What is an ippon in judo?
B · Beginner · Scoring and winning · 1 of 7Ippon is the full score in judo and it ends the contest at once. It is given for a throw that puts the opponent on the back with speed, force and control, for holding the opponent down for 20 seconds, or when the opponent submits to a strangle or an armlock.
How it works
By a throw. The four criteria are:
- speed,
- force,
- landing on the back, and
- skilful control until the end of the landing.
A recognised judo technique must be identified. Falling or rolling on to the back in the course of the contest, without a technique having been applied, does not score. A throw in which the opponent rolls across the back counts as ippon only if there is no break in the landing.
On the ground:
- A hold-down kept on for 20 seconds after the referee calls "osaekomi".
- The opponent gives up, by tapping twice or more with a hand or foot or by saying "maitta".
- The opponent loses consciousness in a hold, strangle or armlock.
Also:
- The bridge: a thrown athlete who deliberately lands in a bridge, on the head and feet, to avoid the back touching, is given ippon against them.
- Two waza-ari make ippon.
- A disqualified opponent: the other athlete wins with a score equal to ippon.
- On the scoreboard ippon shows as 100, against 10 for waza-ari and 1 for yuko.
Tricky cases
Does ippon end the contest even if the other athlete was ahead?
Yes. The athlete who scores ippon is declared the winner whatever the score was.
Both athletes hit the mat together after attacking at the same time. Who scores?
Nobody, if the referees cannot decide which technique dominated.
An athlete countered a throw but only finished it by using the impact of landing. Does it score?
No. An athlete countering "cannot use the impact of landing on the tatami" to finish the counter and have it scored.
Why the rule exists
Judo scores the perfect technique above everything else, and one such technique decides the contest. The bridge rule has a stated reason: it is there so athletes "do not try to escape from the technique and endanger their cervical spine".
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| IJF rules | As above | J 14; J 7 |
| Golden score | Any score ends the contest, not only ippon | J 13 |
From the rule book
International Judo Federation Sport and Organisation Rules, Refereeing Rules, Articles 4, 7, 13, 14 and 16. Version of 24 July 2026. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: IJF Sport and Organisation Rules (PDF).