A matta is a false start or restart in a sumo bout before the tachiai.
The tachiai is the initial clash, but both wrestlers must begin with mutual readiness. If one wrestler starts before the other is prepared, or if the agreed start is otherwise invalid, the bout may be stopped and reset. That restart is called a matta.
The term is often translated as “false start,” though it can also describe a break in the opening procedure. Gyoji and ringside judges monitor the start closely, and wrestlers may receive penalties for repeated or improper behavior around the tachiai.
Matta is not a winning technique. Terms such as oshidashi, yorikiri, and hatakikomi describe ways to defeat an opponent, whereas matta concerns the bout’s beginning and may result in the wrestlers returning to their starting positions.