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
2018 ADCC North American Trials
2019 ADCC West Coast Trials
2022 1st ADCC South American Trial
2024 ADCC World Championships Presented
2017 ADCC World Championships
2011 ADCC World Championships
Match records
| Fighters | Result | Opponent | Method | Event | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marco Aurellio de Queiroz | def. | Cristian Cerda | Submission | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 | |
| Mauricio Vasquez | def. | Hugo Villanueva Guerra | Submission | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 | |
| Vitor Fernando Santile De Souza | def. | Mauro Riquelme | Submission | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 | |
| Alex Thiele | def. | Welinton Benvenutti | Submission | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 | |
| Nick Mendoza | def. | Antonio Arancibia Grossi | Other | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 | |
| Arthur Figueiredo | def. | Cristian Villaman Peña | Other | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 | |
| Neils Araya | def. | Thomas Olson | Points | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 | |
| Cristóbal Pooley | def. | Francisco Ugas Aurich | Submission | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 | |
| Walter Alamo | def. | Joao Assis | Advantage | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 | |
| Yona Cardenas | def. | Sebastián Valderas | Submission | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 | |
| Sergio Iturra Palma | def. | Miguel Parra | Points | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 | |
| Renato Gatica Ruiz | def. | Diego Guglielmi | Points | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 | |
| Miguel Andres Arce Pérez | def. | Jeff Henriquez Lima | Submission | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 | |
| Luciano Berrios | def. | Argenis Rodriguez Corona | Other | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 | |
| Nicolas Ojeda | def. | Jose Luiz Estrela Neto | Points | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 | |
| Jaime Espinoza Pizarro | def. | Cristian Perez | Submission | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 | |
| Jose Seguel | def. | Nicolas Gatica | Submission | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 | |
| Miguel Soto | def. | Ivan Noguera | Points | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 | |
| Rodrigo Gonzalez Baez | def. | Manuel Pérez Atora | Submission | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 | |
| Arley Brandao | def. | Brandon Andres Alcantara Gamboa | Points | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 |
