Last updated: 3 October 2026
Reviewed by Jordan Morley, FA Level 2 Football Coach
Shido is a penalty awarded in judo for minor rule infringements — such as passivity (not attacking), defensive gripping, stepping out of the contest area, or false attacks. The first two shidos are warnings that do not directly give the opponent a score, but a third shido results in hansoku-make (disqualification from that contest) and victory for the opponent. In a tied contest that goes to golden score (sudden death), a shido can also decide the winner. Shido encourages positive, attacking judo and penalises stalling, shaping the way modern competitive judo is fought.
- Penalty for minor infringements
- Passivity, defensive gripping, stepping out
- Third shido = loss of the match
- Encourages attacking judo
In practice
A shido in judo is a penalty for a minor rule infringement (stalling, leaving the contest area, or a prohibited technique) — accumulating a certain number of shidos results in disqualification, giving referees a graduated way to penalize minor rule violations without immediately ending the match, while still discouraging repeated or escalating infractions.
FAQ
How many shidos result in disqualification in judo?
Under current international rules, three shidos result in disqualification (hansoku-make), though specific thresholds have varied slightly across different rule updates over the years.
What kind of actions result in a shido?
Common examples include stalling or passivity, stepping out of the contest area, grabbing the opponent's leg without attempting a technique, or other minor technical rule violations.