How long a BJJ match lasts
At tournaments run by the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF), the largest organizer of gi and no-gi events, match length depends on your belt and age division. Adult black belt matches last ten minutes, the longest in the rule book, and masters divisions, for competitors 30 and older, run shorter. Juvenile matches, for 16 and 17 year olds, last five minutes. Choose a division to see the length at each belt.
Your age division is set by the year you were born, not your birthday: subtract your birth year from the year of the event. Master 2 starts at 36, and each master division after it covers about five years, up to Master 7 at 61 and older.
How points are scored
You score by reaching a dominant position and holding it for three seconds. A position you reach but cannot hold that long does not score points, though it may earn an advantage.
- 2pointsTakedownYou bring a standing opponent to the mat and hold the top position.
- 2pointsSweepFrom your guard, you reverse the position and end up on top.
- 2pointsKnee on bellyYour knee is on their belly or chest, with your other leg posted out to the side.
- 3pointsGuard passYou get past their legs and pin them from the side or from above their head.
- 4pointsMountYou sit on their torso, facing their head.
- 4pointsBack controlYou control them from behind with your hooks in.
Points add up when you move from one scoring position to the next. Pass the guard and hold side control, then climb to mount and hold it, and you score three points and then four, seven in all. If you are caught in a submission while holding a position, the three-second count pauses until you are free of it.
Advantages and penalties
The referee gives an advantage when you almost score: you reach a scoring position but are pushed out before three seconds, or you put your opponent in real danger with a submission attempt. Advantages do not add to your points and only matter when the points are tied.
Penalties are for stalling and minor fouls, and they build up. The first is only recorded. The second gives your opponent an advantage, the third gives them two points, and the fourth disqualifies you. Serious fouls, such as an illegal technique for your belt or slamming an opponent, can disqualify you straight away.
How a match is won
A submission ends the match at once, whatever the score. So does a disqualification, or an injury that stops one competitor from going on. If time runs out, the winner is the one with more points. When points are tied, the one with more advantages wins, and when those are tied as well, the one with fewer penalties. If everything is even, the referee decides, based on who attacked more and who came closer to scoring or submitting.
That order shapes how people compete. A competitor ahead by two points with a minute left often holds a safe position instead of attacking. Our guide to building a competition game plan covers what to do when you are ahead, level or behind.
Divisions, weigh-in and the open class
You compete against people of the same belt, age division, gender and weight. IBJJF events weigh you once, right before your first match, after your uniform is checked. You get one attempt, and if you are over the limit you are out of the division. The limit for each weight class is listed on the event page.
Many events also run an open class, a division with no weight limit. At IBJJF events, the top three in each weight division can enter the open class for their belt and age, and every adult black belt can enter. Our guide to your first BJJ tournament covers choosing a division, the uniform check and the weeks before the event.
No-gi and illegal techniques
No-gi matches use the same points and the same match lengths. Since January 1, 2021, heel hooks and reaping, a leg position that crosses over the opponent’s knee, have been legal in adult brown and black belt no-gi divisions. They remain illegal in gi divisions and at lower belts. In no-gi, grabbing your own or your opponent’s clothing is a foul.
Which submissions are legal also depends on your belt and age. The IBJJF publishes a poster of illegal techniques by belt on its website, and it is worth reading before your first event.
Other rule sets
Not every tournament follows IBJJF rules. Some organizations use their own points, some give no advantages, and some run submission-only matches with no points at all. ADCC, the best-known no-gi event, gives no points in the first part of a match and penalizes pulling guard. Read the rules of your event before you register. When you watch your matches back, count where each point and advantage came from, for both of you. A match review from a black belt can show which of those moments decided the result.