Abstract: A pulley (1, 5, 6, 7, 12) for belt drives with nubbed belts (2, 11, 20), having recesses (3, 9, 13) for engagement with the nubs (4, 10, 21, 22), disposed at the lateral edges of the circumferential surface of the pulley (1, 5, 6, 7, 12) and open toward the side. Two or more such pulleys (1, 5, 6, 7, 12) can be disposed on the same shaft (8) adjacent to one another. The recesses (13) can be half circular cylinders and the adjoining pulleys (12) can thus be rotated at an angle to one another so that two recesses facing one another receive one circular cylindrical nub (4, 10). The recesses (3, 9, 13) may be U-shaped when viewed from above. As nub, a nubbed belt (2, 11, 20) may have either flat circular cylinders (4, 10) or cylinders or cones having an elliptical base, an oval base, or a base following the U-shape, disposed in rows, and, if necessary, offset from one another by half a pitch as well as overlapping.