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A wrestler wins by forcing the opponent outside the straw-bale circle or making any part of the opponent other than the soles of the feet touch the ground. There are no points and most bouts last only seconds. The official way the bout ended is its kimarite.

The wrestlers crouch behind the starting lines and begin by mutual readiness, usually launching into an initial charge called the tachiai. A mistimed or unready start can be stopped and reset as a matta.

Before bouts in the top two divisions, the wrestlers enter the ring, stomp, rinse their mouths, throw salt, and repeatedly face each other at the starting lines. This preparation period is called shikiri. When the allotted time ends, they make their final approach and start when both are ready.

Start with the feet and hips. A low stance, steady footwork, and inside position make a wrestler harder to move. Then watch the hands: some wrestlers want a belt grip, while others keep their distance and push. At the edge of the ring, balance and last-second foot placement often decide the bout.

The gyoji calls nokotta while the bout is active, roughly meaning that the wrestlers are still in and should keep going. Hakkeyoi is an urging call used when the wrestlers are engaged but the action has slowed. Neither call is the signal that starts the bout.

They are shimpan, the five ringside judges. All are former wrestlers who now serve as Japan Sumo Association elders. A judge can call a monoii to review a close finish. The group may uphold or reverse the gyoji's decision, or order the wrestlers to fight again.

A professional grand tournament runs for 15 days. Makuuchi and Juryo wrestlers normally compete once per day, while wrestlers in the lower four divisions normally have seven bouts spread across the tournament. Follow the current card in the tournament command center.

The first number is wins and the second is losses. A majority of wins is kachi-koshi and usually leads to promotion; a majority of losses is make-koshi and usually leads to demotion. For a 15-bout schedule, the decisive line is eight wins or eight losses.

Professional sumo has six divisions. From highest to lowest they are Makuuchi, Juryo, Makushita, Sandanme, Jonidan, and Jonokuchi. Only the top two contain salaried sekitori. See the complete division guide.

Every wrestler appears on the banzuke, the ranking sheet published before each tournament. Most ranks rise or fall according to tournament results, but the exact movement also depends on nearby records and open positions. Read the live picture on Rankings and the next-banzuke outlook in Rank predictions.

If two or more wrestlers finish tied for the best record in a division, they contest a playoff after the scheduled final-day bouts. The winner takes the yusho for that division.

Professional sumo uses one open-weight competitive system rather than separate weight classes. Size can be an advantage, but balance, speed, technique, timing, and leverage can let a smaller wrestler beat a larger one.

It is called a mawashi. It is a heavy wrapped belt used both as competition clothing and as a gripping surface. The stiff cords hanging from the front are decorative sagari.

These customs come from sumo's Shinto roots. Salt is used to purify the ring. The stomps are meant to drive away harmful spirits, and the clap shows the wrestler's empty hands.

They are shouting yoisho, not “yoshi.” It is a common call of effort or encouragement, a little like “heave-ho.” Spectators time it to the Yokozuna's ceremonial shiko stomp during the ring-entering ceremony. The stomp symbolically drives harmful forces from the ring.

It is the tsuna, a thick braided hemp rope worn for the Yokozuna's ring-entering ceremony. It is not the belt used in a bout. The rope and its zigzag paper strips are Shinto symbols of sacred status and a purified boundary. Yokozuna takes its name from this horizontal rope.

It is sponsored prize money called kensho. Before an eligible Makuuchi bout, attendants carry banners around the ring for the sponsoring companies. Each banner adds one prize. After the bout, the gyoji presents the winner with the envelopes on a fan. Part is paid in cash and part is held for taxes.

An absent wrestler is listed as kyujo. A scheduled opponent usually receives a default win, and the absent wrestler receives a default loss. A wrestler may sometimes return later in the same tournament.

Broadcast and streaming options vary by country. Check the official Japan Sumo Association site ↗ and your regional broadcaster. SumoNerd is a companion rather than a video service: keep the live tournament page open for the card, results, context, rankings, and wrestler profiles while you watch.

Join or create a fantasy league, then choose winners from the day's eligible bouts before the pick window closes. Correct winners score points, with league rules able to add bonuses for details such as winning techniques and gold stars. Your league page explains its exact scoring and daily allowance.