Sumo Wrestling
| Governing Body: | International Sumo Federation (ISF) |
General
Match Duration:
Bouts of sumo wrestling are very short mostly less than a minute (sometimes only a few seconds). If a bout lasts for more than four minutes, then the referee calls a mizu-iri (water break) after which the wrestlers return to the position from where they left.
Ranked Divisions:
The sport is divided into six ranking divisions in which the wrestlers are promoted and demoted based on the merit of their winning/losing records in official competitions. The divisions are: makuuchi, jūryō, makushita, sandanme, jonidan and jonokuchi. Wrestlers enter in the lowest jonokuchi division at the beginning and then work their way up to reach the top division.
Winning The Bout:
A bout is won by the wrestler if-
- The wrestler forces his opponent to step out of the dohyo (ring) or
- The wrestler forces his opponent to the ground with any part of the body other than the sole of the feet.
Playing Area
Sumo wrestling matches take place in a circular ring called a dohyo which is 4.55 m in diameter and have an area of 16.26 sq. m. which have a platform made of clay mixed with sand. It consists of two white lines (shikiri-sen) at the center behind which the rikishi (wrestlers) position themselves at the beginning of the bout.
