Qualifying for 2026 British Championships

With the 2026 British Championships now announced for 12–13 December 2026 at the David Ross Sport Village in Nottingham, it’s important that athletes, coaches and parents understand the qualification requirements for each age group.

Whether you’re aiming to compete as a Pre Cadet, Cadet, Junior or Senior, the criteria below outline what you’ll need to do to secure your place. From competition experience to ranking positions, make sure you check the requirements for your category and plan your season accordingly.

Pre Cadets:

To enter the Pre Cadet British Championships, athletes are advised to have competed in at least two BJA Level 3–4 competitions, including one Home Nation Open, over the year period leading up to the event.

Cadets:

• Entry for the 2026 British Cadet Championships will require athletes to have competed in at least four BJA Level 3 – 4 competitions, including 1 Home Nation Open starting at the beginning of the year period (January to December 2026) leading up to the event.
• Athletes moving up to the Cadet age group who will be competing as first year cadets, must have entered and competed in at least four BJA Level 3 – 4 competitions, including 1 Home Nation Open in either the Pre Cadet or Cadet age groups over the previous year. Examples of BJA Level 3–4 competitions may include recognised Level 3 open events, such as area or regional open tournaments, and Level 4 events, such as Home Nation Opens or national-ranking competitions.
• Wildcard entries will be limited and identified by the BJA Home Nation Coaches. Applications for wildcards must be sent through by email (events@britishjudo.org.uk) by the 16^thOctober 2026, with responses to applications to be provided by the 23^rdOctober 2026.

Juniors:

Qualification for the British Junior Championships will be based on the following criteria:

• Top 20 on the BJA Junior Ranking List after the final GB DOMESTIC Ranking Event.
• The ranking list as of the 1^stSeptember will be used to determine the Top 20 for this years British Championships.
• Wildcard entries will be limited and identified by the BJA Performance Director in consultation with the GB Performance Coaches, where it is in the best interests of the BJA Performance Programme objectives. Applications for wildcards must be sent through by email (events@britishjudo.org.uk) by the 16^thOctober 2026, with responses to applications to be provided by the 23^rdOctober 2026.
• All players must compete in the weight category in which they have qualified. Where a player has qualified in two weight categories, they must compete in the weight category in which they wish to be considered for international selection. Junior athletes who move up a weight category during the qualification period and fall short of qualification as a result of that weight change can apply for a wildcard.

Seniors:

Qualification for the British Senior Championships will be based on the following criteria:

• Top 16 on the BJA Senior Ranking List after the final GB DOMESTIC Ranking Event.
• Final year Junior Players in the Top 4 of the GB Junior Ranking List (born in 2006).
• The ranking list as of the 1^stSeptember will be used to determine the Top 16 Seniors and Final year Junior players in the Top 4 of Junior Rankings for this years British Championships.
• Junior Gold Medallist from the British Junior Championships will be given the option to compete in the British Senior Championships. They must register their place at the Senior weigh-in and will be required to make weight with a 5% allowance.
• Wildcard entries will be limited and identified by the BJA Performance Director in consultation with the GB Performance Coaches, where it is in the best interests of the BJA Performance Programme objectives. Applications for wildcards must be sent through by email (events@britishjudo.org.uk) by the 16^thOctober 2026, with responses to applications to be provided by the 23^rdOctober 2026.
• All players must compete in the weight category they have qualified. Where a player has qualified in two weight categories, they must compete in the weight category they wish to be considered for international selection.

Information on qualification can be found in the BJA Ranking Policies: https://www.britishjudo.org.uk/compete/rankings/

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