What is a kurash mat like, and what do the athletes wear?
Officials' detail · The bout · 1 of 1A bout takes place on a mat called a gilam, between 10 and 16 metres square, with a fighting area of at least 8 metres square inside it. The athlete called first wears a dark blue jacket and the second a green one, both with white trousers and a red belt. Everyone fights barefoot.
How it works
- Gilam: from 10 m by 10 m up to 16 m by 16 m.
- Safe zone: the fighting area, from 8 m by 8 m up to 14 m by 14 m.
- Dangerous line: the line round the safe zone. It is part of the safe zone.
- Safety area: the zone beyond the line.
- A throw across the line: a technique begun inside and finished outside is scored as if made inside.
- Yakhtak: the jacket, of cotton, dark blue or green, ending 15 to 20 cm above the knees.
- Trousers: white, down to the feet.
- Belt: red, 4 to 5 cm wide, wound twice round the waist with at least 20 cm left at each end.
- Women: a white sports shirt or tricot with short sleeves under the jacket.
- Feet: bare, for everyone.
- A jacket that is not standard: the referees may disqualify the athlete.
The glossary has the gilam, the safe zone, the dangerous line, the yakhtak, the tazim and the arbitrator.
Tricky cases
A throw starts inside the area and the opponent lands outside the line. Does it score?
Yes. A technique begun inside and finished outside the line is evaluated as executed inside.
Is standing on the dangerous line out of the area?
No. The line itself is part of the safe zone.
An athlete arrives with a jacket that does not meet the rules. Whose problem is that?
The athlete's. The rules say wearing a standard yakhtak is the sole duty of the player and not the organisers, and the referees may disqualify.
How wide is the safety area?
The saved page says 3 metres. That does not fit a 10-metre gilam round an 8-metre safe zone, which leaves 1 metre on each side. This page does not settle it.
Why the rule exists
Two jacket colours let the referees, the scoreboard and the spectators tell the athletes apart, and the referee signals with the hand on that athlete's side. The jacket measurements are there so that both athletes offer the same amount of cloth to grip. The outer area gives a thrown athlete somewhere safe to land.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Smallest gilam | 10 m by 10 m, safe zone 8 m by 8 m | IKA Rules 18.1; 18.3 |
| Largest gilam | 16 m by 16 m, safe zone 14 m by 14 m | IKA Rules 18.1; 18.3 |
| First athlete called | Dark blue | IKA Rules 16.1 |
| Second athlete called | Green | IKA Rules 16.1 |
| Women | White shirt under the jacket | IKA Rules 16.5 |
From the rule book
International Kurash Association, International rules of organization and holding of Kurash competitions (web page, adopted 1998, categories for 2026), sections 7, 16, 18 and 27. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: the federation's competition rules (saved as a web page only).