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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jimmy Morgan | def. | Matt Silva | Submission | 2025 ADCC Las Vegas Nationals | |
| Timothy Fowler | def. | Eric Lucas | Points | 2025 ADCC Las Vegas Nationals | |
| Bruno Antonio | def. | Brian Bradley | Submission | 2025 ADCC Las Vegas Nationals | |
| Jerry Shapiro | def. | Edward K Yang | Submission | 2025 ADCC Las Vegas Nationals | |
| Roberto Hernandez | def. | Michael Diaz | Advantage | 2025 ADCC Las Vegas Nationals | |
| Eric Ceballos | def. | Chris Vickers | Submission | 2025 ADCC Las Vegas Nationals | |
| Marcelo Mafra | def. | Andres Ponce | Decision | 2025 ADCC Las Vegas Nationals | |
| Christopher Dorgan | vs. | James Nival | Dq | 2025 ADCC Las Vegas Nationals | |
| Christopher Moreno | def. | Jason Watson | Submission | 2025 ADCC Las Vegas Nationals | |
| Danny Moisés Naranjo Romero | def. | Israel Alzamora | Points | 2025 ADCC Ecuador Open | |
| Enrique Guerrero | def. | Ian Montenegro | Points | 2025 ADCC Ecuador Open | |
| Joyy Vega | def. | Raphael Gomez | Points | 2025 ADCC Ecuador Open | |
| Hardy Rodriguez | def. | Kevin Gustavo Carriel Marquinez | Points | 2025 ADCC Ecuador Open | |
| Christian Lara | def. | Jorge Elias | Submission | 2025 ADCC Ecuador Open | |
| Salvador Essenwanger | def. | Paolo Portaluppi | Submission | 2025 ADCC Ecuador Open | |
| Luis Fernando Vera | def. | Rommel Michael Vivas Huertas | Points | 2025 ADCC Ecuador Open | |
| Christopher Han | def. | Miguel Goncalvez | Submission | 2025 ADCC Ecuador Open | |
| Byron Andres Santos | def. | Robinson Morocho | Submission | 2025 ADCC Ecuador Open | |
| Ariel Delgado | def. | Daniel Letamendi | Other | 2025 ADCC Ecuador Open | |
| Emilio Enrique Saltos Flores | def. | Freddy Benalcázar | Submission | 2025 ADCC Ecuador Open |
