Closeouts are a peculiar situation native only to jiu-jitsu. When two teammates meet in the finals, they have the option to come to a 'gentleman's agreement' and decide between themselves who will take the gold medal. They often walk onto the mat, shake hands, and one will have his arm raised. 

At this year's World Championships, there was only one closeout – when Gracie Barra middleweights Otavio Sousa and Gabriel Arges took gold and silver respectively.

Over the last five years, there have been at least one or two finals at every World Championships where the podium positions were dictated by closeouts. This practice is even more prevalent in smaller tournaments. 

Some events simply don't allow closeouts, such as the UAEJJF, which places teammates in the brackets so they would meet in the semi-finals, thereby ensuring that members of different teams always face off in the finals. 

It isn't well known, but the IBJJF also enforces this restriction upon competitors – but only in the Pro series of tournaments where cash prizes are on the line. 

At this weekend's Sao Paulo BJJ Pro IBJJF Championship, the rules are clear: No closeouts. 

What do you think of gentleman's agreements? Should teammates be allowed to face off and closeout a final without fighting, or should they be seeded so fans are ensured a final between opponents from different teams?