What happens when judo fighters go off the mat?

• Inside or outside: while standing, the athletes are inside as long as either has at least one foot in the contest area. On the ground they are inside while either has any part of the body in it.
• Throws: a throw begun with one athlete still touching the contest area counts if it continues without interruption and finishes close to the edge, no more than two metres into the safety area. So does an immediate counter.
• Ground work begun inside may continue outside. A hold, strangle or armlock that is working may be kept on outside as long as there is progression.
• Following a throw outside: a hold or lock applied immediately after a throw that finished outside is also valid.
• Nothing new: a technique applied when both athletes are already outside is not recognised.
• "Mate" is called when both athletes are fully outside with no continuing action, and when standing athletes reach the two-metre mark.
• The penalty: going outside the contest area intentionally, with no attack in progress, is a shido.
• Leaving the area in the last seconds while ahead, to stop the opponent getting a grip, can be punished with a direct hansoku-make.

Letting a throw finish outside rewards the attacker and stops a defender escaping a score by stepping over the line. The shido for walking out removes the other way of using the edge.