BJJ rules cheat sheet
The IBJJF points on one page. Print it and keep it in your bag.
Points (IBJJF)
| Position or move | Points | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Takedown | 2 | You bring them from standing to the ground and land on top. |
| Sweep | 2 | From guard or half guard on the bottom, you turn them over and come on top. |
| Knee on belly | 2 | Your knee is on their belly and your other foot is on the mat. |
| Guard pass | 3 | You get past their legs and hold side control or north-south. |
| Mount | 4 | You sit on their chest, one knee on each side. |
| Back control | 4 | You are behind them with both hooks in: your heels inside their thighs. Your feet must not cross. |
Adding points
| You do this | You score |
|---|---|
| Takedown, held 3 seconds | 2 |
| Sweep, then guard pass | 2 + 3 = 5 |
| Guard pass, then mount | 3 + 4 = 7 |
| Takedown, guard pass, then back control | 2 + 3 + 4 = 9 |
Safety in training
- Tap early: with your hand, your foot, or by saying "tap".
- When your partner taps, let go at once.
- Follow your gym's list of allowed moves.
- Tell your partner about an injury before you roll.
The rest of the rules
A submission ends the match, whatever the score. Advantages, penalties and illegal moves are on BJJ rules.
Before an event, read match length, weight classes and uniform rules.
Train it on the Path
The How a match works unit turns this into short lessons: you see a position and pick the best move.
The Path goes in order: start free from lesson one and you reach How a match works on the way. With Rolla Plus you can jump straight here.