BLUE LOCK: DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH
OFFICIAL RULES
CONTEST RULES
These Contest Rules set forth the rules that govern the Blue Lock: Diamonds in the Rough contest (the “Contest”). The Contest is sponsored by Kodansha USA Publishing, LLC (the “Sponsor”).
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN.
How To Enter. Beginning on May 27, 2026, at 12:01am EDT, through July 12, 2026, at 11:59pm EDT (the “Submission Period”):
visit the official Blue Lock: Diamonds in the Rough contest hub at bluelockdiamonds.com (the “Hub”) and create and/or log in to a Kodansha account; and
submit up to one original video or photo applying the standards set forth in Section 4 (each, a “Submission”) per Category via the Hub.
Only Submissions officially submitted through the Hub and otherwise complying with these Contest Rules are eligible for advancement or judging. No more than one (1) Submission per Category per person is permitted. Use of any robotic, automatic, programmed, or similar entry method or entering more than the number of times permitted will void all entries and result in disqualification. Entering more times than indicated by using multiple email addresses, identities, or devices is not permitted. By entering, each entrant (or the entrant's parent or legal guardian, if a minor in the entrant's state of primary residency) indicates the entrant's full agreement to these Contest Rules and Sponsor's decisions regarding the Contest, which are final and binding. Winning any prize is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements in these Contest Rules. Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to suspend, disable access to, disqualify, remove, or refuse to accept, display, or distribute any entrant, account, or Submission at any time and subject to applicable law. Without limiting the foregoing, Sponsor may take any such action in relation to an entrant, account, or Submission which Sponsor deems to be in breach of or non-compliance with these Official Rules or applicable law, including but not limited to non-compliance with the submission standards contained in Section 4. Sponsor's moderation activities, if any, are voluntary, and do not create any duty or obligation to monitor or remove any Submission.
Eligibility. Open to residents of the fifty (50) United States and D.C. (excluding all United States territories, possessions, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico). Entrants must be at least thirteen (13) years of age at the time of Submission. Employees of Sponsor and its subsidiaries, affiliates, promotional partners, and agencies (collectively with Sponsor, "Promotion Parties"), members of their immediate family (children, parents, siblings, and spouses) or persons living in the same household, and Judges (as defined below) are not eligible to enter into the Contest. All entrants under the age of majority in the jurisdiction in which they live must have the permission of a parent or legal guardian to register for, submit a Submission, and participate in the Contest. Void where prohibited.
Submission Standards. All Submissions must:
Be soccer- or Blue Lock-themed;
Be no more than thirty (30) seconds in length, if a video;
Contain only content not submitted in a previous promotion of any kind;
Contain only original or officially licensed content, including all costumes, props, or accessories worn or used;
Not violate any third-party rights, including intellectual property rights;
Not contain the representation or likeness of any third party without consent;
Not contain any false or misleading statements;
Not contain any claims about the Promotion Parties' competitors' goods or services;
Not contain any illegal, violent, profane, obscene, defamatory, slanderous, or libelous language or content;
Not contain the representation or likeness of any individual under the age of thirteen; and
Not contain any content generated by generative artificial intelligence or any other machine-based system or technology that uses machine learning or similar techniques to generate outputs such as text, image, video, or audio content in response to user inputs.
If a Submission includes any music, sound recording, lyrics, dialogue, sound effects, or other audio, entrant must own all necessary rights or have obtained all required permissions, licenses, and clearances for such audio and its use in the Submission and as contemplated by these Contest Rules. Unauthorized third-party audio is prohibited. Without limiting the foregoing, do not include any copyrighted music or sound recordings unless (i) the audio is original to entrant or (ii) the audio is in the public domain. Entrant is solely responsible for any royalties, fees, or other amounts owed to any third party in connection with any audio included in a Submission.
