USA Judo Age Waiver Information

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The Junior Age Waiver for Senior Nationals, President’s Cup and other* events: 

This program is intended to be a waiver of the minimum age requirement for qualified individuals, and NOT a waiver or compromise of the qualification standards that are imposed on athletes who already meet the age standard. 

The eligibility standard for age-qualified athletes, who are Cadet and older to compete in the Senior Elite Athletes’ divisions at the USA Judo Senior Nationals, President’s Cup and certain other events, calls for a person to be a current member of USA JUDO, AND to hold a minimum rank of Senior Sankyu.

The “D” and “E” level events have NO limiting standard other than the minimum age and USA Judo membership.

USA JUDO, by this resolution, will immediately implement a provision for athletes who were born in the years that make them Juvenile athletes in the current year, to apply for a waiver of the age requirement for the Senior Elite Athletes’ divisions at the Senior Nationals, President’s Cup, and comparable “C” level events. They will also be able to apply for age waivers to compete in the IJF Junior divisions at the USA Judo Youth Nationals, the Junior Olympic Nationals and the Junior US Open. The same qualifying standards will apply for ALL waiver applications.

Athletes who were born in the years that make them Juvenile athletes in the current year MAY now enter the Black Belt division at any and all of the USA Judo “D” and “E” level events, without need to apply for an Age Waiver.

This initiative is NOT a waiver of the performance requirement imposed on athletes who have met the minimum age requirement. Instead, it is a vehicle to enable exceptional young competitors to document Senior level successes, in Black Belt (Elite) divisions, in order to validate their request for consideration for an age waiver. Under NO circumstances will an age waiver be approved if an athlete has not proven successful prior competition at the Senior Black Belt (Elite) level and in NO instance will the Senior Elite Athletes’ divisions at the Senior Nationals, or any of the “C” level events, be anyone’s FIRST Senior event. The ONLY way to secure a waiver is to qualify via one of the absolute standards explained in this document.

The waiver is intended to provide a means whereby young athletes who have demonstrated an ability to compete successfully at Senior Black Belt (Elite) levels may be enabled to compete in the Senior Elite Athletes’ divisions at the Senior National Championships, the President’s Cup, and certain other “C” level events.

NOTE: This provision is for development purposes only and waivered athletes can STILL not be eligible for National Team selections until they reach the IOC, IJF or PJC age thresholds that are required for those events. They cannot earn points or be included on the USA Judo Elite Athlete Selection Rosters, and they cannot earn points that affect their actual age roster divisions. The benefit of this initiative is that athletes gain valuable experience that would otherwise be unavailable to them.

The applicant MUST have been listed on a USA JUDO Jr Elite roster within the twelve months prior to the competition for which they are applying for a waiver to enter

The applicant MUST have been listed on a USA JUDO Jr Elite roster within the twelve months prior to the competition for which they are applying for a waiver to enter.

AND 

Throughout the twelve (12) months before any, or each, of the Senior Nationals, the President’s Cup , and certain other events, there are several Senior D and E level point events. These are regularly announced on the USA Judo website Calendar page, once they have been sanctioned. Applicants for the Junior age waiver may present evidence that they competed in one or more of these events, IN the highest Senior division and won at least one match. These are double elimination events so everyone has TWO chances to win a match. NOTE: Byes, forfeits and other walkovers are NOT considered “wins” for waiver purposes.

OR 

Athletes who are not able to demonstrate that they have competed successfully in one of the D or E level events, as described above, can alternatively present documentation that they have competed and placed in the Senior Black Belt division in three or more events in the twelve months immediately preceding the date of application for waiver. NOTE: It is mandatory to have won at least ONE match against opponents of Senior rank of Sankyu or higher in each of the above events and to provide the names of opponents. Uncontested wins cannot apply.

OR 

Athletes may present evidence of having, within the twelve months immediately preceding the date of application for waiver, defeated an athlete (or athletes) currently listed on the USA JUDO Sr Men’s or Sr Women’s National Roster. NOTE: the win MUST be recorded in a Senior event, under Senior rules. Defeating a Junior who is on the Senior roster ONLY counts for waiver consideration if it is done in Senior competition.

The above standards are absolute, are all measurable and documentable, and allow NO room for interpretation, opinion or mis-administration.

THE DOCUMENTATION FORMS THAT BEGIN ON THE NEXT PAGE MUST BE COMPLETED AND MUST ACCOMPANY ANY WAIVER APPLICATION

Junior Age Waiver Documentation
Senior Nationals, President’s Cup

Criteria #1:

Throughout the twelve (12) months before any, or each, of the Senior Nationals, the President’s Cup , and certain other events, there are several Senior D and E level point events. These are regularly announced on the USA Judo website Calendar page, once they have been sanctioned. Applicants for the Junior age waiver may present evidence that they competed in one or more of these events, IN the highest Senior division and won at least one match. These are double elimination events so everyone has TWO chances to win a match.

NOTE: Byes, forfeits and other walkovers are NOT considered “wins” for Waiver purposes.

Name and date of Sr “D” or "E" level Black Division event entered:
Division Entered: Placement, if any: 

Name(s) of opponent(s) defeated:(this will be verified by examination of event pool sheets): 

Criteria #2: 

Athletes who are not able to demonstrate that they have competed in one of the D or E level events, as described above, can alternatively present documentation that they have competed and placed in the Senior Black Belt division in three or more events in the twelve months immediately preceding the date of application for waiver.

NOTE: It is mandatory to have won at least ONE match against opponents of Senior rank of Sankyu or higher in each of the above events and to provide the names of opponents. Uncontested wins cannot apply. 

The following table identifies events where applicant placed in Senior Black Belt division.

Criteria # 3: 

Athletes may present evidence of having, within the twelve months immediately preceding the date of application for waiver, defeated an athlete (or athletes) currently listed on the USA JUDO Sr Men’s or Sr Women’s National Roster.

NOTE: the win MUST be recorded in a Senior event, under Senior rules. Defeating a Junior who is on the Senior roster ONLY counts for waiver consideration if it is done in Senior competition. 

The following table identifies current Sr National Roster athletes defeated during the past year in Senior events:

Submit Waiver Applications, including the required documentation that is above to: 

Jim Hrbek – judolym@aol.com 

Applications MUST be submitted THREE WEEKS PRIOR to the beginning event date. Applications that are not timely will not be considered under any circumstances. Applications that do not include the necessary documentation will be dismissed and not reopened for that event.