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
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edward K Yang | def. | David Bayarena | Decision | 2025 ADCC Las Vegas Nationals | |
| Andres Abril Brito | def. | Jimmy Morgan | Decision | 2025 ADCC Las Vegas Nationals | |
| Marcelo Mafra | def. | Ethan Montalvo | Points | 2025 ADCC Las Vegas Nationals | |
| Andres Ponce | def. | Lorne Kirkland | Submission | 2025 ADCC Las Vegas Nationals | |
| MICHAEL HAYDEN | def. | Dylan Falduto | Points | 2025 ADCC Las Vegas Nationals | |
| Roberto Hernandez | def. | Donny Barberie | Points | 2025 ADCC Las Vegas Nationals | |
| Edward K Yang | def. | Ira Lukowsky | Points | 2025 ADCC Las Vegas Nationals | |
| Michael Diaz | def. | John Kutz | Submission | 2025 ADCC Las Vegas Nationals | |
| Jerry Shapiro | def. | Raphael Assuncao | Submission | 2025 ADCC Las Vegas Nationals | |
| Eric Ceballos | def. | Jimmy Morgan | Points | 2025 ADCC Las Vegas Nationals | |
| Chris Vickers | def. | Matt Silva | Dq | 2025 ADCC Las Vegas Nationals | |
| Andres Ponce | def. | Andres Abril Brito | Submission | 2025 ADCC Las Vegas Nationals | |
| Marcelo Mafra | def. | MICHAEL HAYDEN | Points | 2025 ADCC Las Vegas Nationals | |
| James Nival | def. | Timothy Fowler | Submission | 2025 ADCC Las Vegas Nationals | |
| Christopher Dorgan | def. | Eric Lucas | Points | 2025 ADCC Las Vegas Nationals | |
| Christopher Moreno | def. | Bruno Antonio | Submission | 2025 ADCC Las Vegas Nationals | |
| Jason Watson | def. | Brian Bradley | Submission | 2025 ADCC Las Vegas Nationals | |
| Raphael Assuncao | def. | John Vierheller | Advantage | 2025 ADCC Las Vegas Nationals | |
| Zach Tenorio | def. | Donny Barberie | Submission | 2025 ADCC Las Vegas Nationals | |
| Shane Shapiro | def. | MICHAEL HAYDEN | Submission | 2025 ADCC Las Vegas Nationals |