Unauthorized copying or use of any intellectual property, including but not limited to trademarks, logos, designs, promotional materials, web pages, source codes, images, drawings, illustrations, slogans and representations owned by the Sponsor or its third-party licensors without the express written consent of the Sponsor is strictly prohibited. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Sponsor authorizes Contest entrants to use Sponsor's intellectual property related to the Blue Lock franchise solely in connection with such entrant's Submission.
Entrant Representations and Warranties. By submitting a Submission, each entrant (or such entrant's parent or legal guardian, as applicable) represents and warrants that, except for any content or intellectual property owned by Promotion Parties from which the entrant may have taken inspiration to create the Submission:
the entrant owns the Submission or otherwise has obtained all required rights, consents, permissions, and clearances necessary to grant the license set forth in Section 6;
if the Submission includes images of individuals other than the entrant, the entrant has secured from each of the others all required rights, consents, permissions, and clearances necessary to grant the license set forth in Section 6;
the Submission, and any use thereof by Promotion Parties, does and will not violate any third-party rights, including intellectual property rights;
the Submission only contains original or officially licensed content, including all costumes, props, and accessories worn, carried, or used by any person; and
the entrant will provide to Sponsor, at Sponsor's request, written confirmation that the entrant has obtained all required rights, consents, permissions, and clearances referenced above.
Each entrant (or such entrant's parent or legal guardian, as applicable) agrees to pay all royalties, fees, and any other monies owed to any third party by reason of any Submission submitted by such entrant. Each entrant (or such entrant's parent or legal guardian, as applicable) acknowledges that such entrant does not own the rights to any Promotion Parties' characters, creative assets, or other intellectual property, from which such entrant may have taken inspiration to create a Submission, and that such remains the property of Promotion Parties.
License to Sponsor. By submitting a Submission, each entrant (or such entrant's parent or legal guardian, as applicable) irrevocably grants the Promotion Parties and their respective successors, a worldwide, non-exclusive, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free right and license to host, store, publish, distribute, transmit, reproduce, publicly display, publicly perform, and make non-substantive modifications to (e.g., for formatting, compression, size, and captioning) such Submission in whole or in part, in connection with this Contest in any media format and through any of the Promotion Parties' websites, social media accounts, or other activities, and use such entrant's name, city, state of residence, social media handle, or other information supplied by such entrant to identify such entrant's Submission, without any further compensation, permission, notification, or obligation of attribution.
Categories. The six (6) categories under which a Submission may be submitted (each, a “Category”) consist of the following:
Ultimate Striker
Just Like Blue Lock
Fan Energy
Most Artistic
Best Cosplay (Individual)
Best Cosplay (Group)
User Voting. Beginning on July 13, 2026, at 9:00am EDT, through July 20, 2026, at 8:59 EDT, each user with a valid Kodansha account may cast one (1) vote per Category via the Hub. Ten (10) Submissions in each Category that receive the highest number of Votes cast through the Hub pursuant to this Section will be reviewed by the Judges (each, a “Finalist”). The number of votes cast under this Section do not determine the winners of the Contest and will not be considered by the Judges in determining the winners of the Contest. Casting more votes than permitted under this Section by using multiple email addresses, identities, or devices is prohibited. Sponsor reserves the right to void any vote cast under this Section which it deems, in its sole discretion, to be fraudulent, automated, or manipulated in violation of these Contest Rules.
Judge Voting. Beginning on July 20, 2026, a panel of expert judges selected by Sponsor and qualified to employ the criteria contained in Section 10 (the “Judges”) will award points fairly and impartially to each Finalist to determine the winning Submission of each Category (each, a “Winning Submission,” and each entrant that submitted a Winning Submission, a “Winner”). Each Category will be judged independently. The Judges will base their award of points on the objective criteria contained in Section 10. The Judges will not consider athletic performance, statistics, competition results, sports metrics, social engagement, or user vote totals. The one (1) Finalist awarded the highest total points by the Judges in each Category will be declared the Winning Submission for that Category. If such Submission is deemed ineligible or subject to disqualification for any reason in accordance with these Contest Rules, such Submission will be disqualified and the eligible Submission, if any, that was awarded the next highest total points by the Judges will be declared the new Winning Submission. In the event of a tie between two (2) or more Submissions, Sponsor will appoint an additional tie-breaking Judge to award additional points to each tying Submission based on the criteria in Section 10. All decisions of the Judges are final. Each Winning Submission will be announced by Sponsor on July 26, 2026 in a manner to be confirmed on Sponsor's website.
