ADCC East Coast Trials are this Saturday and Sunday, airing exclusively on FloGrappling, and many of the best from around America, Canada, and beyond will be in attendance. With divisions of over 250 athletes, some will have to win 8 straight matches to qualify for the 2024 ADCC World Championships.

The Tournament Will Be Streamed Live HERE On FloGrappling

Why This Matters

The winner of the men's divisions will automatically earn an invitation to the ADCC World Championships, happening August 17-18 in Las Vegas, NV at the T-Mobile Arena. It is the most prestigious tournament in submission grappling. Two of the East Coast Trials winners from 2021, the most recent edition, went on to win the ADCC Worlds in life-changing performances. To get their chance at that dream, these grapplers will have to defeat and outlast up to 255 other guys with that same goal.

The women's divisions don't earn the same automatic qualifying spots, those are only available at the West Coast Trials coming next year. They will get their West Coast Trials sponsored by tournament organizers Mo Jassim and Tom DeBlass, including registration, flights, and hotel.

The Ultimate ADCC 2022 Highlight

ADCC Weight Classes

Weigh ins will take place day before the tournament begins, at the venue 7-9pm. Brackets will only be released after weigh ins.

Men's Divisions

• -66kg/145.50lbs
• -77kg/169.75lbs
• -88kg/194lbs
• -99kg/218.25lbs
• +99kg/Unlimited

Women's Divisions 

Of note: This will be the first Trials where these new weights are contested, the previous weight classes were -60kg and +60kg.

• -55kg/121.25lbs
• -65kg/143.30lbs
• +65kg/Unlimited

Brackets

Brackets are available here

Previous Trials Winner & ADCC World Champion Bodoni Gives His Advice

ADCC Trials Match Format

Each match will be contested under ADCC rules, with a six minute time limit, with a three minute overtime if the match ends in a tie. The first half of each match (the first 3 minutes) will be no points, to encourage more open action. The second half and overtime will have points and potential negatives. 

At the end of the match, the penalties are not advantages - they are points deducted from the points scored. So, if you have a fighter who scores 2 points but has 2 negatives, they really have 0 points.

The finals are a little different, they increase the time to 8 minutes (meaning no points for the first 4 minutes), and negatives are in play the ENTIRE match.

Points are scored for controlling positions for a minimum of 3 seconds in the following ways:

• Takedown that ends in guard - 2 points
• Takedown that ends in side control - 4 points
• Sweep that ends in guard - 2 points
• Sweep that ends in side control - 4 points
  • Reversals from bad positions like side control or mount are considered sweeps, so long as they initiate the action.
• Passing the guard - 3 points
• Knee on belly - 2 points
• Mount - 2 points
• Back mount - 3 points

Penalties are scored mainly for the following:

• Pulling guard
• Passivity - aggression matters a LOT under ADCC rules

Matches end by submission, points, or judge's decision. The on-mat referee doesn't judge the fight, they are only there to control the action. Matches can continue out of bounds (including far out of bounds) and be restarted by the referee in the same position once action has settled. The judges will offer a decision on tied matches after overtime, and the number one criteria is who is pursuing action the most.

Hear From ADCC Head Organizer Mo Jassim

ADCC East Coast Trials Tournament Schedule

The tournament will happen over two days. The first day will end with the top-32 set for men, meaning athletes in full divisions will have up to 3 matches. The second day will be the elite of North American grappling talent, with 5 rounds of action in the more narrow fields. It is an incredibly physically demanding weekend. Women's divisions will go through the round of 32 in each bracket, so top 16 qualify for day 2.

FULL SCHEDULE - all times EST

• Friday

  • 7-9pm Weigh ins
  • 9pm free rules seminar
• Saturday
  • 6-7am secondary weigh in (if you couldn't make first weigh in)
  • 8am Doors Open
  • 9am Men's -66kg
  • 12pm Men's -77kg
  • 3:30pm Men's -88kg
  • 6:30pm Men's -99kg, +99kg, Women's -55kg, -65kg, +65
    • TOP 32 OF MEN'S DIVISIONS QUALIFY FOR DAY 2
    • TOP 16 OF WOMEN'S DIVISIONS QUALIFY FOR DAY 2
• Sunday
  • 8:00am Doors Open
  • 9:00am Men's Divisions round of 32
  • 10:30am All Divisions round of 16
  • 11:30am Quarterfinals
  • 12:30pm Semifinals
  • 1:00pm Bronze medal matches
  • 1:30pm Break
  • 3:00pm Finals

ADCC East Coast Trials Entry List

You can find a full list of athletes here.

Already Qualified For ADCC 2024 Worlds

The only people officially qualified for the 2024 ADCC World Championships are the winners of the Europe, Middle East, & African Trials. There will be 8 qualifiers across 4 regions, and 8 invitations decided on by the ADCC organization (half of that for women's divisions). Returning medalists are traditionally always offered an automatic invitation, but nothing is official yet.

• -66kg - Owen Jones
• -77kg - Jozef Chen
• -88kg - Santeri Lilius
• -99kg - Luke Griffith
• +99kg - Heikki Jussila

2021 ADCC East Coast Trials Champions

• Men's Divisions
  • -66kg - Cole Abate (0-1 at 2022 Worlds)
  • -77kg - Kade Ruotolo (2022 ADCC World Champion)
  • -88kg - Giancarlo Bodoni (2022 ADCC World Champion)
  • -99kg - Mason Fowler (1-1 at 2022 Worlds at 88kg)
  • +99kg - John Hansen (1-1 at 2022 Worlds)
• Women's Divisions
  • -60kg - Brianna Ste-Marie (2022 ADCC World Runner-Up)
  • +60kg - Kendall Reusing (2022 ADCC 4th-Place Finish)

Check Back When More Info Is Available

This article will be updated as preseeds are released and any major updates become available pre-tournament. Brackets don't come out until after weigh-ins.