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
2018 ADCC North American Trials
2019 ADCC West Coast Trials
2022 1st ADCC South American Trial
Match records
| Fighters | Result | Opponent | Method | Event | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JEROHAM ARBOLEDA | def. | Nelson Guerrero | Submission | 2025 ADCC Ecuador Open | |
| Patricio Loor | def. | Erwin Calderón | Submission | 2025 ADCC Ecuador Open | |
| Enrique Guerrero | def. | Isaac Aviles Palma | Points | 2025 ADCC Ecuador Open | |
| Bruno Carrillo | def. | Enrique Guerrero | Points | 2025 ADCC Ecuador Open | |
| Patricio Benítez | def. | Christopher Han | Submission | 2025 ADCC Ecuador Open | |
| Leonidis Villagran | def. | Diego Herrera | Submission | 2025 ADCC Ecuador Open | |
| Pablo Ramirez | def. | Francisco Antonio Iturralde Lara | Points | 2025 ADCC Ecuador Open | |
| Luis Gomez | def. | Ángel Patricio Ulloa | Points | 2025 ADCC Ecuador Open | |
| Javier Basurto | def. | Luis Gomez | Submission | 2025 ADCC Ecuador Open | |
| Sebastian Guevara | def. | Mauricio Vasquez | Points | 2025 ADCC Ecuador Open | |
| Lucas Luciano Bessin Torres | def. | Juan Pablo Arcos Pérez | Points | 2025 ADCC Ecuador Open | |
| Lucas Luciano Bessin Torres | def. | Adrian Sebastian Torres Almeida | Decision | 2025 ADCC Ecuador Open | |
| Adrian Sebastian Torres Almeida | def. | Osama Mhanna | Decision | 2025 ADCC Ecuador Open | |
| James Comerford | def. | Xavier Torres | Points | ADCC Miami Open 2025 | |
| James Comerford | def. | Brandon Austin | Submission | ADCC Miami Open 2025 | |
| Brandon Austin | def. | Xavier Torres | Submission | ADCC Miami Open 2025 | |
| Lucas Smith | def. | Isai Rios Fernandez | Dq | ADCC Miami Open 2025 | |
| Connor Holverson | def. | Gabriel Tejada | Dq | ADCC Miami Open 2025 | |
| Lucas Smith | def. | Victor Delibero | Dq | ADCC Miami Open 2025 | |
| Lucas Smith | def. | Billy Baxter | Points | ADCC Miami Open 2025 |
