What you need for a judo tournament

A judo tournament needs more than competition mats and medals. You will need equipment for scoring and timekeeping, supplies for weigh-ins and registration, and enough tables, chairs and power access for the event team. Catering also requires cups, plates, cutlery, coffee equipment and coolers. Use the quantities in your participant list to scale food, drinks and registration materials before shopping, rather than trying to fill gaps on tournament day.

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What to bring

Grouped the way you'd shop for it, with quantities.

Sports equipment

Judo matsqty 60
Scoreboardsqty 4
Stopwatchesqty 6
Referee whistlesqty 6
Red and white ribbonsqty 8
Competition table numbersqty 4
Scalesqty 2
Competition bibsqty 20

Furniture

Tablesqty 10
Chairsqty 70
Changing room benchesqty 6
Clothes racksqty 4
Tableclothsqty 10

Equipment

Laptopqty 2
Printer
Extension cordsqty 6
Power stripsqty 6
Portable speaker
Microphone
Power banksqty 4
Clipboardsqty 10
Calculatorsqty 4
First aid kitsqty 2
Ice packsqty 12

Tableware

Reusable drinking cupsqty 100
Reusable platesqty 80
Reusable cutleryqty 100
Coffee cupsqty 50

Kitchen

Coffee machinesqty 2
Thermos flasksqty 4
Coolersqty 4
Serving plattersqty 10
Serving spoonsqty 10
Cutting boardsqty 3
Bread knivesqty 3
Water jugsqty 6

Decorations

Wayfinding signsqty 12
Arrow stickersqty 30
Stage ribbon

Cleaning

Bucketsqty 4
Mopsqty 4
Broom setsqty 3
Vacuum cleaner
Cleaning clothsqty 20

Catering

Groceries
- Spa Blauw - 120 bottles
- Spa Red - 48 bottles
- Cola - 24 bottles
- Coke Zero - 24 bottles
- Sinas - 18 bottles
- Apple juice - 12 cartons
- Coffee - 4 packs
- Tea - 2 boxes
- Milk - 8 liters
- Oat milk - 4 liters
- Sugar - 2 packs
- Sweetener - 1 box
- Stir sticks - 200 pieces
- Butter cookies - 6 packs
- Muesli bars - 80 pieces
- Paprika chips - 6 bags
- Plain chips - 6 bags
- Apples - 80 pieces
- Bananas - 60 pieces
- Grapes - 6 packs
- Mini raisin buns - 80 pieces
- White rolls - 100 pieces
- Wholemeal rolls - 60 pieces
- Mild cheese - 3 kilograms
- Cooked ham - 2 kilograms
- Vegetarian spread - 12 tubs
- Hummus - 8 tubs
- Margarine - 2 tubs
- Mayonnaise - 2 bottles
- Ketchup - 2 bottles
- Mustard - 2 jars
- Paper napkins - 400 pieces
- Paper towels - 6 rolls
- Toilet paper - 24 rolls
- Trash bags - 4 rolls
- Liquid hand soap - 6 bottles
- Hand sanitizer - 6 bottles
- All-purpose cleaner - 3 bottles
- Floor cleaner - 2 bottles
- Dish soap - 2 bottles
- Sponges - 12 pieces

Tips

Plan one clearly marked registration place with a table, chairs, the laptop, printer, extension cords and power strips. Bring spare printer paper and power banks so check-in does not stop if a socket or device fails.
Check every competition area has a complete scoring setup: a scoreboard, stopwatch, referee whistle and the required red and white ribbons. Prepare one spare stopwatch and whistle for a tournament with several mats.
For weigh-ins, place the scales where competitors can queue without blocking registration. Keep competition bibs, weight-class information and participant lists together, and allow at least 60 minutes before the first scheduled matches for final checks.
Set out competition table numbers before volunteers arrive, then match each number to the schedule and scorekeeping materials. This prevents referees and volunteers from searching for the right table when matches are already running.
For catering, count reusable cups, plates and cutlery against the highest expected meal period, not the total number of attendees. Keep drinks and perishable food in coolers, and prepare coffee cups, thermos flasks, serving platters and spoons before setup begins.

Frequently asked questions

What equipment do I need for a judo tournament?: You need competition mats, scoreboards, stopwatches, referee whistles, red and white ribbons, table numbers, scales and competition bibs. Add one spare stopwatch and whistle for each group of several mats, so a fault does not delay the schedule.
How many judo mats do I need for a tournament?: The number depends on the planned competition areas and match schedule. Count one complete mat area per simultaneous competition area, then reserve additional time if you have fewer mats than planned areas; confirm the final layout at least one day before the event.
What should I buy for judo tournament registration?: Prepare registration tables and chairs, a laptop, printer, extension cords, power strips, participant lists and registration packs. Bring enough printed lists for every registration point plus at least 10% spare copies, along with power banks for devices.
How much catering do I need for a judo tournament?: Base food and drink quantities on the confirmed participant, volunteer and referee count, then add 10% for late changes and extra servings. Have reusable cups, plates and cutlery available for the busiest serving period, and keep chilled items in coolers until they are needed.

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