Kata Flag (Head-to-Head) Scoring
In flag-format kata, two competitors perform and the judges vote for the better performance by raising a flag — red for one side, the other color for the opponent. No numbers, no math: the majority of flags wins the pairing. Taikai App supports the standard elimination format and the AAU queue variant.
How a flag match works
Each bracket match pairs two competitors — AKA (red) and the opposing corner (AO blue, or SHIRO white under AAU conventions). Both perform their kata; on the head judge's call, all judges raise flags simultaneously. With the panel size configurable at 3, 5, or 7 judges, the majority is 2, 3, or 4 flags respectively. The winner advances through the bracket exactly like a kumite winner.
Recording votes
On the operator scoreboard, each judge has a pair of buttons — one per corner — plus a clear option. As the flags go up on the floor, the operator taps what each judge showed; a raised state is highlighted so it's easy to verify against the panel before submitting. Submitting counts the flags, records the majority winner on the match, and advances the bracket.
Single round: flag decisions are one round per pairing — there is no best-of-three. If your panel splits on a tie-legal configuration, the head judge's hantei (decision) resolves it on the floor and the operator records the final flags.
The AAU queue format
The AAU Kata Flags bracket runs the AAU-style challenge queue instead of a fixed tree. The current leader holds the AKA position while challengers step up in sequence; each hantei call either keeps the leader in place or replaces them with the winner. The scoreboard tracks the current pairing, the challenge queue, and who has already been displaced, so the table never loses the thread of a long division.
Judge devices
Instead of the operator transcribing physical flags, judges can vote from their own phones. The judge device gives each seated judge two large flag buttons — red and white — and their votes arrive at the operator's panel in real time. Same majority rule, fewer transcription errors, and a digital record of every individual vote.