Is the scissor takedown legal?
Rules for the scissor takedown in 5 rulesets.
Rules change. Check the official rulebook for your event before competing. This site is not affiliated with IBJJF, ADCC, NAGA or Grappling Industries.
- IBJJF: illegal in every division
- ADCC: legal for adults, advanced
- NAGA no-gi: depends on the division
- NAGA gi: illegal in every division
- Grappling Industries: depends on the division
IBJJF
| Division | Status |
|---|---|
| Ages 4 to 12 | Illegal |
| Ages 13 to 15 | Illegal |
| Ages 16 to 17 (all belts) and adult/master white belts | Illegal |
| Adult and master blue and purple belts | Illegal |
| Adult and master brown and black belts, except adult no-gi | Illegal |
| Adult brown and black belts, no-gi | Illegal |
ADCC
| Division | Status |
|---|---|
| Kids 12 and under | Illegal |
| Teens 13 to 14, beginner and intermediate | Illegal |
| Teens 13 to 14, advanced | Illegal |
| Teens 15 to 17, beginner and intermediate | Illegal |
| Teens 15 to 17, advanced | Illegal |
| Adults, beginner and intermediate | Illegal |
| Adults, advanced | Legal |
| Masters, beginner and intermediate | Illegal |
| Masters, advanced | Illegal |
| World Championship and Trials | Depends |
Not addressed in the World Championship rules.
NAGA no-gi
| Division | Status |
|---|---|
| Kids 13 and under | Illegal |
| Teens 14 to 17 | Illegal |
| Adult novice and beginner (white belt) | Depends |
| Adult intermediate and expert (blue belt and up) | Depends |
Legal for adults only if a hand is placed on the mat first.
NAGA gi
| Division | Status |
|---|---|
| Kids 13 and under | Illegal |
| Teens 14 to 17 | Illegal |
| White belt | Illegal |
| Blue belt | Illegal |
| Purple belt | Illegal |
| Brown and black belt | Illegal |
Grappling Industries
| Division | Status |
|---|---|
| Under 18 | Illegal |
| White belt | Illegal |
| Blue belt, and purple belt in the gi | Illegal |
| Purple belt in no-gi, brown and black belt | Depends |
No-gi only.
See also
Data from bjj-data by Grapple Flows (grappleflows.com), licensed CC BY 4.0; reformatted into tables on this page.
Data: bjj-data (Grapple Flows) (CC BY 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.
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