BJJ Positions Explained: Guard, Side Control, Mount, and Back

A takedown brings a standing opponent to the ground. A qualifying IBJJF takedown is worth two points after the required control is established.IBJJF Rule Book (v6.0) [1]

In closed guard, the bottom player’s legs surround the torso with ankles crossed. Open guard uses unclosed legs and points of contact. Half guard traps one of the top player’s legs between the bottom player’s legs.Learning the Guard: Fundamentals at Gracie Barra Jiu Jitsu Thousand Oaks [3]

Under IBJJF rules, a qualifying sweep from guard is worth two points. Passing the guard and stabilizing beyond the legs is worth three.IBJJF Rule Book (v6.0) [1]

See how the three guards work for their body positions and purposes.

In side control, the top player is beside the opponent, with their chest across the opponent’s torso and their body beyond the guarding legs. The bottom player is underneath that upper-body control.IBJJF Rule Book (v6.0) [1]·Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Terminology & Glossary [4]

Guard → pass → side control is one example of an exchange. Guard and side control are positions; the pass is the action connecting them. IBJJF awards three points for completing a qualifying pass, rather than for side control by itself.IBJJF Rule Book (v6.0) [1]

Knee-on-belly: the top player is beside the opponent with a knee or shin across the torso. The other foot stays on the mat, with that knee off the ground in the IBJJF scoring form.IBJJF Rule Book (v6.0) [1]·Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Terminology & Glossary [4]

Mount: the top player straddles the opponent’s torso, facing the opponent’s head, with a knee on each side in the basic form.IBJJF Rule Book (v6.0) [1]·Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Terminology & Glossary [4]

Back control: the attacker is behind the opponent, chest toward their back. Leg hooks—the feet placed inside the opponent’s thighs—help control the lower body while the arms control the upper body. Being behind someone alone does not satisfy every scoring requirement.IBJJF Rule Book (v6.0) [1]·Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Terminology & Glossary [4]

In the current IBJJF table, knee-on-belly is worth two points, while mount and qualifying back control are worth four. These values describe competition scoring; they do not prove that one position is always tactically better in every exchange.IBJJF Rule Book (v6.0) [1]·ADCC Championship Rules & Regulations [2]

Turtle names the posture of an athlete on hands and knees with the elbows tucked in. It describes that athlete’s body position, while back control describes an opponent’s control from behind.IBJJF Rule Book (v6.0) [1]·Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Terminology & Glossary [4]

The cited IBJJF scoring table names takedown, sweep, knee-on-belly, guard pass, mount, back mount, and back control. Turtle has no standalone point value in that table.IBJJF Rule Book (v6.0) [1]

ADCC illustrates why no single points chart can stand for all BJJ. Its published championship rules use different values for mount, back control, takedowns, and sweeps, and its matches include phases in which positive points are not yet counted.ADCC Championship Rules & Regulations [2]

When watching or entering an event, read that event’s current rules. Use positional language to understand control, then use the correct rules document to understand the score.

Both IBJJF and ADCC rules recognize a submission, when an athlete concedes, as a way to win. A points lead and a submission are different match outcomes.IBJJF Rule Book (v6.0) [1]·ADCC Championship Rules & Regulations [2]

For the next layer, read BJJ submissions explained, then compare the broader definition in What is BJJ?.