Minutemen Youth Wrestling

First, let's explain the difference between professional wrestling and folkstyle wrestling. Although the general idea is the same, "take them down & pin them", the focus or thrust of each style of wrestling is different. Professional wrestling is purely entertainment lacking true competition and/or any rules except for the rules of drama, acting, & scripting. Folkstyle wrestling is purely competitive and has many rules some of which we will cover.

Neutral

At the beginning of a folkstyle match, the wrestlers are both standing in the neutral position. The neutral position literally is neutral because neither wrestler has control of another i.e. both wrestlers have neutral control. If either wrestlers gets established control via a take down, 2 points are awarded (the points are awarded for established control). A take down occurs in folkstyle wrestling when one gets established control from the standing neutral position. Established control in this sense means getting behind the opponent & taking the opponent down to the mat or ground & controlling the opponent for at least 1 second. Often times in folkstyle matches, control is not gained & 2 points are not awarded because the referee feels no one had established control or the 1 second of control did not occur. This lack of established control may be called a scramble.

Referee's Position

Wrestlers can score points from the neutral standing position or the top & bottom positions. The French call this top & bottom position par terre (which means on the mat or ground). American (USA) folkstylers call this position, where one wrestler is given a clear control starting position, referee's position. The wrestler given the clear control starting position is the top wrestler. The wrestler who is being controlled is in the bottom position. If the wrestler on bottom reverses control, s/he is awarded 2 points for a reversal. If the wrestler on bottom escapes control, s/he is awarded 1 point for an escape. As stated earlier, wrestlers can score from all positions.

Near Fall

The top wrestler may score by trying to pin the opponent or pinning the opponent. This occurs when the top wrestler uses control holds or techniques to get the opponents shoulders or back to the mat or ground. When the top wrestler gets the opponents back or shoulders 45 degrees to the mat or ground & controls or holds the back/shoulders for 3-5 seconds in that position, aka near fall or back points, points are awarded (3 seconds = 2 points & 5 seconds = 3 points). If the opponent's back/shoulders are flat to the mat, a pin or fall has occurred (when attempting to pin is the only time the top wrestler may lock hands). The timing (time back/shoulders must be pinned to the mat) of the pin/fall varies in the USA from 1 second to 3 seconds depending on age groups.

Pin

Points can also be given if either wrestler is deemed to be stalling or not attempting to be active in controlling holds or techniques. The referee has discretion in this area or the referee decides if a wrestler is stalling and not attempting to be active. Stalling starts off as a warning from the referee and eventually leads to disqualification. Along the way or prior to disqualification, points are awarded for lack of controlling attempts.

Other penalty points may be awarded for the following illegal holds, techniques: kicking, biting, scratching, talking, locking hands while not attempting to pin, & other similar un-sportsman like conduct. Wrestlers may lock hands in the neutral position prior to a take down or while attempting to pin in the top position. All other locked hands are illegal and can lead to disqualification.

Essentially, control is what awarded in folkstyle wrestling. The ultimate control in wrestling is the pin. Wrestlers may also be awarded points for escapes, take downs, reversals, stalling, locked hands & flagrant misconduct (penalty points). This paper highlighted some key terms and scoring rules and is only a brief guide to help you understand the basics.

Recap

·  neutral = both standing; neutral control

·  referee's position = top & bottom or par terre; top control

·  take down = 2 points; established control

·  reversal = 2 points; reverse control

·  escape = 1 point; escape control

·  near fall = 2 or 3 points; control back/shoulders to mat or ground

·  stalling = points accumulate till disqualification; no attempt at control

·  pin or fall = match over; pin back/shoulders to mat

·  penalty points = biting, kicking, scratching, talking, locked hands, & other flagrant misconduct

Frequently Used Wrestling Terminology

CAUTION: A ruling made by the referee where one wrestler is called for stalling, a false start, wrong starting position, etc. A second offense is a penalty. See: Stalling, Warning.

CONTROL: A position of advantage where one wrestler maintains restraining power over the other. This usually means that the other wrestler is off his feet and on the mat.

CRADLE: A pinning situation where the offensive wrestler has his opponent's head and one of his legs encircled, usually with his arms. In a pinning situation, locking of the hands is legal.

ESCAPE: When the defensive wrestler gains a neutral position and his opponent has lost control while either wrestler is inbounds, Counts for one (1) point.

FALL: Also called a "Pin." When either both shoulders and or both shoulder blades are held in contact with the mat for two (2) continuous seconds. It terminates the match and is worth six (6) team points.

LEG BANDS: In tournaments, the contestants wear leg bands to identify which one is being scored as the home wrestler and which is the away wrestler. The green leg band is for home, the red for away. Scoring cards, when used, are also green and red. The referee's coin is green on one side and red on the other. It is used to determine which wrestler chooses the starting position at the beginning of the second period.

