Contents
The France Judo categories (2026/2027 season)
The reference age is the one reached on 31 December of the season's second year: the birth-year definition is the invariant; the bounds shift each season. Competition level is age-capped: départemental up to poussin, régional for benjamin, national for minime, international from cadet.
| Category | Indicative age | Competition ceiling |
|---|---|---|
| Baby / Éveil judo | 4–5 | non-competitive animation |
| Mini-poussin | 6–7 | animation |
| Poussin | 8–9 | départemental |
| Benjamin(e) | 10–11 | régional · 2-min contests |
| Minime | 12–13 | national · 3-min contests |
| Cadet(te) | 14–16 | international |
| Junior | 17–19 | international · 4-min contests |
| Senior | 20+ | international · 4-min contests |
| Veteran (M1…M9 / F1…F9) | 30+, in 5-year bands | veteran circuit · 3 min, then 2 min 30 from M7/F7 |
Age-up (surclassement) is forbidden through cadet at France Judo (an exceptional DTN derogation exists for cadets, with a medical certificate). For benjamins, total daily mat time is capped (~20 min).
The Paak mapping (a derivation, not a federation rule)
Paak organises its library in four bands. No federation publishes these bands; every mapping is a product approximation, shown with « ≈ »:
| Paak band | ≈ France Judo | ≈ DJB (DE) | ≈ SJV (CH) |
|---|---|---|---|
| u9 | éveil → poussin (≤ ~8) | U9–U11 | U9–U11 |
| u13 | benjamin + minime (9–12) | U11–U15 | U13–U15 |
| u17 | cadet (13–16) | U15–U18 | U15–U18 |
| sen | junior + senior (17+) | U18–U21+ | U18+ |
Two straddles are stated rather than hidden: the minime (12–13) straddles u13 and u17, and the Swiss/German U18 straddles u17 and sen. The library states the straddle instead of forcing a clean cut.
The technique gate: the heart of youth safety
What is permitted per band, in sourced synthesis (France Judo national arbitrage 2025/2026; SJV and DJB youth rules):
| Band | Shime-waza (strangles) | Kansetsu-waza (armlocks) | Sutemi / makikomi |
|---|---|---|---|
| u9 | No (every federation) | No | No |
| u13 | No (FR ≤ minime; DE U12/U15; CH ≤ U15) | No | Forbidden ≤ benjamin (FR), adapted at minime |
| u17 | From cadet (FR, ~14); CH/DE: ~15/U18 | Same (DE: ground locks ~U15, standing forbidden) | Permitted at cadet |
| sen | Yes, except veterans F7/M7+ (60+): forbidden (FFJudo) | Yes (elbow only in judo) | Yes |
Other youth bans in the France Judo 2025/2026 arbitrage: neck constraints (matte + shido), attacks with one or two knees on the ground (false attack), cross-grip and bear-hug kumi-kata, any grip below the belt, and the sankaku reduced to the fundamental turnover (no neck constraint, legs released for the pin; reverse sankaku forbidden). And two head rules that outrank everything: deliberately placing the head alone on the mat = direct hansoku-make for minimes, cadets 2D/3D and espoirs; and any loss of consciousness ends that athlete's competition day, at every age.
The medical why behind these gates is documented: in under-15s, 31 % of injuries are fractures, which dominate in the upper limb, above all at the clavicle, and the adolescent elbow's growth plates are at risk under hyperextension. See Building a session for prevention woven into the outline.
Where federations diverge
| Rule | France Judo | SJV (CH) | DJB (DE) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shime-waza floor | cadet (≥ ~14) | U18 (≥ ~15) | U18 |
| Kansetsu-waza floor | cadet | U18 | ground locks ~U15; standing locks generally forbidden |
| Sankaku | fundamental turnover only; reverse forbidden | all sankaku forbidden ≤ U15 | leg-closing restricted |
| Youth golden score | no cap | capped at 1 min, then referee decision | no cap |
The consequence for a border club or a drill straddling u17: the Paak library writes the federation floor into the coaching points of every affected drill: a still-minime judoka on the mat stays under the ban, whatever the group.
Licence & medical certificate (France)
FFJDA licence (insurance bundled), the medical certificate of no contra-indication (CACI) or the annual health questionnaire as applicable, the passeport sportif for competition identity, and for the derogatory cadet age-up, a medical certificate younger than 120 days. Other markets follow their federation (licence + own coverage).
FAQ
Can a 13-year-old cadet work on strangles?
Why does Paak show « ≈ » before the categories?
What about veterans?
Sources
France Judo / FFJDA: age and weight categories 2025/2026 and 2026/2027, Textes Officiels 2025/2026, national arbitrage 2025/2026 (shime/kansetsu floors, sutemi, kumi-kata, head rules); SJV (Swiss Judo & Ju-Jitsu Federation): youth refereeing deltas; DJB (Deutscher Judo-Bund): Jugend-Wettkampfordnung and 2021 interpretation; IJF: Contest Rules in force since 22 February 2025 (cadet deltas). Medical literature (paediatric fractures, growth plates): Paak judo corpus, file 05. Paak judo corpus, files 02 (LTAD & gates) and 01 (rules), verified on 28 October 2026. The Paak u9/u13/u17/sen mapping is a product derivation, published by no federation.