This is a practical, plain-English summary of the IBJJF uniform requirements as we understand them, written for brands and academies who need their gis to be competition-legal. The federation updates its rules periodically, so always confirm against the official IBJJF rulebook before an event. In late 2024 the IBJJF tightened its uniform guide and introduced an official Gi Checker tool, most notably reducing the sleeve and trouser fit tolerance from 5 cm to about 2 cm.
1. Colour and Material
- Approved colours: white, royal blue (navy blue is not allowed) or black only.
- One uniform colour: the jacket, trousers and collar must all be the same colour. A contrasting lapel or collar is not allowed, even when it's a deliberate, factory-made design.
- No prints or hand-painting on the fabric; decoration is only permitted as patches in the approved zones.
- Material: a woven (embossed braided or pearl-weave) cotton or cotton-like jacket. Twill or canvas jackets are not accepted. Ripstop is fine for the trousers, but the jacket must be woven. (More in our weaves and GSM guide.)
- Fabric weight (GSM): the manufacturer manual sets the jacket at 380–650 g/m² and the trousers at 220–300 g/m². The jacket must be at least ~90% cotton/cellulose (max 10% synthetic); the trousers at least ~55% cellulose.
2. Jacket and Sleeves
- Jacket length should reach down to the thighs.
- Sleeve length: with the arm extended straight out, the cuff must sit within about 2 cm of the wrist.
- Sleeve opening: wide enough for the official 7 cm measuring tool to pass through, so an opponent can take a grip.
3. Trousers
- Length: the hem must sit within about 2 cm of the ankle bone.
- Width: from the knee down, the leg opening must be at least 7 cm.
4. Collar
- Thickness: between 1 and 1.3 cm. EVA foam or similar inside the collar is fine, as long as it stays within that limit.
- Width: 4.5–5 cm.
- No embroidery or printing on the collar, on either side.
5. Belt
- Width: roughly 4–5 cm.
- Tip: a black tip for all belts up to black belt; black belts may carry a white or red tip.
- Length: once tied, the ends should hang around 20–30 cm.
6. Undergarments
- Men: no T-shirt or rash guard under the jacket; briefs-style underwear (not boxer shorts).
- Women: an elastic top or rash guard under the jacket is required; leggings are allowed only if they're shorter than the gi trousers.
7. Patches and Condition
- Patches are only allowed in the defined zones (see the official IBJJF diagrams) and must be neatly sewn on.
- Condition: the gi must be clean, dry, free of odour, and have no holes or tears. Inspectors can reject a worn or damp gi on the spot.
The 10-Minute Home Self-Check
Your customers can catch almost every problem before competition day with a tape measure. It won't be the final word, since the inspector's official tools decide, but it avoids the obvious failures:
- Sleeves: arm out straight, measure cuff to wrist crease and aim for 2 cm or less.
- Trousers: measure ankle bone to hem, 2 cm or less.
- Collar: check thickness (1–1.3 cm) and width (4.5–5 cm) with a ruler.
- Sleeve opening: confirm it's at least 7 cm across with the arm extended.
Tip to pass on to your athletes: bring a backup gi. Even a legal gi can fail on the day due to last-minute shrinkage or a strict inspector, so a spare (and a properly pre-shrunk gi to begin with) is cheap insurance.
What This Means for Your Brand
If you sell to competitors, "IBJJF-legal" is more than a nice-to-have. It's the difference between a gi your customers trust and one that lets them down at the worst moment. The details brands most often get wrong are colour matching (a stylish contrast collar that's actually illegal), collar thickness, and the tighter 2 cm fit tolerance. Every gi we make can be built to IBJJF-legal specification, and because we pre-shrink and sanforise our fabric, your customers are far less likely to be caught out by shrinkage on the day.
Tell us the events your customers compete in and we'll make sure your private-label gis pass inspection, every time.