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
Start your 7-day free trial
Full access to every course, technique breakdown, and Sudo — your AI training partner. 7 days free, cancel anytime.
Card required • 7 days free, then your plan auto-renews • Cancel anytime.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diego Espinoza | def. | Martín Rebolledo | Submission | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 | |
| Thales Oliveira | def. | Neils Araya | Submission | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 | |
| Mauricio Vasquez | def. | DOUGLAS PASSOS | Submission | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 | |
| Nicolas Infante Reategui | def. | Renzo Gutyers | Points | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 | |
| Arthur Figueiredo | def. | César Cuyul Parada | Submission | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 | |
| Vitor Fernando Santile De Souza | def. | Lucas Crespo | Submission | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 | |
| Juan Perez | def. | Nick Mendoza | Points | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 | |
| Marco Aurellio de Queiroz | def. | Franko Delgadillo Hidalgo | Submission | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 | |
| Alex Thiele | def. | Santiago Perez | Submission | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 | |
| Pablo Valenzuela | def. | Diego Gomez Manzur | Other | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 | |
| Mateus Pires | def. | Lizandro Ruiz | Advantage | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 | |
| Alfredo Muaiad | def. | Jaime Nunez | Submission | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 | |
| Alejandro Gallardo | def. | Matias Gálvez Flores | Submission | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 | |
| Pablo Reyes | def. | Fabián Videla | Submission | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 | |
| Luckais Bueno | def. | Alvaro Campos | Submission | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 | |
| Patricio Benítez | def. | Renato Gatica Ruiz | Points | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 | |
| Walter Alamo | def. | Cristóbal Pooley | Points | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 | |
| Sergio Iturra Palma | def. | Luciano Berrios | Submission | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 | |
| Yona Cardenas | def. | Miguel Andres Arce Pérez | Submission | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 | |
| Rodrigo Gonzalez Baez | def. | Nicolas Ojeda | Decision | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 |
