An advantage is the credit an IBJJF referee gives for a near miss: a position not held for three seconds, or a submission that put the opponent in danger. It counts only when the points are level.
- In BJJ: the first tie-breaker after points; the second is penalties, then the referee's decision.
- In judo: no equivalent today; the abolished yuko and koka played a similar role.
- Fighter records on bjjheroes.com list wins "by advantages" as their own category.
What counts as an advantage in BJJ?
The IBJJF Rules Book gives two sources. The first is a point-scoring position reached without three seconds of control. The second is a submission attempt where the opponent was in real danger of tapping. How close is close enough is the referee's call, and the referee may award an advantage only once there is no longer a chance of the position being completed.
The rulebook's own examples include:
- A takedown where the opponent lands on the back, side or seat without three seconds of control.
- A sweep that reaches the top without stabilising.
- A knee on the belly with the other knee down instead of the foot.
- A back take with the legs crossed, a figure-four around the waist, or only one heel in.
When is an advantage not given?
- For a sweep that starts and ends in the 50/50 guard.
- For half guard on top when it did not come from a guard-pass attempt.
- For an athlete who is taken down and rolls to the top.
- For a single-leg that drags the opponent out of the area.
The 50/50 rule has a history. Bjjheroes.com describes how competitors in that guard once settled into "a battle for advantages", faking sweeps "to get ahead on the scoreboard by advantage" and running the clock.
How does an advantage decide a match?
Advantages sit beside the points on the scoreboard. When time runs out with equal points, the athlete with more advantages wins; with advantages also equal, the one with fewer penalties wins, and after that the referee decides. A second penalty also hands the opponent an advantage. The bjjheroes.com profile of Jean Jacques Machado shows a record broken down into wins by points, by advantages, by submission, by decision and by penalties, which is how the sport itself keeps score.
Is there an advantage in judo?
Judo has no tie-break layer. Since 2026 the IJF scores the smaller action itself as yuko, and a level contest goes to golden score. BJJ keeps the advantage as a quiet second layer of scoring, so a BJJ match can be won without a single point.
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Sources
- Profile of Jean Jacques Machado, BJJ Heroes
- Bjjheroes.com describes, BJJ Heroes
- IBJJF Rules Book, IBJJF
Related terms
IBJJF points, IBJJF, Yuko, Sweep, Guard passing, Golden score.