Criteria. The Judges will award points to the Submissions based on the following objective criteria:
Creative Interpretation of the Blue Lock Theme. How well does the entry integrate Blue Lock? Does it accomplish this with unexpected creativity? (0-5 points)
Energy and Personality. How well does the entry project energy and the unique personality of the contestant? (0-5 points)
Originality. Have you seen anything like this entry before? (0-5 points)
Overall Impact. What is your overall impression of the entry? (0-5 points)
Execution Quality. How technically accomplished is this entry (this can be interpreted as soccer/artistic/video/costume, etc. technique)? (0-5 points)
Prizes. Potential Winners will be notified by email and must sign and return any required Affidavit of Eligibility and Release within fourteen (14) days of the date notice is sent or such other date set by Sponsor. If a potential Winner is a minor in the potential Winner's state of primary residency, any prize may only be claimed by the parent or legal guardian who provided the consent necessary to enter the Contest, and any required Affidavit of Eligibility and Release must be signed by such parent or legal guardian in the potential Winner's stead. Failure to respond within the applicable time period will result in forfeiture of any prize and Sponsor will have the option to award the prize to an alternate winner. The return of any prize notification or prize as undeliverable may result in disqualification and an alternate winner may be selected. All income taxes resulting from acceptance of prize are the responsibility of each Winner. Prizes do not include incidental charges, extras, and/or gratuities. Additional restrictions may apply. All prizes are awarded “as-is”. No substitution or transfer of prize by a Winner is permitted. Sponsor reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value. Actual retail value (“ARV”) of a prize may vary. Any difference between estimated retail value (“ERV”) and ARV will not be awarded. For any prize that includes a trip, ARV may vary based on, among other things, availability, existing rates at time of booking, dates of travel, and point of departure. For any prize with a fair market value (“FMV”) of two thousand dollars ($2,000) or greater, Sponsor will furnish an Internal Revenue Service Form 1099 to the corresponding Winner for the FMV of such prize for the year in which such prize is made available to Winner.
Ultimate Striker. The Winner of the Ultimate Striker Category (the “Ultimate Striker”) will receive: (i) roundtrip economy air transportation for the Ultimate Striker and one (1) guest from a major international airport located within the United States near the Ultimate Striker's place of residence (as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion) to an international airport in or around Tokyo, Japan (ERV: $5000); (ii) 4 nights' standard hotel accommodations (one room, double occupancy, room and tax only) for the Ultimate Striker and guest at a hotel located in Tokyo, Japan (as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion); and (iii) private training with world champion freestyler Caitlyn Schrepfer (ERV: $1500) (collectively, the “Ultimate Striker Prize”). The ERV of the Ultimate Striker Prize is $7500. If the Ultimate Striker is below the age of majority in the state in which the Ultimate Striker lives, the Ultimate Striker's guest must be the Ultimate Striker's parent or legal guardian or an individual above the age of majority designated by the Ultimate Striker's parent or legal guardian. The Ultimate Striker is solely responsible for obtaining, at the Ultimate Striker's own cost and risk, all required travel documentation and authorizations necessary to travel, including but not limited to a valid passport, visas, entry permits, transit permissions, vaccinations, health clearances, insurance, and compliance with all applicable governmental, airline, venue, and carrier policies and requirements. Kodansha is not responsible for, and will not facilitate, obtain, reimburse, or otherwise assist with any passport, visa, or other travel requirements. If the Ultimate Striker (and any permitted guest) is unable to travel, enter, or re-enter any jurisdiction, or otherwise participate in the Ultimate Striker Prize, in whole or in part, due to a lack of required documentation, failure to satisfy any travel or entry requirement, denial of boarding, government order, health restriction, or any related circumstance, the Ultimate Striker Prize (or affected portion) will be forfeited in its entirety without substitution, replacement, cash equivalent, or any alternate prize.
