Ippon signal

An arm straight up: the contest is over.

Also known as: Full point signal, Ippon gesture

Sport & gamesStandard profile

Meanings

The judo signal awarding the full score that ends the contest immediately.

Officially standardisedVerified fact
Awards ippon, the full score, ending the contest at once.
Contexts: Public information
Officially standardisedVerified fact
Ends the bout rather than adding to a total, so the signal is a verdict rather than a score — the only gesture in the sport that stops the clock permanently.
Contexts: Public information

Visual description

One arm raised vertically above the head, palm forward, held still.

Symmetry: none
Orientation: upright

Confidence

IdentityHigh confidence: High confidence because the identity is defined by a current official standard, but only a single source has been found so far.
Historical originLow confidence: Low confidence because the historical origin is documented in encyclopedic references, but only a single source has been found so far, but early or supporting evidence is limited, but the regional or cultural match to this specific claim is not precise.
Current useHigh confidence: High confidence because the current use is defined by a current official standard, but only a single source has been found so far.
Visual matchModerate confidence: Moderate confidence because the visual match is documented in encyclopedic references, but only a single source has been found so far.

Sources

Competition rules and officiating signals of the Olympic international federations
World Athletics, World Aquatics, the International Judo Federation and comparable bodies · retrieved 2026-08-27
The international federations, cited for the officiating signals their own competition rules define. Rules are revised between cycles and national federations vary them; no record is cited for whether an official applied a signal correctly.

Last reviewed 2026-08-27

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Meanings

The judo signal awarding the full score that ends the contest immediately.

Officially standardisedVerified fact

Awards ippon, the full score, ending the contest at once.

Contexts: Public information

Officially standardisedVerified fact

Ends the bout rather than adding to a total, so the signal is a verdict rather than a score — the only gesture in the sport that stops the clock permanently.

Contexts: Public information

Confidence

IdentityHigh confidence: High confidence because the identity is defined by a current official standard, but only a single source has been found so far.
Historical originLow confidence: Low confidence because the historical origin is documented in encyclopedic references, but only a single source has been found so far, but early or supporting evidence is limited, but the regional or cultural match to this specific claim is not precise.
Current useHigh confidence: High confidence because the current use is defined by a current official standard, but only a single source has been found so far.
Visual matchModerate confidence: Moderate confidence because the visual match is documented in encyclopedic references, but only a single source has been found so far.

Sources

Competition rules and officiating signals of the Olympic international federations
World Athletics, World Aquatics, the International Judo Federation and comparable bodies · retrieved 2026-08-27
The international federations, cited for the officiating signals their own competition rules define. Rules are revised between cycles and national federations vary them; no record is cited for whether an official applied a signal correctly.

Last reviewed 2026-08-27