wazaari

Waza-ari is a scoring designation in judo. It represents a half-point and is awarded for a throw or hold that is technically sound and effective but does not meet the criteria for an ippon, which would end the match. In most competitions, two waza-ari equal one ippon, meaning that two half-points can conclude the contest. If the score is tied at the end of regular time, the match goes to golden score, where the first scoring technique—whether a waza-ari or an ippon—ends the match.

Waza-ari is most commonly awarded for throwing techniques (tachi-waza or sutemi-waza) that throw the opponent largely onto their back with control, but with insufficient force, speed, or balance to qualify as an ippon. It can also be awarded for a sustained hold on the mat (osaekomi-waza) that meets the minimum duration and control requirements but does not reach ippon.

In actual competition, the accumulation of waza-ari points is used to determine the winner, with two waza-ari equating to an ippon. The waza-ari system was introduced in the modern ruleset to replace older scoring terms such as yuko. The term waza-ari is of Japanese origin, combining waza (technique) and ari (existence or real).