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
Vagner Rocha
33 matches
Oliver Taza
29 matches
Keith Krikorian
24 matches
André Galvão
23 matches
Jonathan Satava
22 matches
Felipe Pena
21 matches
Marcelo Garcia
21 matches
Paul Ardila-Ibarra
20 matches
Paul Barch
20 matches
Roberto Jimenez
19 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 ADCC 1st South American Trial
2007 ADCC World Championship
2024 ADCC World Championship
2011 ADCC World Championship
Match records
| Fighters | Result | Opponent | Method | Event | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Thiele | def. | Santiago Perez | Submission | 2025 ADCC Santiago Open | |
| Pablo Valenzuela | def. | Diego Gomez Manzur | Other | 2025 ADCC Santiago Open | |
| Mateus Pires | def. | Lizandro Ruiz | Advantage | 2025 ADCC Santiago Open | |
| Alfredo Muaiad | def. | Jaime Nunez | Submission | 2025 ADCC Santiago Open | |
| Alejandro Gallardo | def. | Matias Gálvez Flores | Submission | 2025 ADCC Santiago Open | |
| Pablo Reyes | def. | Fabián Videla | Submission | 2025 ADCC Santiago Open | |
| Luckais Bueno | def. | Alvaro Campos | Submission | 2025 ADCC Santiago Open | |
| Patricio Benítez | def. | Renato Gatica Ruiz | Points | 2025 ADCC Santiago Open | |
| Walter Alamo | def. | Cristóbal Pooley | Points | 2025 ADCC Santiago Open | |
| Sergio Iturra Palma | def. | Luciano Berrios | Submission | 2025 ADCC Santiago Open | |
| Yona Cardenas | def. | Miguel Andres Arce Pérez | Submission | 2025 ADCC Santiago Open | |
| Rodrigo Gonzalez Baez | def. | Nicolas Ojeda | Decision | 2025 ADCC Santiago Open | |
| Jaime Espinoza Pizarro | def. | Diego Espinoza | Submission | 2025 ADCC Santiago Open | |
| Arley Brandao | def. | Francisco Cuneo | Decision | 2025 ADCC Santiago Open | |
| Jose Seguel | def. | Miguel Soto | Submission | 2025 ADCC Santiago Open | |
| Arthur Figueiredo | def. | Juan Pablo Lecaros Pérez | Submission | 2025 ADCC Santiago Open | |
| Mauricio Vasquez | def. | Alex Thiele | Submission | 2025 ADCC Santiago Open | |
| Marco Aurellio de Queiroz | def. | Nicolas Infante Reategui | Decision | 2025 ADCC Santiago Open | |
| Vitor Fernando Santile De Souza | def. | Thales Oliveira | Points | 2025 ADCC Santiago Open | |
| Bastian Subiabre | def. | Pablo Valenzuela | Points | 2025 ADCC Santiago Open |
