By Philipp — Rollbook · Updated October 18, 2026
ADCC Rules & Format Explained: Scoring, the No-Points Period & Overtime
ADCC's ruleset is unlike anything in jiu-jitsu: a no-points first half, longer matches, and every leg lock legal. Here's how ADCC scoring, time limits, and the format actually work.
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A Completely Different Kind of Grappling Match
If you're used to IBJJF jiu-jitsu, watching ADCC for the first time can be confusing. The clock runs for ten or twenty minutes, nobody scores for the first half, heel hooks fly freely, and a match can end in a referee decision with zero points on the board. That's all by design.
ADCC (Abu Dhabi Combat Club) is the most prestigious submission-grappling event in the world, held every two years. The latest edition was the 2026 World Championship in Kraków, Poland on September 12-13 (see the ADCC 2026 results and champions); the next is due in 2028, and its host has not been announced yet. This guide explains exactly how the ruleset works so you can follow the action like an expert. For a side-by-side with jiu-jitsu's main federation, see our ADCC vs IBJJF rules comparison.
Update (October 2026): This guide now follows ADCC's current rules document (September 2026). First-half negative points apply only in finals and superfights, the ADCC Opens have their own match times and technique limits, the crucifix is not on the illegal list, and a new interference rule lets officials disqualify an athlete when a coach or spectator enters the competition area.
The big idea: ADCC rewards aggression and submissions above positional points. By switching points off for the first half of every match, it pushes athletes to hunt for the finish instead of stalling on a small lead.
The No-Points Period: ADCC's Signature Rule
Every ADCC match is split into two halves. In the first half, no positive points are awarded. Penalties depend on the round: in qualifying rounds there are no points of any kind in the first half (referees can still issue passivity warnings, and the minus points follow later), while in finals, absolute finals and superfights, negative points are live from the opening whistle. In the second half, points are switched on and scored normally, as they are in any overtime.
The logic: with no points to protect early, athletes are incentivized to attack for the submission rather than score once and stall. It produces the relentless, finish-or-bust pace ADCC is famous for.
Pro Tip: Watch how elite competitors use the no-points period. The best don't coast -- they hunt submissions and set traps, knowing that even without points, a referee decision at the end rewards whoever was more dominant and aggressive.
Time Limits (World Championship)
ADCC matches are long, and they get longer as the stakes rise:
| Round | Regulation | Structure | Overtime | Minus points in first half |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qualifying rounds | 10 min | 5 min no points + 5 min with points | 5 min (max 1) | No |
| Finals, Absolute finals, Superfight | 20 min | 10 min no points + 10 min with points | 10 min (max 2) | Yes |
At the Trials, the same structure runs on a shorter clock: qualifying rounds are 6 minutes (3 + 3, with a 3-minute overtime if needed) and finals 8 minutes (4 + 4, with a 4-minute overtime). At the ADCC Opens in North and South America, adult matches -- finals included -- are 6 minutes (3 + 3, 3-minute overtime), masters matches 5 minutes (2:30 + 2:30), and youth matches 4 or 5 minutes depending on age. As at Worlds, first-half minus points apply only in finals.
How You Win an ADCC Match
There are four ways to win:
- Submission -- a tap (physical or verbal), or the referee stopping the match to protect a fighter.
- Points -- being ahead when time expires (points only count from the second half onward).
- Referee decision -- if the match ends with the score tied (including 0-0), the referees award the win based on dominance and aggression.
- Disqualification -- the opponent breaks a forbidden rule.
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The ADCC Points System
When points are live (second half and overtime), here's the scoring. Every position must be held for 3 seconds and free of submission danger to count:
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Clean takedown (lands past the guard) | 4 |
| Clean sweep (ends past the guard) | 4 |
| Guard pass | 3 |
| Back mount (both hooks or a body triangle) | 3 |
| Takedown (ends in guard or half guard) | 2 |
| Sweep (ends in guard or half guard) | 2 |
| Mount | 2 |
| Knee on belly | 2 |
Notice the structure rewards finishing the action: a takedown that lands straight into a dominant position past the guard is worth 4 -- double a takedown that ends in guard.
Negative Points (Penalties)
ADCC actively punishes stalling and disengagement. You can lose a point for:
- Pulling guard or jumping to a non-standing position and staying down 3+ seconds
- Disengaging -- backing up and avoiding re-engagement
- Passivity (after warnings)
- Fleeing the mat, including to escape a submission
- Shooting a takedown then pulling guard in under 3 seconds
Timing matters: these minus points count in the second half and overtime of every match, but in the first half only during finals and superfights.
Warning: Guard pulling is penalized in ADCC. This is the opposite of many jiu-jitsu rulesets where pulling guard is a neutral choice. In ADCC, voluntarily sitting down hands your opponent a negative-point advantage -- one reason ADCC features so much more wrestling than a typical BJJ tournament.
Coach and Spectator Interference (New in 2026)
In late September 2026, ADCC added a rule to its code of conduct (reported by BJJEE on September 30). During a match, coaches, parents and spectators must stay out of the marked competition area. If someone connected to an athlete steps in, interferes with the match, or threatens athletes or officials, that athlete can be disqualified and forfeit the match -- even if they had nothing to do with it. The head judge can stop the match, declare the forfeit and have the person removed, and ADCC can suspend or ban the offender from future events.
Legal and Illegal Techniques
ADCC's submission rules are famously open. At the World Championship and Trials, every leg lock is legal for everyone -- including heel hooks, knee bars, and toe holds -- with no belt restrictions, because those events have no belt divisions. The amateur ADCC Opens are different: they use belt-based skill levels and age groups, ban knee bars, slicers and heel hooks for everyone under 18, and ban heel hooks for beginner and intermediate masters (see our calf slicer and knee bar guide).
Legal:
- All chokes (except using the hand to close the windpipe)
- All arm locks, shoulder locks, and wrist locks
- All leg locks and ankle locks, including heel hooks
- Can opener and twister are permitted
Illegal:
- Neck cranks that trap both shoulders and put downward pressure on the neck (the full nelson, for example)
- A crossface guillotine that twists the chin
- Spiking an opponent on their head during a takedown
- Rolling forward while your opponent has a body triangle or both hooks in
- Striking, kicking, biting, eye-gouging, hair pulling, small-joint manipulation (holding fewer than four fingers or five toes)
- Hands, knees or elbows on the face
- Grabbing the shorts or shirt
- Slamming -- except to escape a submission
This is why ADCC is the leg-lock showcase: with heel hooks legal for all competitors and no belt limits, ADCC is where the world's best leg-lockers operate without restriction. If you're studying the modern leg game, ADCC footage is the textbook. Brush up with our leg locks guide and heel hook defense guide.
Weight Classes and Format
ADCC is an invite-and-qualify event with a small, elite bracket. The World Championship features five men's weight divisions (−66, −77, −88, −99, +99 kg) and three women's weight divisions (−55, −65, +65 kg -- a third was added starting in 2024), plus an Absolute (open weight) and a marquee Superfight -- in 2026 both were men-only. Athletes earn their spots through the global ADCC Trials or by direct invitation.
For how the 2026 edition played out -- every champion, final and the superfight -- see our ADCC 2026 results and champions and the Kraków championship guide.
Official Sources
- ADCC Official Rules - The authoritative ADCC ruleset
- ADCC Rules & Regulations (ADCC News) - Detailed scoring, time limits, and penalties
- ADCC Official Website - Event info and divisions
Studying the ADCC game? Log the techniques you're drilling -- leg entries, wrestling, submission chains -- in your Rollbook technique journal, and map how they connect as a System. Rollbook is free on iOS and Android.
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