ADCC Grappling Tournament: All You Need to Know!

The ADCC World Championship is widely regarded as one of the best grappling tournaments in the world. As a result, it attracts the best professional wrestlers worldwide every two years.

This article explains how the ADCC championship works. It also covers the ADCC rules, weight divisions, qualifications, and other fascinating topics. Stay tuned!

ADCC Meaning

Abu Dhabi Combat Club, abbreviated as ADCC, is a famous submission grappling tournament organization. This means that the ADCC organizes several no-gi BJJ tournaments around the globe, such as the ADCC World Championship.

The ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship is held every two years and gathers the greatest grappler athletes worldwide.

As a result, it is the most renowned grappling combat sports tournament with millions of fans and spectators.

ADCC Weight Divisions

The ADCC has fewer weight divisions for males and females.

Each male division contains sixteen fighters, eight ADCC trial winners, seven invitations, and the returning champion.

Although, Each female division contains eight fighters, four ADCC trial winners, three invitations, and the returning champion.

ADCC Males Weight Divisions

Men’s Weight Divisions Weight Limits
Lightweight -66 kg (145.5 lb)
Welterweight -77 kg (169.8 lb)
Middleweight -88 kg (194.0 lb)
Light Heavyweight -99 kg (218.3 lb)
Heavyweight +99 kg (218.3 lb)

ADCC Females Weight Divisions

Women’s Weight Divisions Weight Limits
Lightweight – 60 kg (132.3 lb)
Heavyweight + 60 kg (132.3 lb)

ADCC World Championship Qualifying Procedure

There are three methods for a BJJ fighter, wrestler, or judoka grappler to qualify for the ADCC submission fighting World Championship:

Winning an ADCC Trial

Wrestlers from all around the globe can compete in the ADCC world championship by winning the ADCC trial. This continental qualifying tournament occurs in Europe, North and South America, and Asia.

The following are the main ADCC trials

  1. ADCC Oceania and Asian Trials
  2. ADCC European Trials
  3. ADCC North American Trials
  4. ADCC North American Trials

Aside from that, the ADCC trials qualify 48 fighters for the ADCC world tournament (32 men and 16 women).

Get an ADCC Invitation

Grapplers can also qualify for The ADCC World Championship by invitation. However, this qualification method is restricted to prominent and accomplished grapplers.

Being an ADCC Champion

An ADCC former champion qualifies for the next ADCC World Championship and has the right to change his weight class.

ADCC Point Scoring System

When an ADCC competitor arrives to tap out his opponent, he is declared the winner. However, suppose the submission does not occur during the fight. In that case, the winner will be determined by the scored points or the judge’s decision when there is equality.

The following table shows the ADCC scoring points system, which includes the actions that earn competitors points:

Achieved Position or Techniques Scored Points
Passing the guard 3
Knee on stomach 2
Mount position 2
Back mount with hooks 3
Takedown ending in a half guard 2
sweep ending in a half-guard 2
Clean sweep ending with guard passing 4
Clean takedown ending with a guard pass 4

ADCC Grappling Tournament Rules

ADDC regulations are slightly more lenient than those of other grappling events. Here are some of the ADDC tournament rules.

  • An ADCC World qualifying bout lasts ten minutes with one five minutes of overtime if there is a draw at the end of the regular time. Otherwise, negative and positive points are counted starting from the second five minutes. 
  • ADCC World Finals, including the superlight, have a regular time of 20 minutes with two 10-minute overtimes max if it’s a draw. Otherwise, negative and positive points are counted starting from the end of the first ten minutes of the bout.
  • A grappler can use any choke, but his attacking hand must not block the opponent’s windpipe. Otherwise, shoulder locks, armbars, leg attacks, and wrist locks are all permissible.
  • Crossface guillotine chin twisting is forbidden, among other techniques. Check the original document of ADCC rules and regulations for more information.

Conclusion

The ADCC Submission Fighting Championship is always a great event to watch. There are several notable battles, including the superfight, which thrills and energizes the spectators.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Does ADCC Stand for Grappling?

The ADCC stands for Abu Dhabi Combat Club, a famous submission grappling tournament organization. This means that the ADCC organizes several no-gi tournaments around the globe, such as the ADCC World Championship.

How Does the ADCC Grappling Tournament Work?

The ADCC World Championship is a no-gi single-elimination competition in which only the match’s winner advances to the next round. It attracts around 100 combatants participating in various weight classes (-66kg, -77kg, -88kg, -99kg, +99kg, W -60kg, and W +60kg).

Is ADCC a Branch of the IBJJF?

The ADCC and IBJJF are two separate BJJ tournament organizations. As a result, they have different rules and regulations governing the qualification process, illegal techniques, point scoring systems, and so on.