Ref Training Program - The Rules (Articles 19-21)
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VI. The Rules (Articles 19-21)
Article 19 - Default and Withdrawal
The decision of fusen-gachi (win by default) shall be given to any athlete whose opponent does not appear for his contest according to the 30 seconds rule.
Forfeit of a contest: If one contestant is ready on time and the opponent is missing an IJF Sport Director (or nominated person) will ask the speaker to announce, the last call for the missing athlete.
The referee will then invite the prepared contestant to wait at the edge of the competition area. The scoreboard will start to count down 30 seconds.
If at the end of 30 seconds the opponent is still not present at the tatami, the referee will invite the contestant to enter the competition area and will be declared the winner by fusen-gachi.
The Referees must be sure before awarding fusen-gachi that they have received the authority to do so by the IJF Sport Director or nominated person.
The IJF Ad Hoc Commission can decide if an athlete forfeiting a contest may participate in the repechage.
The decision of kiken-gachi shall be given to any athlete whose opponent withdraws from the competition for any reason, during the contest.
Any athelete not willing to comply with the requirements of hygiene, hair and head cover regulation (see E1.3 Hygiene) shall be refused the right to compete and the opponent shall win the contest by fusen-gachi, if the contest has not yet started, or by kiken-gachi, if the contest has already started.
If an athlete loses a contact lens during the contest and cannot immediately recover it, and if he then informs the referee that he cannot continue competing without the contact lens, the referee shall give the victory to his opponent by kiken-gachi.
Article 20 - Injury, Illness or Accident
In this article the person in the role of the doctor is defined in Appendix E.
The decision of the contest where one athlete is unable to continue because of injury, illness or accident during the contest shall be given by the referee following the clauses below:
a) Injury
1. Where the cause of the injury is attributed to the injured athlete he shall lose the contest.
2. Where it is impossible to determine which of the athletes was the cause of the injury, the athlete unable to continue shall lose the contest.
3. If there is an injury caused by athletes from another contest on a nearby tatami, the injured contestant has the right to ask the referee to see the doctor.
Treatment can be given if needed and the contestant can continue the contest if able.
4. Where there is an injury caused by an external object (e.g. LED or advertising board, photographer camera).
The injured athlete has the right to ask the referee to see the doctor and receive treatment if necessary and is able to continue in the contest if able.
If during the contest an athlete is injured due to an action by the opponent and the injured contestant cannot continue, the referee, IJF Supervisor and/or IJF Referee Commission should analyse the case and decide based on the rules. Each case shall be decided on its own merit.
b) Sickness, generally, where one athlete is taken sick during a contest and is unable to continue, he shall lose the contest.
c) Accident, where an accident occurs, which is due to an outside influence (force majeure), after consulting with the IJF Supervisors and/or IJF Refereeing Commissions and IJF Medical Commissioner, the contest shall be considered cancelled or postponed. In those cases of ‘force majeure’, the IJF Sport Director, the IJF Sport Commission and the IJF Supervisors and/or IJF Refereeing Commissioners will take the final decision.
Medical Examinations
a) The referee shall call the doctor, if necessary, also inside the contest area, to attend to an athlete who has received a severe impact to the head or back (spinal column), or whenever the referee has reason to believe there may be a grave or serious injury. In either case, the doctor will examine the athlete in the shortest time possible and indicate to the referee whether the athlete can continue or not.
Generally, only one (1) doctor for each athlete is allowed on the competition area. Should a doctor require any assistant(s), the referee must first be informed. The referee shall remain near to the injured athlete to ensure that the assistance provided by the doctor is within the rules.
The coach is never allowed on the competition area of the tatami.
However, the referee may consult with the IJF Supervisors and/or IJF Refereeing Commission and the IJF Medical Commissioner in case they need to comment on any decision.
If the doctor, after examining an injured athlete, advises the referees that the athlete cannot continue the contest the referee, after consultation with the IJF Supervisors and/or IJF Refereeing Commission and the IJF Medical Commissioner, shall end the contest and declare the opponent to be the winner by kiken-gachi.
b) The athlete may ask the referee to call for the doctor, but in this case the contest is terminated, and his opponent shall win by kiken-gachi.
c) The doctor may also ask to attend to his athlete, but in this case the contest is terminated, and the opponent will win by kiken-gachi.
In any case whenever the referee is of the opinion that the contest should not continue, the referee after consulting with the IJF Supervisors and/or IJF Refereeing Commission and IJF Medical Commissioner shall end the contest and indicate the result in accordance with the rules.
Bleeding injuries, when a bleeding injury occurs, the referee shall call the doctor to assist in stopping and isolating the bleeding, ioutside the contest area, with the presence of another referee assigned to the specific tatami. The contestant is not allowed to compete while bleeding.
The same bleeding injury may be treated by the doctor on two (2) occasions. The third time that the same bleeding injury occurs, the referee, should declare the opponent to be the winner by kiken-gachi. However, the IJFAd Hoc Commission in consultation with the IJF Medical Commissioner can decide to allow the same bleeding injury to be treated more than two (2) times.
