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IBJJF and No Gi tournament Rules

For the latest IBJJF gi/uniform rules click here

When it comes down to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Competition, it doesn’t get any more official than an IBJJF tournament. The International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) is a company that hosts several of the largest BJJ grappling tournaments in the world. It’s where the most serious BJJ athletes come together to compete against the best.

There are very strict guidelines when it comes to rules and regulations. That includes your BJJ. You have to pass a minimum standard in order to be qualified to compete.

This guide looks at the IBJJF Approved Gi Uniform Regulations to make sure you are competition ready when you step onto those mats!

For Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi, athletes should abide by the following attire requirements:

Gi requirements:

Fabric and Material

Your Gi should be constructed with a cotton material or something similar to qualify for IBJJF uniform regulations. Some Gi’s can be made up of a cotton blend like a cotton-polyester. You should be fine with these as long as they have a “cotton-like” feel to them. As long as you are able to properly grip the material, you should be good. No grip technology Gi's are no longer IBJJF legal, if your gi is too difficult to grab it CAN be disqualified.

For Juvenile, Adults, and Masters divisions, it is required that you have your Gi made up of woven fabric (Pearl Weaves, Single Weaves, Double Weaves, Gold Weaves, etc).

Some Gi uniforms have a specialised EVA foam construct in their collar. This allows for a rubberised feel to the collar for improved durability and improved gripping. This is perfectly fine as long as the collar rigidity and size passes the minimum measurement requirements.

Colour

The Gi uniform colour is strictly enforced in an official IBJJF tournament. An IBJJF approved Gi uniform requires your Gi to be in traditional BJJ colours only.

You are only allowed to wear white, royal blue, or black.

Painted Gis are forbidden. You might get away with it if the paint somehow signifies your school in some way. But it certainly isn’t allowed to paint your entire Gi to match the IBJJF approved Gi colours.

Keep in mind that some Gi manufacturers provide different colours like green, grey, dark navy, or pink. You might get away with it in some other competition organisations, but these are absolutely NOT allowed in an IBJJF tournament. Some even have different colours for your collar and the rest of your Gi jacket. This isn’t allowed either! Keep it classic!

Shirts and Rash Guards:

Both genders must wear a shirt of elastic material (skin tight) long enough to cover the torso all the way to the waistband of the shorts, colored black, white, or black and white, and with at least 10% of the rank colour (belt) to which the athlete belongs.

Shirts 100% the colour of the athlete’s rank (belt) are also permitted.

Note: For black belts a small red area will be tolerated, but must not decharacterise the athlete’s rank colour.

Shorts for men:

Board shorts coloured black, white, black and white, and/or the colour of the rank (belt) to which the athlete belongs, without pockets or with the pockets stitched completely shut, without buttons, exposed drawstrings, zippers or any form of plastic or metal that could present a risk to the opponent, long enough to cover at least halfway down the thigh (no more than 15 cm from the knee), and no longer than the knee.

Also permitted are compression shorts made of elastic material (skin tight) worn beneath the shorts, in the colours black, white, black and white, and/or the color of the rank (belt) to which the athlete belongs.

Shorts, compression shorts and pants for women:

Shorts, compression pants (skin-tight spats) and/or compression shorts coloured black, white, black and white, and/or the colour of the rank (belt) to which the athlete belongs. The shorts must not have pockets or have the pockets stitched completely shut, must not have buttons, zippers or any kind of plastic or metal that could present a risk to the opponent, and must be long enough to cover halfway down the thigh (no more than 15 cm from the knee) and no longer than the knee.

Hygiene:

  • Athletes’ finger and toenails should be trimmed and short.
  • Long hair should be tied up so as not to cause opponents any discomfort. 
  • Athletes will be disqualified if they are wearing hair dye that stains their opponents’ Gi during a match. Athletes should use footwear up to the match area and wherever their use is permitted.

Following weigh in, the Gi Inspector should check athletes for any skin conditions.

  • Athletes presenting skin lesions noticed by the inspector shall be directed to the event’s medical area.
  • Athletes should present a statement from a doctor declaring the lesion not contagious and not harmful to other competitors.
  • For the organizers of the event, the tournament medic has the final say on whether to allow an athlete to compete or not.

Further Requirements:

Each athlete shall only mount the official scale of the event to have his/her weight taken once.

Athletes are allowed to weigh in without knee or elbow braces, but they will have to be wearing them at the timeof the Gi inspection.

The athlete cannot step on the scale with shoes or any item besides his/her regular uniform and equipment permitted for use during matches.

Patches and embroiders can only be affixed in authorized regions of the gi, as depicted in the illustrations below. They should be of cotton fabric and properly seamed. All patches unseamed or in unauthorized regions of the Giwill be removed by the Gi inspectors.

Prohibitions regarding patches and text present on uniform:

  • No patches or text (embroidered or handwritten) will be allowed related to political ideologies and phrases, symbols or slogans found offensive to gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, culture, religion.
  • No patches or text (embroidered or handwritten) will be allowed that contain phrases, symbols or slogans that promote violence, vandalism, sexual acts, drugs, alcohol and/or tobacco.

Permitted: a Gi brand tag in the front lower part of the pants (according to illustration). The tag must be made of a thin fabric (not embroidered) and be at most 36 cm2 .

bjj-gi-patch-placement-1.jpg 

Use of any foot gear, headgear, hair pins, jewelry, cups (genital protectors), or any other protector fashioned of hard material that may cause harm to an opponent or the athlete him/herself is forbidden. Also forbidden is the use of eyes protectors, even if they are made for sports practices.

In the female divisions, the athlete will be permitted to cover their heads. The Head Cover must follow these requirements.

  • Must be fixed and made with elastic fabric(or have elastics at the borders).
  • Be made without any kind of plastic or hard materials.
  • Be made with no strings of any kind.
  • Be clear of any inscription or logo.
  • Must be totally black, white, black and white, and/or the colour of the rank (belt) to which the athlete belongs.
  • Also permitted as part of the female uniform is a single-piece head cover, which should be made of elastic and cover the neck, ears and completely cover the hair, similar to the head cover of a wet suit, and be entirely black, white, black and white, and/or the color of the rank (belt) to which the athlete belongs

The use of joint protectors (knee, elbow braces, etc.) that increase body volume to the point of making it harder for an opponent to grip the Gi are also forbidden.

It is mandatory that athletes wear undergarments for all competitions, regardless if it is a Gi or No-Gi event. The undergarment should be “brief-type” only. Failure to adhere of this rule will be considered a foul according to item 6.2.3(E), and the athlete will be submitted to the penalties provided at item 7.1.

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For the full rule book click here https://ibjjf.com/rules/