A player can win a judo contest outright by a score of ippon. The referee awards this score if:

• a player is thrown largely onto his back with force, speed and control;
• a player is held down on his back for the required length of time (often 25 seconds), or
• a player submits from a strangle or armlock.

A waza-ari can be scored if the technique falls just short of earning an ippon. The referee awards this score if:

• a player is thrown but without one of the elements necessary for an ippon, or
• a player is held down on his back for a shorter length of time (often 20 seconds).

A score of two waza-aris is equivalent to ippon and wins the contest outright.

A referee may also award two minor scores of yuko and koka for throws which do not merit ippon or waza-ari, and for short hold downs.

If a player does not win the contest outright by ippon or two waza-aris, the winner is determined by the number of waza-aris scored, followed by the number of yukos and, if still tied, the number of kokas.

If the players remain tied at the end of the contest, the referee may allow a further short period of competition where the first score of any kind wins the contests. This is known as the "golden score". If players remain tied after the golden score period, the referee and corner judges decide the winner on a majority basis (hantei).