Schedule
Judo competitions at the Tokyo Games will take place from July 24-31. Each day, two weight classes will be contested - one men's division, one women's division. All rounds of competition within a given weight class will take place on that day. Weight classes will be contested in ascending order according to weight.
Competition draw
Before the start of competition, a draw will be conducted by officials from the International Judo Federation (IJF). The top eight judokas in each weight class will be seeded in order to ensure they do not face each other in the early rounds. All other competitors will receive a random draw to determine their spot in the bracket.
Weigh-ins
Athletes will attend the official weigh-in on the day before their weight class is scheduled to compete. They will have one chance to officially weigh-in, and they will not be allowed to compete if they weigh above or below the limits (in kilograms) for their division. There will be an unofficial weigh-in period beforehand, during which time athletes can use the official scales to check their weight.
On competition days, four athletes in each weight class competing that day will be drawn for a random weigh-in. Their weight must not exceed 5% more than the maximum limit for their weight class. Athletes who go over the limit will be disqualified.
Brackets
Judo competitions at the Olympic Games will be in the form of a single-elimination tournament to determine the gold and silver medalists. The field will be split into two tables, with the winner from both tables advancing to the Gold Medal Match. The top eight judokas in each weight class will be seeded in order to avoid top competitors facing each other early in the tournament. All other judokas will have their spots on the bracket determined by a random draw.
All men's matches will be allotted five minutes of regulation time, and women's matches will be allotted four minutes.
Repechage matches
The losers of the four quarterfinal matches will move into the repechage. The winners of the two repechage matches then advance to separate Bronze Medal Matches, where they will each face the loser of the semifinal from the opposite table. There will be two bronze medals awarded - one for each Bronze Medal Match winner. The losers of the Bronze Medal Matches will both place 5th, and the losers of the repechage contests will both place 7th.
Mixed team events
New at the Tokyo Games will be the mixed team events. In these events, each country will have a team comprised of six judokas - three men (73kg, 90kg, 90+kg) and three women (57kg, 70kg, 70+kg). In these nation-versus-nation bouts, each round includes matches between two individual judokas of the same weight class. The nation that ends each bout with a score of 4-2 advances to the next round. In the even of a 3-3 tie, a refight will be conducted.