FIAS Updates International SAMBO Rules: What Changed in Different SAMBO Disciplines

On March 31, the Executive Committee of the International SAMBO Federation (FIAS) approved a package of amendments to the International SAMBO Rules and a number of related documents. The changes affect Sport SAMBO, Combat SAMBO, and Blind SAMBO. Some amendments took effect immediately upon adoption, while others came into force on August 21, 2026. FIAS Sports Director Sergey Tabakov commented on the substance of the changes for this article.

International SAMBO Rules – Sport, Combat, Blind, and Deaf SAMBO

(Changes affecting all disciplines listed above)

Weigh-ins: separate panels and a lead official

Article 6 sets out the procedure for official weigh-ins. The panel responsible for the procedure is now made up of three referees, one of whom is designated as the lead official.

“The amendment brings the text of the rules in line with practice that had already taken hold. Previously, the panel was formally required to include a representative from the secretarial team, but the vast majority of officials in that role are men, which made the requirement difficult to meet. The secretarial duties – completing the protocol and overseeing the whole procedure – are now assigned to the lead official among the three judges,” explained Sergey Tabakov.

Uniform: disqualification for a jacket's condition

Article 8.3 spells out the requirements for the SAMBO jacket. Jackets that deviate from the standard – dirty, torn, or faded – are not permitted in competition.

“Athletes and coaches at uniform checks would often dispute a referee's objection, pointing out that the rules contained no explicit provision for it. That basis for disqualification is now written directly into the text,” Tabakov said.

Video review: only the Deputy Chief Referee may call for a stoppage

Article 12.4 establishes that only the Deputy Chief Referee may stop a match to review a video replay.

“There were cases where coaches, athletes, or referees would try to call for a review on their own initiative, using a recognizable gesture. That created inconsistent practice and led to more unwarranted stoppages – particularly noticeable during live broadcasts of final bouts,” the FIAS Sports Director explained.

Article 12.5 separately formalizes a rare but possible scenario: if the Deputy Chief Referee is unable to perform their duties, the Chief Referee appoints one of the competition's judges to the position.

The three-official panel's role in confirming holds and submission attempts

Articles 14.5 and 14.7 establish that as soon as an athlete moves into a hold or begins a submission attempt, the referee signals it with the corresponding gesture and starts the count – but must first confirm that at least one of the other two officials on the panel shares that assessment.

“The amendment is meant to keep the corner judges from becoming bystanders next to a referee who is physically at the center of attention – on the mat, whistle in hand, making the gestures. The panel is made up of an odd number of officials specifically so that a decision can be reached by majority,” Sergey Tabakov said.

Submission holds: “may” instead of “must”

Article 14.10 changes the wording: if, during a submission attempt, the attacking athlete makes no genuine effort to complete it, the referee may – rather than must – stop the bout with a whistle and restart it in a standing position.

“This applies, for instance, to situations where the action has gone static and the defending athlete, in the officials' judgment, is very likely already defended, while the attacker is using the hold to run down the clock. Responsibility for reading the situation under this wording now rests with the panel as a whole, not with the referee alone,” Tabakov explains.

A new concept: “Activity”

Articles 14.11-14.12, 16.2, and 29.9 introduce the concept of “activity” into the rules – a practice previously used in Beach SAMBO.

If a bout produces no scored technical actions and no penalties, or if penalties were issued to both athletes simultaneously, the match is stopped partway through, and the three-official panel determines by majority vote which athlete has been more active – signaling the decision with the corresponding gesture. The scoresheet records this with the letter “A” (Article 16.2).

If the situation remains unchanged through the end of the bout – meaning the opponent picks up no scored technical actions or penalties – the athlete credited with “activity” is declared the winner (Article 29.9: if neither athlete has technical points or penalties by the end of the bout, victory goes to whoever holds the activity mark).

According to Sergey Tabakov, the mechanism replaces punishment with reward: rather than penalizing one athlete for passivity, officials instead credit the more active one. The call remains an expert judgment and, to some degree, subjective – but it leaves the second athlete the rest of the bout to turn the match around. If a difference in points or penalties emerges after “activity” has been awarded, the activity mark no longer applies. It cannot be awarded a second time within the same bout; instead, if the opponent's passive approach continues, that athlete may be issued a penalty.

