pool, the ranking is made on points (three per win), with ties broken on differential. Publish the results on the public page; entrants, pool ranking and schedule export to CSV.
Once the podiums are established, thank the officials, judges, referee and volunteers, review the actual financial outcome 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.
How much does organizing a savate competition cost?
How much does organizing a savate competition cost?
The budget is built item by item: venue rental, arena, officials, awards, insurance, communication and catering. The venue and the arena weigh the most when they have to be rented. The revenue (entry fees, refreshment stand, sponsors, subsidies) often balances a 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 FFSavate website or with your league before any announcement.
| Item | Indicative range |
|---|---|
| Venue rental | often the 1st item, varies by commune |
| Arena (rental, transport, setup) | variable, heavy if rented |
| Officials, referee, judges and doctor | allowances and expenses, depending on the league |
| Civil liability insurance | depending on the contract (FFSavate 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 fighter (to be confirmed with your league), the refreshment stand, local sponsors and a possible subsidy from the town hall. A well-run refreshment stand often covers a notable share of the costs over a full day.
Countdown plan and checklist to organize your savate competition
A countdown plan avoids oversights on the authorizations, the weigh-in and the medical check.
- D-6 to D-4 months: choose the form (assaut, combat) and the level, book the venue, set the date according to the league 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 arena and the equipment.
- D-3 to D-2 months: open registrations online, define the weight and age classes, communicate with the clubs, recruit a referee, judges 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 arena distribution, finalize the equipment checklist.
- Event day: reception and check (licence, medical certificate in combat), weigh-in, launch of the pools and the brackets, refereeing, result entry, automatic display.
- After: publish the results, export entrants, pool ranking and schedule to CSV, give thanks, review the finances, archive for the next edition.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Confusing assaut and combat. Assaut (technical, without power) is the only form open to minors; combat (full contact) is reserved for adults. State the form clearly and do not open combat to minors.
- Neglecting the medical check for combat. Combat requires a medical certificate and a medical passport presented at the pre-bout examination, with a doctor present. Announce it from the opening of registrations.
- Declaring too late. The sporting event declaration has its legal deadline (at least two months for a competition with a ranking, more for multi-department events). Anticipate the procedure and the insurance certificate.
- Forgetting the savate shoes. Kicks are landed with the shoe: approved savate shoes are mandatory. Remind the entrants.
- Undersizing the arena. Allow a compliant ring (4.5 m to 6 m, three ropes), sufficient clearance and even lighting.
- Managing the brackets on paper. Redrawing the brackets and tracking the pools by hand, across several arenas, quickly skews the results. Centralized entry makes everything reliable.
FAQ: organizing a savate competition
Do you need software to organize a savate competition?
It is not mandatory, but strongly recommended once you have a few dozen fighters. Between the weight and age classes, the gloves, the weigh-in, the pools and elimination brackets, the bouts running back to back on one or several arenas and the ranking to maintain, manual tracking quickly becomes unmanageable. Software generates the brackets, advances the winner automatically and publishes the results.
What is the difference between assaut and combat in savate?
Assaut is judged on the technical quality of the touches, without power: it is the only form open to minors, and it is contested over three rounds of one minute thirty. Combat allows power and knockouts, is contested over five rounds of two minutes, and is open only to adults (or from age 16 with parental consent).
What are the weight classes in savate?
Among adults, savate has ten weight classes: flyweight (-48 kg), bantamweight (48 to 52 kg), featherweight (52 to 56 kg), lightweight (56 to 60 kg), super-lightweight (60 to 65 kg), welterweight (65 to 70 kg), super-welterweight (70 to 75 kg), middleweight (75 to 80 kg), light-heavyweight (80 to 85 kg) and heavyweight (over 85 kg). Younger competitors have their own grids.
How does a savate competition unfold?
By weight class, a savate competition often combines seeding pools and then a single-elimination bracket. In assaut, the winner is designated by the judges on technique; in combat, on points, by knockout, referee stoppage or retirement. The winner of each bout advances to the next round.
Which federation governs savate in France?
In France, the FFSavate (Fédération Française de Savate Boxe Française et Disciplines Associées) is the governing body for savate. It is affiliated with the Fédération Internationale de Savate. Savate is not an Olympic sport. Follow the requirements of the federation and of your league.
Can you organize a savate competition for free?
You always pay for certain items (venue, arena, 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, bouts and ranking with no software cost, which lightens the budget of a first club tournament.
The software to organize your savate competition
Once the method is in place, the tool does the rest. CompetHub links each step of this guide: online registrations by category, bulk entry of club lists (profiles without accounts), weigh-in with re-seeding by weight, pools and single-elimination brackets generated automatically, winner entry and advancement, pool ranking, schedule by arena, branded public results page and CSV export of entrants, the pool ranking and the schedule. The judging of assauts and combats stays in the hands of the referee and the judges. Organize the competition. We bring it to life.
To compare the features in detail, see the savate competition software page.
Launch your savate competition right now.
Registrations by category, weigh-in, pools, elimination brackets, tracking of assauts and combats and ranking: it is all brought together. Free to start, no credit card.