If the bleeding cannot be stopped, the IJF Medical Commissioner will inform the referee who will declare the opponent winner by kiken-gachi.
Minor injuries, a minor injury may be treated by the athlete himself. For example, in the case of a dislocated finger, the referee shall stop the contest (by calling Mate! or Sono-mama!) and allow the athlete to reset the dislocated finger. This action should be done immediately, upon the request of the athlete with the assistance of the doctor, outside the tatami, and the athlete can continue in the contest.
The same finger is allowed to be reset on two (2) occasions. If the same dislocation occurs a third (3rd) time, the athlete is declared not to be in condition to continue in the contest. The referee, after consultation with the IJF Medical Commissioner,, shall end the contest and declare the opponent to be the winner by kiken-gachi.
The LOC commissioned doctor, or the delegation doctor intervene upon request of the referee.
The LOC commissioned doctors, or the delegation doctor must be able to intervene on the field of play, at their own request, when deemed necessary, in case of danger to the athlete(s) health i.e. a bad landing on the head or a strangulation.
When a doctor clearly realizes - especially in the case of shime-waza - that there is danger to the health of one of the athletes that he is responsible for, he can go to the edge of the competition area and call upon the refereeto immediately stop the contest. The referee shall take all necessary steps to assist the doctor.
Such an intervention will necessarily mean the loss of the contest for his athlete and should therefore only be taken in extreme cases.
If a cadet loses consciousness during shime-waza they are no longer able to continue in the competition.
To show they want to make this exceptional request, they should stand at the edge of the competition surface showing two arms in cross in the height of the chest to inform the referee that they wish to make an emergency intervention. The referee must stop the contest and allow the doctor to enter the tatami.
Such an intervention will mean the loss of the contest for his athlete, so should only be taken if necessary
Three cases are possible:
The delegation doctor / LOC commissioned doctor / IJF Medical Commissioner announces that the athlete cannot continue the contest because their health is in danger. The opponent will be declared winner by kiken-gachi.
If the intervention of the delegation doctor is not justified by the IJF Supervisors and/or IJF Referee Commissioners and the IJF Medical Commissioner, a final decision will be made about the continuation of the contest.
If the intervention of the team’s doctor is not justified by the IJF Supervisors and/or IJF Refereeing Commission members and the IJF Medical Commission delegate a final decision will be made about the continuation of the contest and will make an official report (see Appendix E).
Medical Assistance
The medical assistance in the following cases should be outside of the competition area, close to the medical table, the injured athlete must be accompanied by one of the referees.
a) In a minor injury.
In the case of a broken nail, the doctor is allowed to assist in cutting the nail. The doctor may also help in adjusting a scrotum injury (testicles).
b) In a bleeding injury.
For safety measures whenever there is blood it must always be completely isolated with the assistance of the doctor by means of adhesive tape, bandages, nasal tampons, (the use of blood clotters and haemostatics products is permitted). When the doctor is called to assist an athlete, such medical assistance should be given as quickly as possible.
c) Finger/toe dislocation
For preservation of athletes' joint health, especially of those who lack experience in self-treatment, athletes are allowed to seek medical help for finger/toe joint resetting, including resetting and taping to secure the joint.
Note: Except for the above situations, if the doctor applies any treatment the opponent shall win by kiken-gachi.
Types of vomiting
Any type of vomiting by an Athlete shall result in kiken-gachi for the other athlete. (See paragraph: b) Sickness).
In the case when an athlete through a deliberate action causes an injury to the opponent, the penalty given to the athlete, inflicting the injury on the opponent shall be a direct hansoku-make, apart from any other disciplinary action that may be taken by IJF Ad Hoc Commission.
The official delegation doctor shall have a medical degree and must register prior to the competition. He shall be the only person allowed to sit in the designated area and must be so identified. e.g. by wearing a red cross armband or waistcoat.
When accrediting a doctor for their delegation, the National Federations must take the responsibility for the actions of their doctors. The LOC doctors must be aware of any amendments and the interpretations of the rules.
If an injured athlete needs prolonged medical treatment on the tatami, the referee will declare the non-injured opponent as the winner who will then leave the competition area.
The referee must stay on the tatami observing treatment or emergency procedures until the injured contestant is transported safely from the competition area. If necessary, the medical team should screen the injured athlete off from the view of the public.
The referee should be the last person to leave the tatami.
If the treatment of the injured athlete is extended onto the safety area of a neighbouring competition area, the IJF Sport Director will stop any contests on affected tatami until it is safe to continue.
2. U.S. Modifications and/or Comments
If a contestant in the Cadet Division (or younger) loses consciousness during Shime-waza, they are no longer able to continue in the competition.
Article 21 - Situations not Covered by the Refereeing Rules
Where a situation arises, which is not covered by these rules, it shall be dealt with and a decision given by the referees after consultation with the IJF Ad Hoc Commision, IJF Refereeing Commissioners and/or IJF Supervisors.
2. U.S. Modifications and/or Discussion
At U.S. local and regional events, this would be the Chief Referee and Jury, if one has been appointed.
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