The International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) is the largest and most influential governing body in competition BJJ. It runs major events including the World Championship (Worlds), Pan-American Championship, and European Championship. Its ruleset — points for dominant positions, advantages as tiebreakers, time limits, and restricted techniques by belt level — is the de facto standard for gi competition globally.
IBJJF also sets minimum time requirements for belt promotions: for example, a minimum of two years at blue belt before purple, and a minimum age of 16 for blue belt. These requirements govern competitors entering IBJJF-registered events and have influenced how many academies worldwide structure promotions.
The IBJJF points system rewards positional advancement: takedowns and guard pulls, guard passes, sweeps, dominant positions, and near-submissions each score defined values.