Just Like Blue Lock. The Winner of the Just Like Blue Lock Category (the “Just Like Blue Lock Winner”) will receive: Episode Nagi 1 + Q Posket, Blue Lock Coloring Book, Blue Lock Omnibus 1, Blue Lock Omnibus 2, Blue Lock Omnibus 3, access to all digital Blue Lock manga, access to all digital Blue Lock: Episode Nagi manga, and a signed Volume 1 (collectively, the “Just Like Blue Lock Prize”). The ERV of the Just Like Blue Lock Prize is $500.
Fan Energy. The Winner of the Fan Energy Category (the “Fan Energy Winner”) will receive: Blue Lock Box Set 1, Episode Nagi 1 + Q Posket, Blue Lock Coloring Book, access to all digital Blue Lock manga, access to all digital Blue Lock: Episode Nagi manga, and a signed Volume 1 (collectively, the “Fan Energy Prize”). The ERV of the Fan Energy Prize is $500.
Most Artistic. The Winner of the Most Artistic Category (the “Most Artistic Winner”) will receive: Blue Lock Box Set 1, Blue Lock Box Set 2, Episode Nagi 1 + Q Posket, Blue Lock Coloring Book, Blue Lock: Episode Nagi 2-7, access to all digital Blue Lock manga, access to all digital Blue Lock: Episode Nagi manga, and a signed Volume 1 (collectively, the “Best Use of Manga Prize”). The ERV of the Best Use of Manga Prize is $500.
Best Cosplay (Individual). The Winner of the Best Cosplay (Individual) Category (the “Best Cosplay (Individual) Winner”) will receive: Blue Lock Box Set 1, Blue Lock Box Set 2, Episode Nagi 1 + Q Posket, Blue Lock Coloring Book, access to all digital Blue Lock manga, access to all digital Blue Lock: Episode Nagi manga, a signed Volume 1, and a PR Box (collectively, the “Best Cosplay (Individual) Prize”). The ERV of the Best Cosplay (Individual) Prize is $600.
Best Cosplay (Group). The Winner of the Best Cosplay (Group) Category (the “Best Cosplay (Group) Winner”) will receive: Episode Nagi 1 + Q Posket, Blue Lock Omnibus 1, access to all digital Blue Lock manga, and access to all digital Blue Lock: Episode Nagi manga (collectively, the “Best Cosplay (Group) Prize”). The ERV of the Best Cosplay (Group) Prize is $450.
Limitation Of Liability. By entering the Contest, entrants (and such entrant's parent or legal guardian, as applicable) waive all rights to, and hold the Promotion Parties harmless from, any claim, liability, loss, damage (including punitive, incidental, and consequential damages), or expense (including attorneys' fees) arising out of or in connection with participation in the Contest or the acceptance, use, or misuse of any prize. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE LIMITATIONS OR EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SO THE ABOVE MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. Promotion Parties will not be responsible for: late, incomplete, or incorrect entries; an entrant's failure to comply with these Official Rules; an entrant's failure to receive prize notices due to entrant's spam, junk e-mail, or other security settings or for entrants' provision of incorrect or otherwise non-functioning contact information; technical, hardware, or software malfunctions, lost or unavailable network connections, or failed, incorrect, inaccurate, incomplete, garbled, or delayed electronic communications whether caused by the sender or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or used in the Contest; any human error which may occur in the processing of the entries in the Contest; or any typographical, technological, or other error in the publishing of the offer, administration of the Contest, or announcement of any prizes. Sponsor reserves the right to, in its sole discretion, cancel or modify the Contest or these Contest Rules at any time, without prior notice to entrants, in a manner deemed appropriate by Sponsor. Contest void where prohibited.
