GENERAL

REFEREE RULES
Version 3.0 valid form 01.05.2019
History of this document
Responsible:
Headquarter Abu Dhabi

email: [email protected]

P.O. Box 110006

Abu Dhabi

United Arab Emirates

Version Changes
1.0 authorized by the Board of the JJIF January 1st 2006
1.1 January 28th 2007
2.0 Additional regulation by JJIF board April 29th 2018
2.1 Changes by JJIF Congress 2018 January 1st 2019
3.0 Adaption of Format May 1st 2019

Table of Contents
1 Area of Application ................................................................................................... 2
2 JJIF Technical Commission (TC).............................................................................. 2
3 Continental Referee Committees and Regional Referee Groups .............................. 2
4 Committee tasks ...................................................................................................... 3
5 Referee categories and levels .................................................................................. 3
6 Education of the Referees ........................................................................................ 5
7 Examinations............................................................................................................ 5
8 Validity of License and compatibility ......................................................................... 6
9 Recalling of referee Licenses ................................................................................... 6
10 Refreshment courses............................................................................................ 7
11 Coming into Force ................................................................................................ 7
Appendix ......................................................................................................................... 8
Referee Attire .............................................................................................................. 8
Code of Conduct for Referees ..................................................................................... 8

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 1 Area of Application
a. These rules apply to all referees officiating in the continental unions and in
international championships, in the education and further education of international
referees and for use at competitions and tournaments as well as for organizational
purposes.

b. The JJNOs should follow these JJIF standards for the regulation and evaluation
of their national referees.

2 JJIF Technical Commission (TC)

a. The education and work of the International referees is coordinated and
supervised by the JJIF Technical Commission. The Technical Commission governs and
includes the JJIF Committees of Disciplines and the JJIF International Referee
Committee [IRC]

b. The JJIF Committees of Disciplines are responsible for the education for specific
content and the evaluation of the referees in the specific discipline.

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disciplines. Further technical representatives of Continental Unions can be appointed for
inclusion by the JJIF Executive Board. They are responsible to coordinate the work of all
referees during competitions.

d. The Technical Commission shall be entitled to administrative support from JJIF

Executive Board

3 Continental Referee Committees and Regional

Referee Groups
a. The Executive Board of a Continental Union with the agreement of the JJIF board
, can establish a continental Technical Commission [ including a Continental
Committee of Disciplines and a Continental Referee Committee], within its continental
union..

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b. The JJIF Regional Associations (JJRA) can create Regional Referee Groups to
work directly with the Continental TC and the JJIF TC.

4 Committee tasks
a. The JJIF Technical Commission is responsible for the education of referees. This
includes the preparation of all teaching, tutorial and promotional material needed for a
proper dissemination, evolution and development of referee duties and activities to all
new and existing JJNO.

b. All referees with valid JJIF World Referee licenses are qualified to officiate in all
World and Continental Championships. The Head Referee of each of the respective JJIF
disciplines shall have the authority to grade and appoint continental referees for the
competitions.

c. The Technical Commission shall designate (with the approval of JJIF executive
board), a number of "evaluators"; for each JJIF Championship, whose responsibility
would be to fill out an "evaluation form" in real time during the matches. This data be
evaluated by the TC, after the Championship to feed the JJIF database.

d. The Technical Commission and the Referee Committees at their respective levels
(JJIF or Continental Union), are responsible for the performance and conduct of all
referees, for the correct rotation of referees during all JJIF championships and shall
govern and control the application and interpretation of JJIF Referee Rules and
Competition Rules during all competitions. The Technical Commission, in due
consultancy with the Referee Committee shall report to the Executive Board the results
of referee management and future plans. The Head Referee of each discipline shall
represent the Referee Committee in any resolution of any controversial matter. The
categories as defined in the JJIF sporting code 1.3.2.1 shall be applied.

5 Referee categories and levels

a. A referee’s certification level determines the type and level of competition that a
referee may officiate in.

b. Within each JJNO, each national organization shall determine their referee levels
and respective criteria for evaluation and shall regulate certification through evaluations
and examinations. The highest level of referee category in a JJNO is the “National
Referee” category.

c. At the international level there are six levels of Referee Certification in each
discipline. (In decreasing order as under):

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 1. Continental C License: By examination. The candidate must be of
minimum of 18 years of age and experienced in the respective discipline. He must have
been a referee, in his own nation, for at least 1 year and must have refereed at least
three [3] competitions in the respective discipline. The candidate must have knowledge
of English or the language mainly used in this region.

2. Continental B License: By examination. The candidate must be of

minimum of 21 years of age and have a good knowledge1 of this discipline. He must
have been a referee on national level for at least 1 year and must have refereed at least
three [3] competitions in the respective discipline. The candidate must have a good
knowledge of English or the language mainly used in this region. A minimum
communication ability in English language is required.

3. Continental A License: may be issued to an eligible referee already

holding a Continental B License for a minimum period of one year and after officiating as
a referee in at least three international championships and /or three official JJIF events
with more than three participating countries, states or provinces (such as USA, Mexico,
Russia, Canada), attaining positive evaluation reports within a maximum of two years’
time.

4. JJIF World B License: By examination. The candidate referee must have

extensive knowledge2 of the discipline. He must have been a Continental A referee for at
least 1 year and must have refereed as such in at least 3 International Competitions and
6 other events. Positive evaluation reports are required and a recommendation of his
Continental Technical Commission / Referee Committee shall be also be required.

