The Grappling Referee reacts to ADCC 2019 - Aly vs. Rodriguez

ADCC has been one of the most prestigious grappling tournaments in the world for more than two decades. In 2019, it got an upgrade to the physical presentation, the marketing, the social media, the technology, and even the venue and mat area. But some areas that have not seen a marked evolution include the rule set, the rule book, and the officiating.

The marketing has been to juxtapose ADCC with IBJJF Worlds, contrasting mainly the prize opportunity for competitors and the less complicated, less restrictive rule set. Unfortunately, the format of half sub-only, half-points with overtime format has not proven more effective at submission rates. If we remove the sensational and unexpected submissions from Lachlan Giles, the submission rate of ADCC was very average and comparable with IBJJF Worlds in the 30-40% range.

And along with a looser rule set, there has been evidence of looser officiating, which created several less than desirable circumstances. In many instances, this resulted in competitors flying into tables and photographers, or even other chaotic circumstances. I think the perception is that with less interference from the official, there will be a more conducive submission environment, but again, that did not bear out. Instead, it was replaced with some bad optics which raised larger questions about the officiating and rule set.

Understand that often enforcement of the rules is collectively dictated by the referee team. In other words, referees are instructed about how to handle matches and the various details that can occur that are not articulated in a written format anywhere. If a referee is following the team instructions on a given matter, say border enforcement, then any criticism is about the instruction provided and not the referee’s specific application of the rules.

From my ADCC spectator experience, I was impressed with many aspects of the event, including the build-up and overall presentation, but was somewhat disappointed in the rule set and its application by the referee team. My biggest criticism is centered on border enforcement and referee commands/gestures not being consistent, uniform, or logically enforced to maximize enjoyment of the match, clarity for understanding what is occurring, and the safety of the competitors.

I’ve chosen to dive deeper into perhaps the strangest occurrence at the event, which happened early between Nick Rodriguez and Mahamed Aly. Please understand my focus is on the larger issues related to my observations and not the particular individuals that play a role here. I hope ADCC and other likeminded pro tournaments make the same considerations related to my suggestions on how to improve matches with specific rules and officiating.

Please enjoy the video and let me know what you think.