Choice Of Law And Forum. Entrant (and such entrant's parent or legal guardian, as applicable) agrees that all matters arising out of or relating to the Contest and these Contest Rules are governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of New York, without giving effect to any of its conflict of laws provisions thereof. Entrant (and such entrant's parent or legal guardian, as applicable) further agrees that any legal suit, action, or proceeding arising out of or relating to the Contest and these Contest Rules shall be brought exclusively in the applicable federal or state courts located in New York City, New York.
Privacy. Information submitted with an entry is subject to the Privacy Policy stated on https://kodansha.us/privacy-policy/. To read the Privacy Policy, click here.
Winners List. For the names of all Winners, available after September 24, 2026, send a self-addressed, stamped #10 envelope to Sponsor address provided in Section 16.
Sponsor.
Kodansha USA Publishing, LLC
25 East 22nd Street
New York, NY 10010
Email: legal@kodanshausa.com
SWEEPSTAKES RULES
These Sweepstakes Rules set forth the rules that govern the Blue Lock: Diamonds in the Rough sweepstakes (the “Sweepstakes”).
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN.
How To Enter. During the Submission Period of the Contest, submit a Submission to the Hub according to Section 2 of the Contest Rules. No more than one (1) Submission per Category per person is permitted. Use of any robotic, automatic, programmed, or similar entry method or entering more than the number of times permitted will void all entries and result in disqualification. Entering more times than indicated by using multiple email addresses, identities, or devices is not permitted. By entering, each entrant (or the entrant's parent or legal guardian, if a minor in the entrant's state of primary residency) indicates the entrant's full agreement to these Sweepstakes Rules and Sponsor's decisions regarding the Sweepstakes, which are final and binding. Winning any prize, including the Sweepstakes Prize defined in Section 7, is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements in these Sweepstakes Rules.
Alternative Method of Entry. If a person does not submit a Submission to the Hub according to Section 2 of the Contest Rules, a person may enter the Sweepstakes by sending up to six (6) postcards addressed to Kodansha USA Publishing, LLC, 25 East 22nd Street, New York, NY 10010. A submitted postcard must include the following information: (i) the statement that “This is a Blue Lock: Diamonds in the Rough sweepstakes entry”; (ii) the entrant's full legal name; (iii) the entrant's email address; (iv) the entrant's telephone number; and (v) the entrant's state of residence. Failure to include all of the above information legibly typed or printed on the postcard(s) will render such entry ineligible. All postcards must be received by Sponsor at the above noted mailing address by 11:59pm EDT on July 12, 2026.
Eligibility. Open to residents of the fifty (50) United States and D.C. (excluding all United States territories, possessions, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico). Entrants must be at least thirteen (13) years of age at the time of Submission. Employees of the Promotion Parties, members of their immediate family (children, parents, siblings, and spouses) or persons living in the same household, and Judges are not eligible to enter into the Sweepstakes. All entrants under the age of majority in the jurisdiction in which they live must have the permission of a parent or legal guardian to register for and participate in the Sweepstakes. Void where prohibited.
Drawing. A random drawing will be conducted on or about June 4, 2026, June 11, 2026, June 18, 2026, June 25, 2026, July 2, 2026, and July 15, 2026 by Sponsor to select the winners (the “Sweepstakes Winners”) from among all eligible entries received. Odds of winning depend on the number of entries received. Potential Sweepstakes Winners will be notified by email and must sign and return any required Affidavit of Eligibility and Release within fourteen (14) days of the date notice is sent or such other date set by Sponsor. Failure to respond within the applicable time period will result in forfeiture of any prize, including the Sweepstakes Prize defined in Section 7, and Sponsor will have the option to award such prize to an alternate winner. The return of any prize notification or prize as undeliverable may result in disqualification and an alternate winner may be selected. All income taxes resulting from acceptance of a prize are the responsibility of winner. By entering the Sweepstakes, entrant (and such entrant's parent or legal guardian, as applicable) accepts and agrees to these Sweepstakes Rules and the decisions of Sponsor, which will be final in all matters. Acceptance of a prize also constitutes permission to the Promotion Parties to use winner's name and likeness for marketing purposes without further compensation or right of approval, unless prohibited by law. All federal and state laws apply.
