To Get Points in a Jiu-Jitsu Competition

This is a faithful and mindful simplification of the gold standard 52-Page Rule Book from the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF).

Nothing of substance has been left out.

It is intended as a quick-reference guide for referees, athletes, and parents of athletes.

To Get Points:

You Get 4 Points For:

• Mount

• Back Mount

• Back Control

Note: You may often hear these positions referred to as Dominant Positions

You Get 3 Points For:

• Guard Pass

You Get 2 Points For:

• Takedown

• Sweep

• Knee On Belly

Definitions:

Mount (4 Points)

• Sit on their belly, chest, or side, free from their legs, with at least one knee on the ground, and hold it for 3 seconds.

Side Mount:

• If they turn sideways, it still counts as Mount.

Back Mount (4 Points)

• Same as Mount, but they're belly-down.

If You Go Back & Forth:

• You get points for each Mount, as long as you hold each for at least 3 seconds.

Back Control (4 Points)

• Control their back, gets hooks (put your feet inside their thighs), don't cross your feet, and hold it for 3 seconds.

Guard Pass (3 Points)

• From Guard Top, get past their legs to side-control, north-south position, or another dominant position, and hold it for 3 seconds.

  
  

  If you go directly to Mount or any other Points-Scoring Position:

• You get points for the pass and the position.

Takedown (2 Points)

• From standing, put them on their back, side, or butt, and keep a top position for 3 seconds.

  
  

Takedown to All Fours or Belly-Down:

• It still counts as a Takedown as long as you "control the back", and keep at least one of their knees on the mat for 3 seconds.

Sweep (2 Points)

• From Guard Bottom, get to the top and keep a top position for 3 seconds.

The Arm Drag Counts as a Sweep:

This may not be intuitive, but the rule is that if you start in Guard Bottom, then get to a top position and hold it for 3 seconds, it counts as a sweep. If they end up Belly Down or on All Fours, it still counts as long as you "control the back" and keep at least one of their knees on the mat.

Knee on Belly (2 Points)

• Place your knee or shin that's closes to their Hip on their belly, chest, or side and hold it for 3 seconds.

All the best,

Coach Gabe

*The Rule book referenced for this post is the official 52-page rule book from the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation website (IBJJF.com). v6.0, last updated 06/2024, and was accessed on 10/2025. If it's not in the rule book, it's not an IBJJF rule. All the rules listed here are a faithful simplification of the IBJJF rule book, and serve as a suitable quick-reference guide for referees.