IBJJF points are the scores a BJJ referee gives for a position held three seconds: 2 for a takedown or sweep, 3 for a pass, 4 for mount or back. A submission ends the match at any time; with no submission, the points decide it.
- Values: 2 takedown, 2 sweep, 2 knee on belly, 3 guard pass, 4 mount, 4 back control.
- Hold time: three seconds of stable control before the referee signals points.
- In judo: positions earn no points; throws, pins and submissions score yuko, waza-ari or ippon.
How many points is each position worth?
The IBJJF Rules Book sets the table:
- Takedown: 2 points.
- Sweep: 2 points.
- Knee on belly: 2 points.
- Guard pass: 3 points.
- Mount: 4 points.
- Back mount or back control: 4 points.
A position scores only once the athlete has stabilised it for three seconds. Points add up through a sequence: a guard pass followed by mount counts 3 plus 4, so 7, with the three seconds counted at the end.
When does a position not score?
- An athlete caught in a submission scores the position only after escaping the hold and stabilising for three seconds.
- An athlete who gives up a position on purpose to score it again gets nothing the second time.
- A takedown from the knees scores no points, whether it starts in the guard or in any other ground situation.
- A submission defence that carries the athletes out of the area gives 2 points to the athlete applying the hold.
How is a BJJ match decided?
A submission wins outright. Otherwise the athlete with more points at the end wins; equal points go to advantages, then to the athlete with fewer penalties, then to the referee's decision. Bjjheroes.com records are kept in these same categories, and the site notes that a famous final was lost "by a referee decision" after a match spent almost entirely inside the opponent's closed guard.
How do BJJ points differ from judo scores?
A judo throw can end the match; the same throw in BJJ scores takedown points and the fight continues on the ground, where most of the scoring happens. Judoka who cross over usually have the takedown and need to learn to pass and hold position; BJJ players crossing to judo learn that a pin is a win.
Pack smart with our competition day essentials and spend your mat-side time thinking about the next round.
What do the points not tell you?
Points measure control, and the rulebook says so: a match should unfold as a progression of positions that ends in a submission. A player can lead on points and still be the one in danger, which is why a tap at any moment beats any score. The federation treats the rules as a living document; bjjheroes.com's history of the 50/50 guard describes the IBJJF as a body that "issues regular changes to its rules in an attempt to tackle imperfections in the scoring system".
Pack smart with our competition day essentials and spend your mat-side time thinking about the next round.
Sources
- Bjjheroes.com records, BJJ Heroes
- History of the 50/50 guard, BJJ Heroes
- IBJJF Rules Book, IBJJF
Related terms
Advantage (IBJJF), IBJJF, Sweep, Guard passing, Mount, Back control / rear mount.