Who referees a karate kumite bout?
A · Advanced · Officials, injuries and teams · 4 of 5A referee on the mat runs the bout, and four judges at the corners signal scores. A score is given when at least two judges signal it. A match supervisor, the kansa, watches for mistakes in applying the rules and whistles if one is made. A score supervisor and, where video is used, a video review judge complete the panel.
How it works
- Referee (shushin): starts, stops and ends the bout, gives all commands, awards points on the judges' decision, and imposes warnings and penalties.
- Four judges (fukushin): seated off the corners, each with a red and a blue flag or an electronic device. They signal scores on their own initiative and vote.
- Two judges for a score: the referee must stop the bout when two or more signal for the same athlete.
- Match supervisor (kansa): at the official table with a whistle. Steps in when the rules have been applied wrongly, not on questions of judgement.
- Score supervisor: keeps a separate record and watches the timekeeper.
- Video review judge: where video is used.
- Neutral: no member of the panel may share the nationality or federation of either athlete.
- Summoning the judges: the referee calls them together before shikkaku and in some other serious cases.
- Protests: only the coach or the federation's representative may protest, in writing with a fee, within five minutes of receiving the form.
The glossary has the referee, the judges, the referee's calls, the video review, the hantei and the aka and ao.
Tricky cases
The referee sees a clear kick, but no judge signals. Can the referee give the score alone?
No, not in the standard system. The referee awards points on the decision of the judges, and a score needs two or more of them, or the video review judge after a coach's request.
The referee gives the point to the wrong athlete. Who corrects it?
The match supervisor, by blowing the whistle. Giving a score or a penalty to the wrong athlete is on the list of situations in which the kansa must act.
Can a coach protest that a judge missed a score?
No. Nobody may protest about a judgement. A protest is only for a refereeing procedure that appears to contravene the rules. A missed score is what video review is for.
Are there always four judges?
No. Youth League competitions may use two corner judges. There, a score needs two judges, or one judge and the referee.
Why the rule exists
A punch that stops at the target is over in a fraction of a second and is hidden from some angles by the athletes' own bodies. Four judges at four corners cover every angle, and needing two of them guards against one mistaken view. The supervisor separates two kinds of error: a judgement cannot be overruled, but a misapplied rule can.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Standard panel | Referee, four judges, match supervisor, score supervisor | WKF Kumite 4.1.1 |
| With video | A video review judge added | WKF Kumite 4.1.1 |
| Youth League | Two corner judges allowed | WKF Kumite 4.5; Appendix 5 |
| Team matches | Referee and judges rotate between bouts | WKF Kumite 4.4.5 |
| Kata | Five or seven judges and no referee on the mat | WKF Kata 4.1 |
From the rule book
World Karate Federation, Kumite Competition Rules (version 2026.01, valid from 1 January 2026), Articles 1.6 to 1.9, 4, 12.1, 13 and 15 and Appendix 5. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: the federation's Kumite Competition Rules.