Throws: non-scoring positions clarified

Article 23 (Throws section, point 9) clarifies that a technical action against an opponent who is supported on a non-scoring part of the body (for example, a knee, both knees, knees and hands, or the head) is worth half the value of a standing-to-standing throw.

As Tabakov explains, the wording resolves a long-disputed point: if the opponent is not in one of the listed positions – say, on the side, back, chest, buttocks, or stomach – and the attacker moves them into a different position without lifting them off the mat, the action counts as a full throw rather than a mere “turnover”.

Submission holds: different standards for seniors and cadets

Article 23 (Submission Holds section, point 6) establishes that an armlock must be discontinued as soon as both athletes reach a standing position – that is, once the opponent has been fully lifted off the mat. For cadets (ages 14–16), the requirement is relaxed: only the torso needs to be lifted off the mat, and head contact with the mat is not considered a violation.

“The change accounts for the physical development of athletes in the younger age category – young athletes aren't always able to control an opponent through a full lift, and attempting to do so can lead to injury,” Sergey Tabakov explained.

Signal of submission: no more subjective qualifiers

The wording covering submissions for both armlocks (Article 23, C.8) and chokes (Article 23, D.12) has dropped subjective qualifiers such as a “loud” cry or a “double” tap. A submission signal is now defined as any vocal cry and/or more than one tap of the hand or foot on the mat, on the athlete's own body, or on the opponent's body. The wording removes the basis for disputes over how “loud” a signal needed to be.

A bout's outcome can still change after the final signal

Article 24.4 establishes that a score for a throw or a penalty – including the gesture indicating a penalty – may be shown even after the signal marking the end of the bout, provided the action took place before time expired on the clock (or, if the clock malfunctions, before time ran out on the backup stopwatch). As a result, the outcome of a match can, in certain cases, still be adjusted after the final signal has already sounded.

Repechage bouts: now the same length as regular bouts

Article 25.1 sets a single duration for all bouts, including repechage matches and medal matches: 5 minutes for seniors and juniors, 4 minutes for juveniles and cadets. Previously, repechage bouts ran one minute shorter than a standard bout.

As Sergey Tabakov explained, the change is grounded in the principle of equal conditions for every competitor: earning a bronze medal demands the same physical and mental effort as reaching the final, and shouldn't be decided in a shortened, “blitz”-style format.

Total victory: withdrawal and disqualification now separate grounds

Article 28.1 splits what had previously been a single, combined basis for total victory into two distinct grounds: the opponent's withdrawal from the competition (subpoint e) and the opponent's disqualification (subpoint f) – terms that differ in meaning.

Prohibited techniques: the reverse shoulder lock is now precisely defined

Article 32.9 spells out the description of a prohibited technique – the reverse shoulder lock performed by pinning the forearm behind the opponent's back. An exception applies when the attacker's own torso or thigh is positioned between the forearm and the opponent's torso. Previously, the absence of a precise definition meant officials could interpret identical situations differently.

Combat SAMBO

(Changes affecting Combat SAMBO)

Uniform: shorts built for freer gripping

Article 8 (points 8.9-8.10) sets new requirements for Combat SAMBO shorts: they must be made of cotton, synthetic, or blended fabric in solid red or blue (no additional markings), and must be of high durability and width – not fitted tightly to the thigh, so that an opponent can execute a grip. By cut, the shorts reach the waistline at the top and cover two-thirds of the thigh at the bottom.

According to Sergey Tabakov, the change continues a broader shift toward expanding the range of permitted grips and techniques in Combat SAMBO, following the same direction taken in Beach SAMBO. One important clarification: grips on the shorts remain permitted only in Combat SAMBO and are still not allowed in Sport SAMBO.

Referee actions following a knockout or loss of consciousness

Article 14.11 sets out the referee's required sequence of actions when a knockout results from a landed strike, or when an athlete loses consciousness from a choke: remove the helmet, take out the mouthguard, call the doctor onto the mat, and signal a clean win – after confirming that the call is supported by at least one other member of the three-official panel. Athlete safety takes priority, and the entire sequence is meant to be carried out without delay.

