WKF Kumite Scoring

Last updated October 2026  ·  7 min read

The kumite scoreboard is run by one operator at the table while the referee runs the mat. Every press reaches the mat's TV right away, and a declared result moves straight into the bracket. The board supports the WKF and AAU rule sets. This article covers WKF.

Opening the board

Operators open a mat from Live Control (or the mat's queue) in the Tournament Manager. The board loads the next match that is ready to fight in that mat's current division. Staff need the operate scoreboard permission; see Available permissions explained.

The board header has TV (opens the mat's TV screen in a new window, see Projector and TV display setup) and Switch operator. Switch operator lets the next person sign in with their own account without closing anything: the bout, the clock and the TV keep running and the mat moves to the new account. If that account has no scoreboard permission, the controls stay locked until an operator signs in.

Points

Each corner (AKA red, AO blue) has three scoring buttons with WKF values:

• YUKO: 1 point
• WAZA-ARI: 2 points
• IPPON: 3 points

Pressed the wrong one? Each technique has a remove-one button, and Undo takes back the last action of any kind (a score, a penalty, a penalty removal or a senshu change).

Penalties

WKF uses a single penalty ladder. Each offense moves the competitor one step:

CHUI 1 → CHUI 2 → CHUI 3 → HANSOKU-CHUI → HANSOKU

The − button next to a corner's penalties removes that corner's last penalty. Reaching HANSOKU disqualifies the competitor from the bout and the opponent wins.

On the TV, penalties show as stages so nobody has to read a number: three chips for C1, C2 and C3, then a red HANSOKU-CHUI · LAST WARNING alert, then HANSOKU · DISQUALIFIED.

Senshu

Senshu is not given automatically. The referee calls it and the operator records it with the SENSHU button on that corner. Tap it again to withdraw it, or tap the other corner to move it.

If the senshu holder receives a penalty, the board asks whether to withdraw senshu. It never removes it on its own; the operator chooses Withdraw or Keep, following the referee.

On the TV, the holder gets a green SENSHU badge on their score and a SENSHU pill next to their corner label, in their corner's color. Senshu is on for WKF and can be turned off with the Senshu Rule setting in Scoreboard Setup. It is off for AAU.

Timer and atoshi baraku

The clock has Start, Pause and Reset. Match duration comes from Scoreboard Setup (3:00 for WKF seniors by default, with 2:00 and 1:30 presets) or from the division's own duration when brackets are generated.

At 15 seconds left the board signals atoshi baraku: the clock turns red, a short beep sounds and an on-screen notice appears. Under AAU rules it fires at 30 seconds. A buzzer sounds at 0:00.

Ending the match

• Time up with a leader: the board offers the win to the leader.
• Time up, tied, senshu held: the senshu holder is offered the win.
• Time up, tied, no senshu: a decision panel opens. HANTEI (judges) shows two large AKA and AO buttons: tap the corner the judges chose. If overtime is turned on in Scoreboard Setup, an ENCHO-SEN button starts the extension.
• Point lead: when the gap reaches the Point Lead to Win set in Scoreboard Setup (8 for WKF), a dialog offers Confirm win or Resume match.
• Hansoku: the penalty ladder is full and the opponent wins.

To declare a winner by hand, use the AKA Wins / AO Wins buttons. The dialog asks how they won:

The AKA Absent and AO Absent buttons cover athletes who don't show or can't continue: pick no-show (fusen), withdrew or injury (kiken), or disqualified (shikkaku), and the opponent is declared the winner.

When an athlete with a shikkaku from another division comes up, the board shows a warning on that corner. The referee panel decides. If they allow the athlete to compete, press Panel lets them compete and the warning clears; the original bout's result stays.

After the win

The winner shows on the TV and the next match loads after a short countdown. Undo on the winner panel reopens the bout exactly as it was before the declare: scores, penalties, senshu and the clock.

The TV then holds a changeover screen until the next pair is ready. Press ▶ Ready: show match in the board header to put the new match on the TV. Starting the clock does the same. This keeps the TV and the stream from jumping to the next match before the athletes are in position.

Spanish and French screens use the athlete's gender for the winner wording (for example GANADORA). English always reads WINNER.

Correcting a decided match

If a wrong result slips through, open the bracket and use Re-score on that match. It clears the result so you can enter it again and takes the old winner back out of the next match if that match hasn't been fought. If it has, the confirm warns you and that later match is left as is. Re-score is available to the director and to staff with operate scoreboard or manage brackets. Everyone else is told to ask the director or the head table official.

Reloads, locks and saving

• Restore on reload: if the page reloads or the board is reopened mid-bout, the bout comes back with its scores, penalties, senshu and clock (still running if it was). The board says "Match recovered: the score was restored".
• One device per mat: a mat's board can be driven by one device at a time. If another device takes the mat, this one stops scoring and shows Take control. See Running multiple tatamis.
• Saving: declaring a winner records the score and win method, advances the winner and sends the result to the server. If the connection drops, results are kept on the device and sent when it is back. With a prepared mat the board keeps working with no internet at all; see Offline mat mode.
• App updates: a new version of Taikai App never reloads the board mid-match. It waits for the changeover or a closed board, then reopens the same mat.