Quick answer: ADCC rules award no positive points in the first half of any match — a 10-minute qualifying match only turns the scoreboard on at minute 5, and a 20-minute final at minute 10. You win by submission, points, referee decision, or opponent disqualification. When points are live, a guard pass scores 3, a takedown or sweep ending in guard scores 2 (4 if it ends past the guard), mount and knee-on-stomach score 2, and back control with hooks scores 3 — every position must be held for 3 seconds. Nearly every submission is legal, including heel hooks and all leg locks, at every level. Penalties are negative points: pulling guard, backing away, passivity, and fleeing the mat all cost you. Matches happen on an open 10×10 m mat with no cage, and draws go to overtime, then referee decision. This guide covers the full 2026 ruleset from the official ADCC regulations.
Last updated: July 18, 2026. Everything below comes from the official ADCC rules and regulations. It is a planning guide for competitors and fans, not a substitute for the official page or your event’s registration details. For divisions, see our ADCC weight classes guide.
How you win an ADCC match
Four ways: submission, points, referee decision, or opponent disqualification. Submission means a tap (leg, arm, or verbal). If a match ends with no points scored by either athlete — common under ADCC’s structure — the referees decide the winner on dominance. ADCC is single elimination: only the winner advances.
ADCC match length and the two-phase scoring system
The signature quirk of ADCC rules is that every match is split into two halves — and positive points only exist in the second half. In finals, negative points still count in the first half; in qualifying rounds the first half has no points at all. This is why ADCC matches often explode late: the first half is free submission-hunting time, the second half is where positions start costing and paying.
| Event level | Round | Length | First half | Overtime if drawn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| World Championship | Qualifying | 10 min | No points (min 0–5) | 5 min, max 1 |
| World Championship | Finals, Absolute finals & Superfight | 20 min | Negative points only (min 0–10) | 10 min, max 2 |
| Trials / Nationals / Opens | Qualifying | 6 min | No points (min 0–3) | 3 min, max 1 |
| Trials / Nationals / Opens | Finals | 8 min | Negative points only (min 0–4) | 4 min, max 1 |
ADCC points system
Once scoring is live, every position must be established for 3 seconds or more, free of any submission threat, before points are awarded. The full table:
| Action | Points | Key condition |
|---|---|---|
| Guard pass | 3 | 75%+ of opponent’s back on the mat, with control |
| Clean takedown (lands past guard) | 4 | Outside the guard, 75%+ back on mat, no submission threat |
| Takedown (ends in guard/half guard) | 2 | Opponent’s butt or back on the mat 3 seconds |
| Clean sweep (ends past guard) | 4 | One continuous motion, initiated by the sweeper |
| Sweep (ends in guard/half guard) | 2 | Bottom-to-top in one motion, held 3 seconds |
| Back control with hooks | 3 | Both hooks or body triangle; hooks not over the shoulders |
| Mount | 2 | Both knees down, below the shoulder line; reverse mount counts |
| Knee on stomach | 2 | Knee in the middle of the stomach, opponent flat |
Two wrinkles worth knowing: reversals count as sweeps (2 points to guard, 4 to side control), and when you chain positions — say, passing straight to mount — only the position you establish for 3 seconds scores, so a pass-to-mount earns the 3 pass points, not 5. Positions can also re-score if you fully lose and re-establish them for 3 seconds each way. Compare this with the IBJJF’s advantage-based system in our BJJ points system guide — ADCC has no advantages at all.
Negative points: how ADCC punishes stalling
ADCC’s answer to stalling isn’t the IBJJF penalty card — it’s minus points on the scoreboard. You get a negative point for pulling guard (going down voluntarily for 3+ seconds), backing away and refusing to engage, passivity (two warnings, then a minus — and after the first minus, no more warnings), repeatedly fleeing the mat, or escaping a submission by going out of bounds more than once. Bad language or bad behavior — from you or your coach — can also cost a point, and being passive in the no-points first half still earns a warning that converts to a minus when scoring starts.
One nuance on guard pulling: if you shoot a genuine takedown attempt for more than 3 seconds and then pull guard, there’s no penalty. Shoot-and-bail in under 3 seconds — to guard or to turtle — is a minus.
Legal techniques: almost everything
ADCC allows virtually every submission at every level: all chokes (except using the hand to directly close the windpipe), all arm bars, shoulder locks, and wrist locks, and — the big one — all leg locks, including heel hooks, plus the can opener and the twister. There are no belt- or age-based technique restrictions like the IBJJF’s; a first-round trials competitor plays by the same submission rules as the Worlds final.
Illegal techniques
- Slams: legal only while locked in a submission — if your opponent releases, you must abort the slam.
- Neck cranks that trap both shoulders with downward neck pressure, the full nelson, and the crucifix.
- Spiking an opponent on their head during takedowns or off your back, and forward rolls while someone has your back.
- All striking, eye gouging, fish hooking, ear grabbing, hair pulling, biting, thumbing, scratching, pinching, and groin pressure.
- Small-joint manipulation: you must grip at least 4 fingers or all 5 toes.
- Clothing grips (shirt or shorts), hands/knees/elbows on the face, and the crossface guillotine that twists the chin.
Attempting an illegal technique is an instant disqualification, as is any intentional strike. Fixed matches between teammates disqualify both athletes from the whole tournament.
The mat, restarts, and other rules
ADCC matches run on an open 10×10 m mat — no cage, no fence, and no ring. If the action drifts out of bounds, only the referee stops the match, and the athletes restart in the center in the exact position they held, including single or double grips if they were established. The gi and wrestling shoes are technically optional under the rules, though in practice everyone competes no-gi. If an athlete takes an unintentional eye poke or groin shot, they get 2 minutes to recover; if they can’t continue, they lose the match.
ADCC rules vs IBJJF rules
The two rulesets produce very different matches. IBJJF scores from the opening whistle, uses advantages to break ties, restricts leg locks by belt and format, and penalizes with cards. ADCC scores nothing positive until halfway, has no advantages, allows every leg lock at every level, and penalizes with minus points. The practical effect: IBJJF rewards early position accumulation; ADCC rewards submission hunting early and forces action late. Weight divisions differ too — see our ADCC weight classes guide and BJJ rules and scoring overview for the full picture.
Bottom line
ADCC rules are built to produce finishes: no positive points until the second half, nearly every submission legal, and stalling actively punished with negative points. Learn the 3-second establishment rule, respect the first-half negative points in finals, and never confuse the ADCC scoreboard with an IBJJF one. The next stage for these rules is the 2026 World Championship in Kraków, September 12–13.
FAQ
Are heel hooks legal in ADCC?
Yes. All leg locks and ankle locks, including heel hooks, are legal at every ADCC level and every experience tier.
When do points start in an ADCC match?
Positive points only exist in the second half of the match — minute 5 of a 10-minute qualifier, minute 10 of a 20-minute final. In finals, negative points apply from the start.
Can you pull guard in ADCC?
You can, but it costs a negative point once scoring applies — unless it follows a genuine takedown attempt of more than 3 seconds.
Are slams legal in ADCC?
Only as a submission escape: slamming is allowed while you are locked in a submission, and you must release the slam if your opponent lets go.
What happens if an ADCC match ends 0-0?
It goes to overtime (one or two periods depending on the round), and if still tied, the referees decide the winner on dominance.
Is ADCC no-gi?
In practice yes — though under the official rules the gi and wrestling shoes are technically optional. No competitor at the modern Worlds wears one.
