IBJJF illegal techniques by age and belt
IBJJF's table has six columns. Juveniles (16 to 17) of every belt share a column with adult and master white belts. Gi and no-gi rules are the same for everyone except adult brown and black belts.
| Technique | 4 to 12 | 13 to 15 | 16 to 17, and white belts | Blue and purple | Brown and black (gi, and master no-gi) | Adult brown and black no-gi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Submissions stretching the legs apart | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Choke with spinal lock | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Straight foot lock | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Ezekiel choke (forearm choke using the sleeve) | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Frontal guillotine choke | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Omoplata | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Triangle pulling the head | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Arm triangle | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Compressing the kidneys or ribs with the legs in closed guard | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Wrist lock | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Single leg takedown with the head outside | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bicep slicer | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Calf slicer | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Knee bar | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Toe hold | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Straight foot lock turning toward the foot not under attack | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Heel hook | No | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| Locks twisting the knees | No | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| Knee reaping | No | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| Toe hold with outward pressure on the foot | No | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| Slam | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Spinal lock without a choke (neck cranks, twisters, can openers) | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Scissor takedown (kani basami) | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Bending the fingers backward | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Throwing the opponent onto their head by the belt while defending a head-outside single leg | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Suplex landing the opponent on the head or neck | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Jumping to closed guard | No | See note | See note | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Using a technique that's illegal for your division is a severe foul and means disqualification. Choking with the hands around the neck without the gi, pressing the windpipe with the thumb, and covering the nose and mouth are illegal for everyone.
Heel hooks and knee reaping at IBJJF
Heel hooks, knee reaping, knee-twisting locks, and toe holds with outward pressure are legal only for adult brown and black belts in no-gi. Master brown and black belts can't use them, even in no-gi, and nobody can use them in the gi.
Reaping means your thigh is behind the opponent's leg, your calf crosses over their body above the knee, and your foot passes their midline, putting pressure on the knee from outside to inside. It counts even if nobody is holding the foot.
Heel hook vs ankle lock
A straight ankle lock levers the foot back against the ankle and Achilles, and you feel it early, so there's time to tap. A heel hook rotates the heel, which twists the knee, and the ligaments can tear before it hurts. So the rules treat them differently. At IBJJF the straight ankle lock is legal from juvenile and white belt up, and the heel hook only for adult brown and black belts in no-gi.
UFC BJJ vs IBJJF rules
IBJJF scores points from the first second and uses advantages and penalties to break ties. UFC BJJ has no points or advantages. A bout is three five-minute rounds, and judges score each round on the 10-point must system, looking first at submission attempts that need real defense. Heel hooks are not on the UFC BJJ list of banned techniques, which bans strikes, grabbing clothing, slams except to escape a fully applied submission, and pulling guard without starting action.
ADCC legal techniques
ADCC is no-gi. The Opens grid sets rules by age and skill level: beginner is white belt or up to 2 years, intermediate is blue or purple or 2 to 4 years, and advanced is brown or black or more than 4 years.
| Technique | Kids 12 and under | Teens 13 to 14 beg/int | Teens 13 to 14 adv | Teens 15 to 17 beg/int | Teens 15 to 17 adv | Adult beg/int | Adult adv | Masters beg/int | Masters adv | Worlds and Trials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ezekiel or punch choke | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Standing guillotine | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Knee reaping | No | See note | See note | See note | See note | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Straight ankle lock | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Heel hook | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Knee bar | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Toe hold, Aoki lock, Estima lock | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Calf and bicep slicers | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Wrist lock | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Neck crank, can opener, twister | No | No | No | No | No | See note | See note | See note | See note | See note |
| Suplex (not onto the head) | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Jumping to closed guard | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | See note |
| Scissor takedown (kani basami) | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | No | See note |
| Slam | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | See note |
| Spiking the opponent on the head | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
NAGA legal techniques
NAGA sets no-gi rules by skill level (beginner is white belt, intermediate is blue, expert is purple and up) and gi rules by belt.
| Technique | Kids 13 and under | Teens 14 to 17 | Adult beginner | Adult intermediate and expert |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heel hook | No | No | No | Yes |
| Straight ankle lock | No | See note | Yes | Yes |
| Knee reaping | No | See note | Yes | Yes |
| Knee bar | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Toe hold | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Calf and bicep slicers | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Neck crank | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Twister and spinal locks | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Wrist lock | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Scissor takedown (kani basami) | No | No | See note | See note |
| Jumping guard | No | See note | Yes | Yes |
| Slam | No | No | No | No |
NAGA gi legal techniques
| Technique | Kids | Teens | White | Blue | Purple | Brown and black |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Straight foot lock | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Wrist lock | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Rib or neck compression with the legs | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Knee bar | No | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| Toe hold | No | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| Calf and bicep slicers | No | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| Heel hook | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Neck crank and twister | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Scissor takedown (kani basami) | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Slam | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Jumping guard | No | See note | See note | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Knee reaping | No | See note | See note | See note | See note | See note |
Grappling Industries legal techniques
Grappling Industries sets rules by belt. Blue belts may reap the knee in gi and no-gi, and brown and black belts may use neck cranks even in the gi. Using a technique above your level means disqualification.
