This study aimed to describe and analyze the main changes in the official competitive rules of judo between 2010 and 2020, highlighting changes in combat time, scores and penalties. In this retrospective study, a search was performed for official documents which regulated judo rules between 2010 and 2020 on the websites of the International Judo Federation and the Brazilian Judo Confederation, as well as refereeing manuals of the Sergipe Judo Federation (Brazil) and on the Google platform. Over the years, regular combat time has been shortened (2015=5’->4’ for women; 2017=5’->4’ for men), as well as osaekomi time (2013=25”->20”). This change was intended to facilitate the public’s understanding of judo scores, as well as to devalue the use of penalties to achieve the victory (2010=koka’s exclusion; 2013=penalty was no longer worth scores; 2017=yuko’s exclusion, shido no longer decided the winner in regular time; 2018=shido no longer decided the golden score winner). Attack actions were encouraged (ban on actions to flee combat) and there was an intention to reduce the risk of injuries in competitive judo (prohibition of some types of actions and grips). In other words, there was an attempt by the International Judo Federation to encourage positive judo through the rules from 2010 to 2020. However, these constant rule changes made the competitive training context unstable. Judo coaches and athletes must be aware at the end of each Olympic cycle for new changes which will eventually be introduced and adapt to them quickly to achieve high performance.

This study compared the time-motion of the combat phases in male judo within two Olympic cycles (2016 vs. 2020). We analysed of 680 combats from belonging to two Olympic cycles (340 combats 2015–2016 and 340 combats 2019–2020). The combat phase was quantified according to a validated protocol (approach, gripping, attack/defence, groundwork, and pause). The 2020 cycle athletes spent less time in the gripping (79.7 ± 50.1 vs. 104.3 ± 54.1 seconds; p ˂ 0.001), attack/defence (7.6 ± 5.2 vs. 9.5 ± 7.2 seconds; p ˂ 0.001), and groundwork phases (33.9 ± 29.0 vs. 42.2 ± 32.0 seconds; p ˂ 0.001), and ashorter total combat time (200.0 ± 104.6 vs. 238.0 ± 94.8 seconds; p ˂ 0.001) than the 2016 athletes. Additionally, the 2020 athletes had ahigher occurrence of Golden Score (0.3 ± 0.4 vs. 0.1 ± 0.2 of total combats; p ˂ 0.001), and ahigher time spent in the Golden Score (23.9 ± 53.5 vs. 4.1 ± 21.4 seconds; p ˂ 0.001). The 2016 athletes had alonger total combat time; however, the time spent on the Golden Score increased in the 2020. These results should be helpful in preparing technical-tactical training aimed at performance.

This study compared male judo combat time in international competitions between the 2016 and 2020 Olympic cycles, by weight divisions. We analysed 1380 videos of male judo combat from top 20 in the World ranking by weight division. The 2020 cycle had a lower combat time and a higher occurrence of Golden Score (GS) compared to the 2016 cycle (combat time: 2020= 206.9, 2016= 240.3 seconds; GS time: 2020= 95.1, 2016= 77.6 seconds; p˂0.001; GS occurrence: 2020= 27%, 2016= 6%; p˂0.05). The 66kg and 73kg spent the most time and the +100kg category spent the least time in the GS than the other divisions, in both Olympic cycles. However, in the 2020 cycle compared to 2016, the 66kg was the only that reduced the combat time on the GS (p= 0.002), the 81kg and +100kg had a change in the distribution of combat closure minute-by-minute [81kg(2016)= 28%, 81kg(2020)= 68% finished until the 4th minute of Regular Time; +100kg(2016)= 25%, +100kg(2020)= 50% finished until the 3rd minute of Regular Time; p= 0.003 for both]. These data must be considered when prescribing male judo training for specific performance.

The purpose of the study was to compare the female cadet`s judo weight divisions based on time-motion analysis. For this, participants were grouped by weight, according to the following criteria: Lighters (n = 32, ≤ 48 kg), Middlers (n = 24, > 48 kg and ≤ 63 kg) and Heavies (n = 14, > 63 kg) of four local judo championships. Time-motion analysis were observed, according to each combat phase (i.e. combat, standing combat, approach, gripping, attack, groundwork combat and pause phases). ANOVA and Bonferroni tests were used, p ≤.05. The results indicated differences between total combat phase, with heavies (109.6 ± 67.2 s) <lighters (233.8 ± 163.4 s) and middlers (228.0 ± 1119.8 s), total standing combat, with heavies (58.3 ± 29.9 s) <lighters (106.4 ± 66 s), approach phase, with heavies (21.3 ± 10.6 s) lighters (41.2 ± 25 s) and heavies (31.4 ± 27.7 s). In conclusion, female cadet training programmes should be adjusted according to their weight divisions with consideration for the temporal structure of the competitive environment.