Judo competitions are held on rectangular mats called tetamis. The contest area is 9 to 10m square. A match is won by a score of "ippon" (full point) which ends the match. A match which goes to full term without ippon is decided by lesser scores. In the case of a tie, the majority decision of the referee and the two judges awards the match to the competitor who displayed superiority.

Ippon can be scored by a clean, forceful throw; by holding the opponent mainly on his back for 30 seconds, under control, but not necessarily immobile; or by submission to a strangle, a choke or a lock applied against the elbow.

Waza-ari (almost ippon) is scored by a throw not quite good enough for ippon or by a 25second hold down. Yuko (almost waza-ari) and koka (almost yuko) can be scored for inferior throws by 20 and 10 second hold down respectively. A second waza0ari in a match counts as ippon, but any amount of yukos is inferior to one waza-ari and any amount of kokas is inferior to one yuko.

A judo match lasts 5 minutes and is divided into direct elimination pools. Women¡¦s matches last for 4 minutes. The winner of each pool advances to the final. All who lose to the pool winner take part ina second chance pool. The winners of the 2^nd second chance pools are awarded bronze medals.

Judo was introduced at the Tokyo Games in 1964. It will be held in Exhibition Halls 1 and 2 in Darling Harbour.

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