IBJJF places kids by birth year: Mighty Mite 1–3 are ages 4–6, Pee-Wee 1–3 are 7–9, Junior 1–3 are 10–12, Teen 1–3 are 13–15, and Juvenile covers 16–17. Age is the competition year minus the birth year.
Every IBJJF youth division at a glance
One row per division: the age it covers, the birth years for the 2026 and 2027 seasons, the belts IBJJF event tables allow, and which column of the Illegal Moves table applies.
| Division | Age | Born (2026 events) | Born (2027 events) | Belts allowed | Illegal-moves column |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mighty Mite 1 | 4 | 2022 | 2023 | Grey | 4–12 |
| Mighty Mite 2 | 5 | 2021 | 2022 | Grey | 4–12 |
| Mighty Mite 3 | 6 | 2020 | 2021 | Grey | 4–12 |
| Pee-Wee 1 | 7 | 2019 | 2020 | Grey, yellow | 4–12 |
| Pee-Wee 2 | 8 | 2018 | 2019 | Grey, yellow | 4–12 |
| Pee-Wee 3 | 9 | 2017 | 2018 | Grey, yellow | 4–12 |
| Junior 1 | 10 | 2016 | 2017 | Grey, yellow, orange | 4–12 |
| Junior 2 | 11 | 2015 | 2016 | Grey, yellow, orange | 4–12 |
| Junior 3 | 12 | 2014 | 2015 | Grey, yellow, orange | 4–12 |
| Teen 1 | 13 | 2013 | 2014 | Grey, yellow, orange, green | 13–15 |
| Teen 2 | 14 | 2012 | 2013 | Grey, yellow, orange, green | 13–15 |
| Teen 3 | 15 | 2011 | 2012 | Grey, yellow, orange, green | 13–15 |
| Juvenile | 16–17 | 2010, 2009 | 2011, 2010 | White, blue, purple | Juvenile / adult white belt |
How IBJJF counts age
Birth year decides the division for the whole season. The birthday does not.
IBJJF subtracts the birth year from the competition year. A child born in 2013 is in Teen 1 at every 2026 event, even before their 13th birthday, and moves to Teen 2 on 1 January 2027.
Kids register only in the division for their birth year. IBJJF kids event pages add one hard limit: Teen 3 athletes cannot move up into Juvenile, even when their bracket is empty.
Juveniles (16 and 17) compete in white, blue and purple belt brackets. At 18 an athlete moves to the Adult division, where brown and black belts are also allowed.
Which rules apply to each division
IBJJF bans submissions by age column, not by belt color, so the division name tells you which list to read.
- Mighty Mite, Pee-Wee and Junior (ages 4–12) use the strictest column, where straight foot locks, omoplatas, frontal guillotines, Ezekiels, arm triangles and wrist locks, among others, are illegal.
- Teen 1–3 (ages 13–15) keep almost every under-13 ban. The main change is that leg-stretch submissions become legal.
- Juvenile (16–17) shares the adult white-belt column. Straight foot locks, omoplatas and frontal guillotines become legal; wrist locks, knee bars, toe holds and heel hooks stay illegal.
- All under-15 divisions also ban jumping closed guard on a standing opponent.
Kids belt colors by division
The belts an athlete can wear widen as the divisions get older.
Grey: from Mighty Mite
Grey is the only belt allowed in Mighty Mite 1–3 and stays allowed through Teen 3.
Yellow: from Pee-Wee
Yellow belts first appear in Pee-Wee 1 (age 7) and can compete through Teen 3.
Orange: from Junior
Orange belts first appear in Junior 1 (age 10). An orange belt follows the 4–12 rules in Junior and the 13–15 rules in Teen.
Green: from Teen
Green belts are allowed only in Teen 1–3 (ages 13–15). From Juvenile on, athletes compete in adult belt colors.
Key Takeaways
- IBJJF youth divisions run Mighty Mite (4–6), Pee-Wee (7–9), Junior (10–12), Teen (13–15) and Juvenile (16–17).
- Age is the competition year minus the birth year; the birthday does not matter.
- Illegal moves follow age columns: 4–12, 13–15, and juvenile with adult white belts.
- Check the Belt & Age Divisions table on each event page before registering.
Further Study
Kids International IBJJF Championship, Las Vegas 2026
Official 2026 table of kids birth years, divisions and allowed belts.
Pan Kids IBJJF Championship 2024
Same division table for 2024, and the rule that Teen 3 cannot move into Juvenile.
Sacramento Fall International Open IBJJF 2026
Official Juvenile and Adult birth years and belts for 2026.
IBJJF Books and Videos (Rule Book & Illegal Moves poster)
Official IBJJF Rule Book and the Illegal Moves table by age column.
IBJJF kids rules: illegal submissions by age
The full list of moves banned in the 4–12, 13–15 and juvenile columns.
What submissions are illegal at white belt (IBJJF)?
The adult white-belt list that juveniles share.
