Referee Articles

Referees and Newaza

by David Long

One of the hardest things for most new referees to deal with properly, in my humble opinion, is newaza.

It is absolutely critical that players be allowed to continue in newaza so long as the action is more or less continuous, and that at least one player is actively seeking an advantage through the use of waza.

Many referees have the erroneous opinion that there is a time limit, say 20-30 seconds, for newaza, and that if nothing is accomplished within that time "matte" should be called and the players returned to a standing position.

Actually, nothing could be further from the truth. I recall one crucial match in the 1987 World Championships in Essen, Germany when Mike Swain was competing against a very strong player from North Korea. There was continuous activity in newaza for nearly two and one half minutes, and the very knowledgeable and experienced referee allowed the action on the mat to continue without interference. As it turned out, there was not even a score made in newaza during that match, but Mike showed clear domination, and surely (again, in my humble opinion) piled up an advantage which contributed to his winning the 'hantei' at the conclusion of that match.

It is also very important for referees to be knowledgeable in as many aspects of newaza as possible. Particularly in this era of rapid evolution of waza and the introduction of new waza at the international level, it is incumbent upon all referees to make every possible effort to attend as many upper level events, both at the national and international level as they can.

Anyone who has not experienced top caliber judo within the past two or three years will very likely find themselves embarrassed when they encounter new techniques, new situations, and new interpretations of the rules which may vary dramatically from the views of only five years ago.

One example is the osaekomi situation which arises from a cross body attempt at jujigatame. Tori, being stymied in the attempt to break uke's grip on uke's own lapel, sits up, bringing the leg over uke's head, while securing a grip with on uke's belt. To the uninitiated, this may not appear to be osaekomi, but it is. (Yes, I know the verbal imagery is poor), but those who are familiar with this technique know what I mean. If you are a referee, and find yourself NOT familiar with the situation I am describing, please do yourself and the competitors whom you will be refereeing in the future a favor and seek an explanation and clarification from senior referees prior to the next time you step on the mat.

In conclusion, newaza is an integral part of modern judo, and in order to referee correctly and fairly, a referee must know enough about newaza to understand when to call matte, and when to leave the players alone.