Ruleset
ADCC
The most prestigious no-gi ruleset: negative points for stalling, points only in the second half, and every submission legal.
How the ruleset works
The Abu Dhabi Combat Club ruleset is built to force action. Matches split into halves: no points in the first half (submission attempts only), then takedowns, passes, and dominant positions score in the second. Guard pulling costs a negative point once scoring starts, and stalling is penalized directly.
Every submission is legal, including heel hooks and slams inside limits, which makes ADCC the proving ground for complete no-gi games. Overtime extends the match rather than switching format, and referee decisions weigh aggression heavily.
The World Championship runs every two years and is widely treated as the sport's most prestigious no-gi title.
At a glance
- Attire
- No-Gi
- Format
- No points first half, points second half
- Overtime
- Extra time, then decision
- Time limit
- 10-40 min by round/division
- Submissions
- Everything legal
What wins under ADCC rules
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Most active under ADCC rules
Alexandre Ribeiro
41 matches
Vagner Rocha
40 matches
André Galvão
34 matches
Roberto Abreu
34 matches
Oliver Taza
30 matches
Marcelo Garcia
30 matches
Felipe Pena
29 matches
Vinicius Magalhães
28 matches
Rafael Lovato Jr
27 matches
Pablo Popovitch
26 matches
Rankings across every ruleset live on the stats page and the BJJ Elo rankings.
Biggest ADCC events
2017 ADCC West Coast Trials
Match records
| Fighters | Result | Opponent | Method | Event | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kalebe Henrique | def. | Victor Gabriel | Submission | 2025 ADCC Sao Paulo Open | |
| Gabriel Fernandes Souza | def. | Lucas Marins | Submission | 2025 ADCC Sao Paulo Open | |
| Victor Gabriel | def. | VBULL Oliveira | Points | 2025 ADCC Sao Paulo Open | |
| Lorenzo Bernardi | def. | Matheus Aguiar Souza | Submission | 2025 ADCC Sao Paulo Open | |
| Guilherme Aguiar Souza | def. | Pedro Henrique Rocha | Points | 2025 ADCC Sao Paulo Open | |
| Kalebe Henrique | def. | David Santos | Unknown | 2025 ADCC Sao Paulo Open | |
| Rebecca Paredes | def. | Katie Laablalli | Submission | 2025 ADCC Las Vegas Nationals | |
| Isabella Miller | def. | Katie Laablalli | Points | 2025 ADCC Las Vegas Nationals | |
| Rebecca Paredes | def. | Isabella Miller | Submission | 2025 ADCC Las Vegas Nationals | |
| Kerry Isom | def. | Maylean Johnson | Submission | 2025 ADCC Las Vegas Nationals | |
| Maylean Johnson | def. | Christa Gonzalez | Submission | 2025 ADCC Las Vegas Nationals | |
| Kerry Isom | def. | Christa Gonzalez | Submission | 2025 ADCC Las Vegas Nationals | |
| Quang Ho | def. | Frank Anthony Currieri | Points | 2025 ADCC Las Vegas Nationals | |
| David Bayarena | def. | John Vierheller | Other | 2025 ADCC Las Vegas Nationals | |
| Nikolai Semechkov | def. | Joshua Johnson | Submission | 2025 ADCC Las Vegas Nationals | |
| Nikolai Semechkov | def. | Brian Bradley | Submission | 2025 ADCC Las Vegas Nationals | |
| Joshua Johnson | def. | Brian Bradley | Other | 2025 ADCC Las Vegas Nationals | |
| Andres Ponce | def. | Shane Shapiro | Points | 2025 ADCC Las Vegas Nationals | |
| Ira Lukowsky | def. | Justinian Jimenez | Other | 2025 ADCC Las Vegas Nationals | |
| Roberto Hernandez | def. | Zach Tenorio | Points | 2025 ADCC Las Vegas Nationals |
