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
2024 ADCC World Championships Presented
2017 ADCC World Championships
2011 ADCC World Championships
Match records
| Fighters | Result | Opponent | Method | Event | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaime Espinoza Pizarro | def. | Diego Espinoza | Submission | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 | |
| Arley Brandao | def. | Francisco Cuneo | Decision | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 | |
| Jose Seguel | def. | Miguel Soto | Submission | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 | |
| Arthur Figueiredo | def. | Juan Pablo Lecaros Pérez | Submission | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 | |
| Mauricio Vasquez | def. | Alex Thiele | Submission | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 | |
| Marco Aurellio de Queiroz | def. | Nicolas Infante Reategui | Decision | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 | |
| Vitor Fernando Santile De Souza | def. | Thales Oliveira | Points | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 | |
| Bastian Subiabre | def. | Pablo Valenzuela | Points | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 | |
| Leandro Le Fosse | def. | Mateus Pires | Submission | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 | |
| Alfredo Muaiad | def. | Alejandro Gallardo | Submission | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 | |
| Pablo Reyes | def. | Luckais Bueno | Submission | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 | |
| Walter Alamo | def. | Sergio Iturra Palma | Decision | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 | |
| Yona Cardenas | def. | Patricio Benítez | Submission | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 | |
| Arley Brandao | def. | Rodrigo Gonzalez Baez | Submission | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 | |
| Jose Seguel | def. | Jaime Espinoza Pizarro | Submission | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 | |
| Marco Aurellio de Queiroz | def. | Joao Assis | Points | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 | |
| Mauricio Vasquez | def. | Arthur Figueiredo | Submission | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 | |
| Pablo Valenzuela | def. | Mateus Pires | Submission | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 | |
| Luckais Bueno | def. | Alejandro Gallardo | Points | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 | |
| Patricio Benítez | def. | Sergio Iturra Palma | Points | ADCC Santiago Open 2025 |