Knockdowns: the count, the score, and the decision to continue

Article 14.12 defines the referee's actions in the case of a knockdown: stop the bout, begin a count to 10, award 4 points, assess the athlete's condition (per the criteria in Article 23, Section A, point 6), and, depending on the outcome, either resume the bout or withdraw the athlete from it. This decision, too, is made with input from the three-official panel.

Medical attention: capped at 3 minutes per bout

Article 21.3 sets a limit on medical attention during a single Combat SAMBO bout – no more than 3 minutes in total. The standard was developed based on recommendations from the FIAS Medical Commission.

Prohibited strikes: knee strikes to the head banned for women

Article 23 (Section F, point 11) adds a ban on knee strikes to the head of an opponent in either a grounded or standing position, in women's bouts. In men's bouts, the same strike from a standing position remains permitted.

Blind SAMBO

(Changes affecting Blind SAMBO)

Sport classes SVI1 and SVI2

Article 5.11 establishes that Blind SAMBO competitors take part in one of two sport classes – SVI1 or SVI2. Classification is determined under the updated Classification Rules, with eligibility conditions and required documentation set out in a separate regulation.

Weigh-ins now include accompanying coaches

Article 6.10 permits accompanying coaches to be present in the weigh-in room, alongside athletes, the officiating panel, and the doctor. The amendment reflects the specific needs of the category: visually impaired athletes require assistance at every stage of the procedure. Article 6.17 further requires officials to announce each athlete's weigh-in result out loud.

A dedicated helmet: a unified safety standard

Article 8.11 sets requirements for the dedicated helmet used by SVI1 athletes: it must be made of leather or synthetic leather in red and blue, with a soft, light-blocking black insert covering the eye area. A corresponding FIAS Technical Passport for manufacturing this helmet has been approved in a separate Executive Committee decision.

The referee as guide: a detailed set of responsibilities

Article 14 spells out the referee's duties in detail, which for this category of athletes go well beyond conventional officiating. The referee guides both athletes to the center of the mat, positions their hands for the handshake, and then helps them establish the mutual collar-and-collar grip – movement begins only after the whistle.

“During the bout, the referee is responsible for physically protecting the athletes: if they drift toward the edge of the working area, the referee stops them with their arms, forming a kind of barrier – the risk of injury from losing orientation near the mat's edge or a raised platform is especially high for this category. For the same reason, the rules no longer penalize stepping outside the mat or similar maneuvers that apply to sighted athletes: visually impaired competitors don't use the mat's edge as a way to evade an opponent's technique or push them out,” Sergey Tabakov explained.

All commands and decisions are announced by the referee out loud, in two languages – for example, “Four points to the athlete in blue”. Calling for the doctor is signaled with the word “doctor” in both languages, and the need to adjust a uniform with the word “uniform”. At the end of the bout, the referee takes both athletes by the arm, guides them to the edge of the mat, and hands them over to their coaches.

Articles 14.5-14.7 further require that commands for holds and submission attempts be announced out loud (for example, “Hold” / “Uderzhaniye”, “Submission hold” / “Bolevoy”); one minute is allotted for a submission attempt.

Refereeing corps: a new qualification grade

The updated FIAS Regulations on SAMBO Referees introduce four qualification grades. International Category A and International Category B referees are both FIAS-level qualifications; Continental Category C is a new grade, awarded at the level of a continental SAMBO federation; and National Category D is a national-federation-level qualification. The grades are indicated by chest chevrons worn on the referee's uniform according to an approved template.

Documents

Along with the International SAMBO Rules, several related documents have been updated as part of these amendments: the Classification Rules for Blind SAMBO and a new FIAS Technical Passport for manufacturing the Blind SAMBO helmet, which sets a unified safety and equipment standard for this category of athletes.

Beyond the rules governing bouts, the Executive Committee also approved amendments to the FIAS Sports and Organizational Rules, the FIAS Regulations on SAMBO Referees, the Regulations on the Certification of Athletes and Coaches and the Accreditation of SAMBO Clubs, and additions to the FIAS Disciplinary Code. All of these documents are published in the Documents section of the FIAS website.