5. JJIF World A License: The candidate referee must have been a World B
referee for at least 1 year and must have refereed as such in at least 3 International
Competitions with positive evaluation reports and must have been involved in at least 6
national/regional level events. The International Referee Committee has the right to
demand participation as a referee in more competitions if needed.

d. JJIF Referee Expert: Any World Referee (A/B) with good experience and
expertise can be promoted to the Referee Expert category, by the Technical
Commission. Referee Experts shall be involved in the education, evaluation and
mentoring of Referees of lower levels.

e. The control of the referee licenses is under the jurisdiction of the JJIF Technical
Commission.

1 Competition experience as athlete or coach, 1st Dan Ju-Jitsu, Purple Belt Ne-Waza Jiu-Jitsu
2 International Competition experience as athlete or coach, 2 nd Dan Ju-Jitsu, Brown Belt Ne-Waza
Jiu-Jitsu

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6 Education of the Referees
a. Referee courses will be held at camps, tournaments and special courses called
by JJIF.

b. A JJNO may request for a referee course in their nation, organized under the co-
ordination of a JJIF certified instructor, designated by the TC. , subject the JJNO
undertaking to cover the costs.

c. Participants for a referee course must register for the same through their JJNO.
They are expected to be well prepared, with adequate prior knowledge of the rules and
regulations and must be physically fit enough to fully participate.

d. The referee courses must consist of at least 3 hours of theory and 6 hours of
practical lessons, for each discipline.

e. The theory of the referee course shall be executed as E-Learning or Self-study.

f. Practical lessons may consist of refereeing, sports and Ju-Jitsu classes.

7 Examinations
a. The Referee examinations must be held by the experts appointed by Technical
Commission.

b. Successful candidates must secure a minimum of 75% marks in each of the

following tests:

• Physical Fitness Test

• Theoretical Test

• Practical Test

c. The practical test has to be at a tournament or championship witch is accepted by

JJIF or Continental Union.

d. The examiners are required to make a formal report to the TC on the referee
course and the examinations.

e. JJNO might ask for report respective their candidates.

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8 Validity of License and compatibility
a. The continental licenses are valid for 3 years and can be renewed only if the
referee has participated in a new referee course and/or a refreshment course and has
refereed in at least 2 international competitions during in this period, with positive
evaluation reports.

b. The world license is valid for 3 years and can be renewed only if the referee has
participated in a new referee course and/or a refreshment course and has refereed in at
least 2 international competitions during this period, with positive evaluation reports.

c. If the referees have complied with the aforementioned requirements and pass the
physical fitness test, their licenses will be renewed an additional 3 more years.

d. If the test results and/or evaluation for attaining the level of a license for any
candidate is below the norms, then his present license may be declassified or withdrawn
according to the results.

e. A referee whose test results are below the norms, cannot renew his/her license
will be declassified to a lower level by the Decision of the Technical Commission /
Referee Committee:

f. A licensed referee cannot hold the position of team coach, national delegate or
competitor on the same tournament.

g. A licensed Referee cannot simultaneously hold post as a Referee and well as be

a Member of the JJIF Executive Board or Executive Board member of the Continental
Union. Such referees elected to these positions on the Board must voluntarily relinquish
their licenses and will be temporarily suspended as referees till the end of their board
position. They may then seek reactivation of their suspended licenses after a new
refreshment and physical test.

9 Recalling of referee Licenses

a. The TC may recall any referee license at any time. The recall can be total recall
or only a declassification to a lower license level. The recall can also be for a given a
specific period of time.

b. A referee license may be recalled in the following cases:

1) The referee has repeatedly made major mistakes (see Sec. 8d)

2) The referee behaves in an unacceptable and/or unsportsmanlike manner

3) The JJNO has no longer confidence in its referee.

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10 Refreshment courses
a. Referee Refreshment courses should be organized regularly in conjunction with
JJIF /JJCU / JJRA events.

b. A JJNO can also organize a referee refreshment course in conjunction within

international tournament or other events if approved by TC.

c. A licensed referee may participate a new referee’s course for attaining

refreshment. But he/she does not need to take any examination at this course, but
he/she would still need a positive evaluation report to fulfil the refreshment criteria.

11 Coming into Force

The rules 1.0 were authorized by the Board of the JJIF on the April 2nd 2006 and came
into force on the January 1st 2006.

The version 2.0 was authorized by the Board 1st March 2018 and sanctioned by the JJIF
Session 5th March 2018.

They come in force immediately.

They will replace all existing rules.

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Appendix
Referee Attire
a. Referees shall wear grey trousers [color code] and dark socks, mat shoes, white
shirt, JJIF tie and blue jacket [color code] with a JJIF badge attached to the left side.

b. Depending on the temperature, Referees shall wear the same as above but
without jacket.

c. According to the event format organizers can change the dress code. (Example
Beach Events)

Code of Conduct for Referees

a. Referees must behave correctly towards all functionaries, athletes and the public.

b. During Competitions referees must not express negative opinions (criticisms)

regarding other Referee’s conduct in public.

c. Referees must not release to the press or the television any interview or opinion
concerning the Competition in which they officially participate. Except of the head of
referees or authorized by him/her.

d. The referee has to be an example of sportsmanship and the positive effect of

sports