Referee commands
IJF · 2026Hajime starts or restarts action; Mate stops it temporarily; Sore-made ends the contest. Osaekomi announces a recognised hold and Toketa announces that the hold has broken. These commands have different effects: Toketa does not automatically require both athletes to stand up or end all groundwork.
The rule
Hajime starts or restarts action; Mate stops it temporarily; Sore-made ends the contest. Osaekomi announces a recognised hold and Toketa announces that the hold has broken. These commands have different effects: Toketa does not automatically require both athletes to stand up or end all groundwork.
In practice
Stop promptly for Mate and follow the instruction about position, clothing or medical attention. The referee may interrupt for danger, an infringement, boundary situations or lack of groundwork progress. Scores and penalties can be corrected through the official supervision process. A spectator's shout, the scoreboard appearance or the clock alone is not a substitute for the referee's command.
Sources & approach ↗