Even though many people say they don’t care about points and only go for the submission, knowing the rules of the sport you practice and fighting with “the rulebook under your arm” can be the difference between winning and losing a competition.
In this article I’ll talk a bit about how penalties work in Jiu-Jitsu, so I can help you avoid them. After all, nobody wants to be penalized, right?
Penalties in Jiu-Jitsu
Penalties in Jiu-Jitsu are cumulative and are classified as lack of combativeness, serious fouls and very serious fouls.
Very serious fouls lead to immediate disqualification. For the other fouls, serious fouls and lack of combativeness, the referee makes the gesture below to penalize the offender.
After an athlete receives one penalty, the second penalty comes with an advantage for the opponent, as I show in the next image:
On the third foul, the penalty comes with two points for the opponent, and finally the fourth foul means the athlete is disqualified.
In the divisions up to 15 years old, the fourth and fifth fouls give two points to the opponent, and the athlete is only disqualified on the sixth foul.
Lack of combativeness
When an athlete goes 20 seconds without trying to progress in the position, that is, without looking for a progressive position that can score points or lead to a submission, the athlete is penalized for lack of combativeness.
In the mount and back control, as long as the technical characteristics of the positions are maintained, there are no penalties for lack of combativeness.
Transitions in side control
Reaching side control and just switching between side control variations doesn’t show that the athlete is pursuing the fight. So, to avoid being penalized for this, once you get to side control (the "100kg"), go for the submission or progress to positions that score points, such as mount, back control and knee on belly.
Speaking of side control, have you seen the article where I explain how to escape one of these side control positions and still finish with an armlock? Check out the article How to escape side control?
Playing open guard means no penalty?
A myth that exists in Jiu-Jitsu academies is that the athlete on the bottom playing open guard can’t be penalized for lack of combativeness. But the truth is that both the athlete playing guard and the athlete passing the guard must try to progress in their positions, otherwise both will be penalized for lack of combativeness.
Serious fouls
Serious fouls don’t disqualify the athlete right away. However, the penalties are cumulative and can lead to disqualification.
From the list of serious fouls, here are some we need to watch out for so we don’t get penalized during the match:
- Kneeling or sitting during the takedown exchange without making any grip;
- Pushing the opponent out of the competition area;
- Deliberately removing your gi or belt;
- Gripping inside the opponent’s pant leg or sleeve opening with your fingers;
- Disobeying a referee’s order;
Remember that this is not the complete list of serious fouls; it can be found on the website of the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Confederation (CBJJ), at the link at the end of the article.
Very serious fouls
Very serious fouls are divided into technical fouls and disciplinary fouls. In both cases the athlete is disqualified immediately.
Technical foul
Here are some technical fouls that can lead to disqualification:
- After your gi becomes unusable, not being able to change it within the time set by the referee;
- Deliberately fleeing the competition area to escape a submission;
- Covering the opponent’s nose and mouth with your hands;
It is also considered a technical foul when the athlete applies a technique that is illegal in their division. See the table of illegal techniques below:
Disciplinary foul
Disciplinary fouls happen less often. Still, they should be kept in mind, and I’m leaving the complete list below:
- An athlete who uses offensive language or obscene gestures toward the opponent, referee, table officials or audience.
- An athlete who assaults the opponent, referee, event staff or audience.
- An athlete who bites, pulls hair, strikes the genitals or eyes, or uses any intentional traumatic blow;
- An athlete who, during the match or while celebrating the win, acts in an offensive or disrespectful way toward the opponent or the audience;
- Faking the match in order to close out a division.
Penalties are cumulative
As I said at the beginning of the article, penalties are cumulative, so we need to pay attention so we don’t lose a match this way.
For example: if, at the start of the match, an athlete kneels without making a grip and disobeys a referee’s order, he already gets two penalties and the opponent gets an advantage. If, when the match restarts, he grips inside the opponent’s pant leg, he gets another penalty and the opponent scores two points. From that moment on, any penalty he receives will lead to disqualification.
Did you like the article? Leave your questions and comments below, and don’t forget to share it with your training partners.
If you want to see the complete rulebook of the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Confederation, download it from the link below:
http://cbjj.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/RegrasIBJJF_v4_pt-BR.pdf
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