The IBJJF decides what you can use by age first and belt second. Under 18, only age matters. From 18, your belt decides the column, and at brown and black belt so do gi or no-gi and whether you enter Adult or Masters. Pick yours below.
Check your division
18 of 26 moves on the IBJJF table are illegal for an adult white belt in the gi. You compete under the Ages 16–17 and adult or masters white column.
Illegal
- Closed-guard squeeze on kidneys or ribs
- Wrist lock
- Single leg with head outside (no penalty)
- Bicep slicer
- Calf slicer
- Knee bar
- Toe hold
- Straight foot lock: turning toward the foot not under attack
- Heel hook
- Locks that twist the knee
- Knee reaping
- Outward pressure on the foot in a toe hold
- Slam
- Spinal lock without a choke
- Scissor takedown (kani basami)
- Bending fingers backward
- Belt-grip throw onto the head vs single leg
- Suplex landing on head or neck
Allowed from the table
- Leg-stretching submissions (splits)
- Choke with spinal lock
- Straight foot lock
- Ezekiel (sleeve) choke
- Frontal guillotine
- Omoplata
- Triangle pulling the head
- Arm triangle
Next to open up, in the Adult and masters blue and purple column: closed-guard squeeze on kidneys or ribs, wrist lock, single leg with head outside (no penalty).
How the checker picks your column
IBJJF age is the competition year minus your birth year, so use the age you turn this year.
- 4–12: the strictest column. All 26 moves on the table are illegal, whatever the belt color. Holds that are not on the table stay legal, such as the kimura, a rear naked choke without a neck crank and a triangle choke that does not pull the head.
- 13–15: leg-stretching submissions open up. Everything else stays banned.
- 16–17 (juvenile): the adult white belt column at white, blue and purple. Juvenile blue and purple belts do not get wrist locks.
- Adult (18+) and Masters (30+): white belt keeps the juvenile column; blue and purple add wrist locks; brown and black add knee bars, toe holds and slicers. The belt roadmaps cover what to study at each of those belts.
- Adult brown and black in no-gi only: heel hooks, knee reaping and knee-twisting locks. Masters brown and black keep the gi column in no-gi.
- Gi or no-gi only changes the result for brown and black belts in the Adult division.
Moves no division allows
Six rows are illegal for everyone, from kids to black belt no-gi.
- Slams
- Spinal locks without a choke, such as the twister
- The scissor takedown (kani basami)
- Bending fingers backward
- A belt-grip throw that drops the opponent on the head while they hold a single leg
- Suplexes that land the opponent on the head or neck
Key Takeaways
- Under 18 your age decides the rules; belt color does not.
- Juveniles at any belt follow the adult white belt column.
- Masters use the adult column for their belt, except the Adult no-gi brown and black column.
- Heel hooks are legal only for adult brown and black belt in no-gi; illegal for masters, the gi, and every age and belt below adult brown belt.
- Check the current Illegal Moves poster on ibjjf.com before an event.
Further Study
IBJJF Books and Videos (Rule Book & Illegal Moves poster)
Official Rule Book v6.1 and the Technical Fouls & Illegal Moves poster this checker follows.
IBJJF illegal moves by belt and age: full chart
The whole table in one grid, with what unlocks at each step.
IBJJF masters age divisions: 2026 and 2027 birth-year chart
Which adult or master division your birth year puts you in.
