IBJJF divisions are organized by age, belt, and weight. The age division to which an athlete belongs is determined by the age the athlete is or will be on the year of a given tournament (General Competition Guidelines, Article 1.1). There is no maximum age for the adult and master divisions, but there is a minimum age (Article 1.2).

Age Divisions and Match Durations

The IBJJF recognizes 22 age divisions, each with specific age formulas and regulation match durations (General Competition Guidelines, Article 1.3):

Youth Divisions

Adult Division (per-belt durations)

The Adult division applies to athletes where (Current Year) - (Birth Year) >= 18. Match duration varies by belt:

Master 1 Division (per-belt durations)

The Master 1 division applies to athletes where (Current Year) - (Birth Year) >= 30. Match duration varies by belt:

Master 2-7 Divisions

All master divisions from Master 2 through Master 7 have a flat 5-minute match duration regardless of belt.

Rest Between Matches (Article 1.4)

Minimum between-match rest time is defined as follows:

For example, an adult black belt in the semifinals must have at least 10 minutes of rest between matches, and before a final, at least 20 minutes.

Brackets (Article 2)

Athletes in each division are sorted into brackets. The brackets use a simple elimination system where the losing athlete from each match is eliminated and the winner goes through to the next stage (Article 2.2).

3-member bracket exception (Article 2.3)

The only exception to simple elimination is when there is a bracket of three. In a bracket of three:

• The winner of the first match goes through to the final
• The loser of the first match is not eliminated and faces the third competitor
• The athlete who wins the second match goes to the final to face the winner of the first match

Overtime and Tiebreakers

IBJJF does not use overtime periods. If a match ends with equal points, the winner is determined through the following priority system (Article 2.5-2.6 of the Rules Book):

1. Most points wins
2. If points are tied, most advantages wins
3. If points and advantages are tied, fewest penalties wins
4. If all scores are equal, the referee decides based on which athlete displayed greater offense and came closest to achieving possible point- or submission-scoring positions
5. If three referees are present, the majority decision determines the winner

2.6.2 — To determine the winner, the referee should take note of which athlete displayed greater offense during the match and came closest to achieving possible point- or submission-scoring positions.

In the rare case where both athletes suffer accidental injury in a final match with a tied score and neither can continue, the result is determined by random pick (Article 2.7).

Source: IBJJF General Competition Guidelines, June 2024 edition, Articles 1-2.