Please Stop Changing the Rules! The Modifications of Judo Regulations as a Change-Event in Judokas’ and Coaches’ Careers

The modifications of judo regulations since 2013 were examined as a career change-event (Samuel and Tenenbaum 2011a). Highly competitive judokas (n = 53) and coaches (n = 30), representing three main sub-cultures (i.e., Israel, Croatia, and the UK), completed online measures of change-event experiences and athletic/coaching identity. The modifications of judo regulations were perceived as a moderate and somewhat negative change-event. Judokas’ perceptions of this change-event were correlated with their coaches’ perceptions. Coping efforts mainly focused on adjusting tactical skills. Participants’ decision-making mostly involved consulting with others and making a conscious decision to change. The participants’ motivation decreased following these modifications. The participants were only moderately knowledgeable about these changes. UK participants perceived this change-event more negatively and were less informed about it. These findings stress the importance of conducting a reflective process before additional modifications are introduced to the sport, and the role of coaches in athletes’ education.