Limitation Of Liability. By entering the Sweepstakes, entrants (and such entrant's parent or legal guardian, as applicable) waive all right to, and hold the Promotion Parties harmless from, any claim, liability, loss, damage (including punitive, incidental, and consequential damages), or expense (including attorneys' fees) arising out of or in connection with participation in the Sweepstakes or the acceptance, use, or misuse of any prize. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE LIMITATIONS OR EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SO THE ABOVE MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. Promotion Parties will not be responsible for: late, incomplete, or incorrect entries; an entrant's failure to comply with these Official Rules; an entrant's failure to receive prize notices due to entrant's spam, junk e-mail, or other security settings or for entrants' provision of incorrect or otherwise non-functioning contact information; technical, hardware, or software malfunctions, lost or unavailable network connections, or failed, incorrect, inaccurate, incomplete, garbled, or delayed electronic communications whether caused by the sender or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or used in the Sweepstakes; any human error which may occur in the processing of the entries in the Sweepstakes; or any typographical, technological, or other error in the publishing of the offer, administration of the Sweepstakes, or announcement of any prize. Sponsor reserves the right to, in its sole discretion, cancel or modify the Sweepstakes or these Sweepstakes Rules at any time, without prior notice to entrants, in a manner deemed appropriate by Sponsor. In the event of termination, winners will be selected from among all eligible entries received as of date of termination. In the event a dispute arises as to the identity of a potentially winning entrant, entries will be declared made by the name on the online entry form. Sweepstakes void where prohibited.
Prizes. The Sweepstakes Winners will each receive: a PR Box (the “Sweepstakes Prize”). The ERV of the Sweepstakes Prize is $150. The Sweepstakes Prize consists of only those items specifically listed as part of the Sweepstakes Prize. If a Sweepstakes Winner is a minor in the Sweepstakes Winner's state of primary residency, any prize may only be claimed by the parent or legal guardian who provided the consent necessary to enter the Sweepstakes. Limit one Sweepstakes Prize per family or household. No substitution or transfer of a Sweepstakes Prize permitted by winner. Sponsor reserves the right to substitute a Sweepstakes Prize of equal or greater value. If a potential winner is disqualified for any reason, Sponsor will award the applicable Sweepstakes Prize to an alternate winner by random drawing from among all remaining eligible entries. Only three (3) alternate drawings will be held, after which the Sweepstakes Prize will remain un-awarded.
Choice Of Law And Forum. Entrant (and such entrant's parent or legal guardian, as applicable) agrees that all matters arising out of or relating to the Sweepstakes and these Sweepstakes Rules are governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of New York, without giving effect to any of its conflict of laws provisions thereof. Entrant (and such entrant's parent or legal guardian, as applicable) further agrees that any legal suit, action, or proceeding arising out of or relating to the Sweepstakes and these Sweepstakes Rules shall be brought exclusively in the applicable federal or state courts located in New York City, New York.
Privacy. Information submitted with an entry is subject to the Privacy Policy stated on https://kodansha.us/privacy-policy/. To read the Privacy Policy, click here.
Winners List. For the names of all Sweepstakes Winners, available after September 6, 2026, send a self-addressed, stamped #10 envelope to Sponsor address provided in Section 11.
Sponsor.
Kodansha USA Publishing, LLC
25 East 22nd Street
New York, NY 10010
Email: legal@kodanshausa.com