Single Leg Pass

Last updated: June 9, 2026

What is a single leg pass?

A single leg pass is built around one idea: deal with one of the opponent’s legs, and the rest of the pass opens up. The top player scoops or lifts a single leg, takes away its ability to block, and circles around it. It belongs to the under-the-legs family of pressure passes, alongside the double under pass, which scoops both legs, and the over under pass, which takes one leg over and one leg under.

Passing the guard is one of the highest scoring actions a grappler can perform. According to bjjmore, a completed pass is worth three points in most IBJJF gi competition, which is part of why the under-the-legs passes get taught early. When commentary or a coach mentions a single leg pass, they mean the passer controlled one leg and worked their way past it, rather than dealing with both legs at once.

How the single leg pass works

The job of any guard pass is to get the opponent’s legs out of the way. Evolve Daily describes the core principle of the under-the-legs passes well: lifting a leg up forces the opponent to expose their torso, which is what lets the passer move past. With a single leg pass, only one leg gets elevated. The passer drives weight forward to limit the opponent’s hip movement, keeps a tight head and shoulder position, and travels around the controlled leg toward side control.

What separates this from drilling it is depth. Recognising a single leg pass means spotting that one leg is lifted and the passer is circling it, not learning the exact grips and footwork. The guard player’s usual answers are framing on the head and freeing the trapped leg back to the armpit. Jiu Jitsu Legacy makes a related point worth knowing: these passes work best when treated as a position to settle into and advance from, not a single explosive movement.

Single leg pass vs related passes

The single leg pass sits next to two close relatives that beginners often mix up. They share the same goal but control the legs differently, and the table below shows how.

Pass	How the legs are controlled	Defining feature
Single leg pass	One leg lifted onto a shoulder or trapped with an underhook	Passes around a single controlled leg
Double under pass	Both legs scooped from underneath and stacked	Heavy stack with both legs off the mat
Over under pass	One leg over the shoulder, the other pinned underneath	Splits the legs, half over and half under

The thing that defines the single leg pass is the one-leg focus. Because only one leg is controlled, the passer has a freer hand and a faster, lighter feel than the heavy double under stack, at the cost of the other leg still being a threat to recover guard.

Why the single leg pass works

The most common misunderstanding is that the pass comes from muscling the leg out of the way. It comes from removing the leg as a barrier and winning head and hip position. A guard player defends mostly with two framing points, and lifting one leg takes one of those points away, which is why the pass feels like it opens space almost on its own when the control is right.

A second misconception is that passing is one clean motion. BJJ Fanatics and Jiu Jitsu Legacy both treat these passes as controlled, staged positions. Rushing is the usual error: the passer who lifts the leg and immediately lunges tends to get swept or have guard recovered, while the one who settles the control first tends to finish.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the single leg pass the same as the double under pass?

No. The double under pass scoops and stacks both legs, while the single leg pass controls only one. They come from the same under-the-legs family and often chain together, which is why they get confused.

Is the single leg pass good for beginners?

Yes. It is one of the foundational pressure passes and shows up early in most curricula, partly because controlling one leg is simpler than managing both.

Does the single leg pass work in no-gi?

Yes. The under-the-legs passes work in gi and no-gi, though the grips change. BJJ Fanatics notes that the related double under pass needs grip adjustments without a collar and pants to hold.

How many points is passing the guard worth?

In most IBJJF gi rules, a completed guard pass scores three points, according to bjjmore. A single leg pass is one way to earn them.

What is the difference between the single leg pass and the over under pass?

The over under pass splits the legs, taking one leg over the shoulder and pinning the other underneath. The single leg pass controls just one leg.

---

Sources

1. Evolve Daily. “How To Properly Utilize The Double Under Pass For BJJ.” Accessed June 2026.
   https://evolve-mma.com/blog/how-to-properly-utilize-the-double-under-pass-for-bjj/
2. BJJ Fanatics. “Over Under Pass BJJ.” Accessed June 2026.
   https://bjjfanatics.com/blogs/news/over-under-pass-bjj
3. BJJ Fanatics. “Guard Passing: Double Under Pass.” Accessed June 2026.
   https://bjjfanatics.com/blogs/news/guard-passing-double-under-pass
4. Jiu Jitsu Legacy. “Top 5 BJJ Guard Pass Positions You Need to Know.” Accessed June 2026.
   https://jiujitsulegacy.com/bjj-lifestyle/five-bjj-guard-pass-positions/
5. BJJ Graph. “Guard Pass.” Accessed June 2026.
   https://bjjgraph.org/Transitions/Guard-Pass
6. bjjmore. “How To Pass Guard Easily (List Of 10+ BJJ Guard Passes).” Accessed June 2026.
   https://bjjmore.com/all-bjj-guard-passes/

Related MMA Terms