banzuke 番付
The official ranking list, published before each tournament.
The banzuke is the official ranking list. A new one comes out before every tournament, hand-written by senior referees in a traditional script. Each rank has an East and a West slot, and East is slightly higher. A winning record generally moves a wrestler up and a losing one moves him down, but there's no published formula for how far.
Related words
- kachi-koshi 勝ち越し
- A winning record for the tournament: at least eight wins from 15, or four from seven.
- make-koshi 負け越し
- A losing record for the tournament: at least eight losses from 15, or four from seven.
- makuuchi 幕内
- The top division: 42 wrestlers, from yokozuna down to the maegashira.
- yokozuna 横綱
- Grand champion, the top rank. A yokozuna can't be demoted.