| Technique | Under 18 | White | Blue, and purple in the gi | Purple no-gi, brown, black |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ezekiel choke and gogoplata | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Kidney compression and groin stretch | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Straight or rotational ankle lock | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Wrist lock | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Standing guillotine | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Jumping attacks | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Knee bar | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Toe hold | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Knee reaping | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Bicep and calf slicers | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Neck and spinal cranks | No | No | No | Yes |
| Heel hook and Z-lock | No | No | No | See note |
| Scissor takedown (kani basami) | No | No | No | See note |
| Slam and attacks on the trachea | No | No | No | No |
Put the legal techniques checker on your gym or event website
Copy the embed code and paste it into your site builder. Competitors can check what's legal for their belt, age, and gi or no-gi division right on your page, with nothing to install and no account to create.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a heel hook and an ankle lock?
A straight ankle lock bends the foot back against the ankle and you feel it early. A heel hook rotates the heel and twists the knee, and it can tear ligaments before it hurts. At IBJJF the straight ankle lock is legal from white belt (and juvenile), the heel hook only for adult brown and black belts in no-gi.
Are heel hooks legal in IBJJF?
Only for adult brown and black belts in no-gi. They're illegal in the gi for everyone, and illegal for masters even at brown and black belt in no-gi.
Are heel hooks legal for blue belts?
Not at IBJJF, NAGA gi, or Grappling Industries. NAGA no-gi allows them for intermediate (blue belt) and up, and the ADCC Opens allow them for adult beginner and intermediate divisions, but not for masters below advanced.
Are heel hooks allowed at IBJJF Europeans and other IBJJF no-gi events?
Only for adult brown and black belts. The rule is the same at every IBJJF no-gi event, including the European, Pan, and World No-Gi Championships: juveniles, adult white through purple belts, and masters at any belt can't heel hook.
Are heel hooks legal in UFC BJJ?
Yes. Heel hooks are not on the UFC BJJ list of illegal techniques, which bans strikes, grabbing clothing, slams except to escape a fully applied submission, and pulling guard without starting action.
How are UFC BJJ rules different from IBJJF?
IBJJF scores points, advantages, and penalties, and restricts heel hooks to adult brown and black belts in no-gi. UFC BJJ has no points: three five-minute rounds are scored by judges on the 10-point must system, mostly on submission attempts, and heel hooks are allowed.
Can masters heel hook at IBJJF?
No. IBJJF's heel hook permission covers adult brown and black belt no-gi only. Master brown and black belts follow the same leg lock rules as the gi: straight foot locks, knee bars, toe holds, and calf slicers, but no heel hooks or reaping.
Are wrist locks legal for white belts?
Not at IBJJF, where wrist locks start at blue belt. NAGA gi also bans them for white belts. Grappling Industries and NAGA no-gi allow them for adult white belts, and ADCC Opens allow them for adult beginners.
Is knee reaping legal?
At IBJJF, only for adult brown and black belts in no-gi. ADCC Opens allow it for adults and masters, and teens may reap only unlocked. Grappling Industries allows it from blue belt, and NAGA no-gi sets no reaping restriction for adults.
Can white belts do foot locks at Grappling Industries?
Straight and rotational ankle locks, yes, for adult white belts. Knee bars, toe holds, knee reaping, and calf slicers start at blue belt, and heel hooks only from purple belt in no-gi.
Is the scorpion crunch legal?
Not at IBJJF, which bans spinal locks without a choke in every division, or in NAGA gi. NAGA no-gi allows spinal locks for adults from beginner up, and Grappling Industries from purple belt in no-gi and brown belt in the gi.
Are slams legal in BJJ?
No. IBJJF, NAGA, Grappling Industries, and the ADCC Opens ban slams. The only exception is the ADCC World Championship, where you may slam while already locked in a submission, and must stop if the opponent lets go.
Are neck cranks legal?
Not at IBJJF, where spinal locks without a choke are illegal in every division. NAGA no-gi allows them for adults, Grappling Industries for purple no-gi, brown, and black belts, and the ADCC Opens grid for adults and masters, except cervical cranks.
What happens if I use an illegal technique at IBJJF?
It's a severe foul and you're disqualified. The one exception is a single leg with the head outside in divisions where it's not allowed: the referee restarts the match standing without a penalty.
Sources: IBJJF Rules Book v6.1 (June 2024); ADCC rules and Opens legal techniques grid (2026); NAGA rules (2023, updated July 2024); Grappling Industries rulebook (February 2026); UFC BJJ rules and scoring (June 2025). Checked September 2026.
Open data: the tables on this page are free to reuse as JSON on GitHub (grapple-flows/bjj-data, CC BY 4.0).