IBJJF Rules

Purpose

This document is a practical reference to the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) ruleset, based on official IBJJF materials and official IBJJF web pages available at the time of writing.

Primary IBJJF Sources

-IBJJF Rule Book (v6.0)

Official rule book page: https://ibjjf.com/books-videos
-Rules Update Guide

Official rules update page: https://ibjjf.com/books-videos
-New Rules Updates

Official update notice: https://ibjjf.com/news/new-rules-updates
-Uniform Requirements

Official uniform page: https://ibjjf.com/uniform
-IBJJF Rules Course

Official course page: https://learning.ibjjf.com

What the Official Ruleset Covers

The IBJJF ruleset is organized around several major areas:

Competition structure and administrative procedures.
Divisions, including belt, age, sex, and weight categories.
Match procedures, referee decisions, and athlete conduct.
Scoring criteria, advantages, and penalties.
Legal and illegal techniques.
Uniform and equipment requirements for gi and no-gi competition.
Discipline, disqualification, and anti-doping compliance.

Current Baseline Documents

The IBJJF Books and Videos page identifies theRule Book (v6.0)as the main governing rulebook and also links aRules Update Guidefor that version.

The IBJJF also maintains aTechnical Fouls & Illegal Moves Poster (PDF)and an official rules playlist through its channel, which can be useful supplements when studying practical applications of the rules.

Important Update on No-Gi Leg Locks

According to IBJJF's official New Rules Updates page, the organization adopted rules that includeheel hooks and knee reaping for black belt and brown belt adult no-gi divisions, effectiveJanuary 1, 2021.

Anyone preparing for modern no-gi IBJJF events should verify those rules in the current rule book and update guide before competition, especially because leg-lock legality varies by division and ruleset.

Uniform Rules

Gi

The official IBJJF uniform page states that gi material must be cotton or cotton-like fabric, and a woven-fabric gi is mandatory for all age divisions.

Permitted gi colors arewhite, royal blue, or black. Mixed-color tops and pants are not allowed, and a differently colored collar is not allowed.

Painted gis are forbidden unless the paint is part of an academy or sponsor logo in an authorized patch area. Unauthorized or unseamed patches may be removed during inspection.

Belts must be4 to 5 cm wide, wrapped twice around the waist, tied with a double knot, and the ends should hang20 to 30 cmonce tied.

Under the gi, shirts are generally prohibited except in female divisions, where a stretchy or elastic shirt under the gi top is mandatory.

No-Gi

The official uniform page states that both genders must wear a skin-tight elastic shirt long enough to cover the torso to the waistband of the shorts.

Accepted shirt colors are black, white, or black-and-white, with at least10% of the athlete's belt-rank color, although a shirt that is entirely the athlete's rank color is also permitted.

Men's shorts must not have usable pockets, buttons, exposed drawstrings, zippers, or hard plastic/metal parts, and must be at least mid-thigh length but no longer than the knee.

Women's no-gi uniform options include shorts, compression shorts, and/or compression pants in approved colors, also without hazardous hardware.

Competition Administration Notes

IBJJF event pages state that athletes can be disqualified from their division if they weigh in heavier than the division limit for which they registered.

Official event pages also state that athletes are subject to blood and/or urine testing for substances or methods on the WADA Prohibited List.

IBJJF event registration pages further note that false information provided during registration, including date of birth, may lead to immediate disqualification and may also result in suspension or banishment from future IBJJF events.

Rules Study Workflow

For athletes, coaches, and referees, the best way to study the IBJJF ruleset is:

Read the Rule Book (v6.0).
Read the Rules Update Guide that corresponds to v6.0.
Review the New Rules Updates page for major historical changes.
Review the Technical Fouls & Illegal Moves poster.
Verify the uniform rules on the IBJJF Uniform page before each event.
Check the specific tournament page for weigh-in, correction deadlines, and event-specific procedures.
Use the official Rules Course if formal study or certification is needed.

Limits of This Summary

This guide is a source-based overview, not a replacement for the full official rulebook. For exact scoring details, positional definitions, foul classifications, referee signals, protest procedures, match durations, and division-specific technique legality, consult the current IBJJF Rule Book (v6.0) and its update guide directly.

References

IBJJF,Books and Videos: https://ibjjf.com/books-videos
IBJJF,New Rules Updates: https://ibjjf.com/news/new-rules-updates
IBJJF,Uniform: https://ibjjf.com/uniform
IBJJF,Rules Course: https://learning.ibjjf.com
IBJJF event information example: https://ibjjf.com/events/brasilia-international-open-ibjjf-jiu-jitsu-championship-2024