Locking Hands: Interlocking or overlapping hands, arms or fingers around the opponent's body is illegal, except when both wrestlers are on their feet or in a pinning (near fall) situation.

MATCH: Individual contest between two wrestlers.

MEET: A contest between two wrestling teams. Each team may have one wrestler in each weight class. Team points are awarded on the basis of the results of individual matches between wrestlers. See: Points (Team), Tournaments.

NEAR FALL: A near fall occurs when the offensive wrestler has control of his opponent in a pinning situation. It involves holding the shoulders or shoulder blades within four (4) inches of the mat or holding one (1) shoulder or shoulder blade on the mat and the other is held at a 45-degree angle for two (2) seconds. It is awarded when the defensive wrestler gets out of the pinning situation. A nearfall is two (2) points if held for two (2) seconds or three (3) points if held for five (5) seconds.

NEUTRAL POSITION: A position where neither wrestler has control.

POINTS (MATCH): Awarded for a takedown (2 points), escape (1 point), reversal (2 points), and nearfall (2 or 3 points). Penalty points are awarded for warnings. See: Warnings.

POINTS (TEAM): Awarded on the basis of individual matches. A fall (or pin), forfeit, default or disqualification is six (6) points. A technical fall is five (5) points. A major decision (point spread of 8 to 14 match points) is four (4) points. A decision (point spread of 1 to 7 match points) is three (3) points. See: Tournament.

REFEREE'S POSITION: A starting position where one wrestler is in a defensive position (on hands and knees) and the other is in an offensive position (positioned over the other, normally with at least one knee on the mat).

Reversal: When the defensive wrestler comes from underneath and gains control over his opponent either on the mat or in a near-standing position, while either wrestler is inbounds, Counts two (2) points.

STALLING: A caution by the referee when one of the wrestlers fails to make a reasonable effort to wrestle aggressively. An offensive wrestler must make a reasonable effort to pin his opponent; a defensive wrestler, to escape.

STARTING POSITION: The wrestlers begin each period either in the neutral or referee's position. The first period always starts in the neutral position. For the second period, a coin toss decides which wrestler chooses the starting position. He elects the neutral, offensive or defensive position, or he may defer his choice. Unless he defers, the other wrestler chooses the starting position for the third period. When the wrestlers go out of bounds, either the neutral or referee's starting position is used, depending on whether one wrestler has control. See: Leg Bands, Neutral Starting Position, Referee's Starting Position.

TAKEDOWN: When one wrestler gains control over the other down on the mat from a neutral position while either wrestler is inbounds. A takedown is normally awarded when one or both of the defensive wrestler's knees are down on the mat, Counts two (2) points.

TECHNICAL FALL: It occurs when one wrestler has accumulated fifteen (15) points more than his opponent. It terminates the match and is worth five (5) team points.

TOURNAMENT: A contest between several schools where wrestlers are divided into weight brackets. Each school may have one or more wrestlers per bracket. Normally, wrestlers in each bracket are seeded according to past records. Team points are given on the basis of the final placement of its wrestlers. See: Leg Bands.

WARNING: A ruling made by the referee when one wrestler has made an illegal or potentially dangerous hold or other serious violation. False starts or stalling is given a caution for the first offense. A first or second warning awards the opposing
wrestler one (1) point, a third two (2) points; a fourth results in disqualification of the offending wrestler. See: Caution.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is a wrestling match?
Youth wresting matches are 3 minutes (3-one minute periods) or 3.5 minutes. High school matches are 6 minutes. College matches are 7 minutes. International, Olympic, and World level matches are 5 minutes. If the score is tied at the end of the match, an overtime period is wrestled with the first person to score winning the match.

Why do the team members wear red and green straps on their ankles when they wrestle, and why do the referees wear read and green bands on their wrists?
The green band denotes the home team and the red is the visiting team. The referee raises the arm with the green arm band when awarding points, issuing cautions or assessing penalties to the home team. The same procedure is used for the visiting team.

What is a wrestle-off?
A wrestle-off is when a wrestler wishes to challenge a member to attempt to win that spot. These wrestle-offs are held at the discretion of the coaching staff, who may or may not see fit to allow the wrestle-off, based on a variety of issues. The coaching staff will make the final decision on team members.

Why does the team participate in so many tournaments?
The team participates in tournaments to gain experience. Sometimes the wrestlers will refer to this as "mat time". It is very important that the younger wrestlers get as much mat time as possible. This enables them to hone their skills.

Why are there two (2) sets of scores on the scoreboard? What are the other numbers on the board?
The team score, individual score, period clock, weight class and the number of periods can all be found on the scoreboard.

How are individual scores determined?
Individual scores are determined by the types of moves that are executed during the match.

·  take down = 2 points; established control

·  reversal = 2 points; reverse control

·  escape = 1 point; escape control

·  near fall = 2 or 3 points; control back/shoulders to mat or ground

·  stalling = points accumulate till disqualification; no attempt at control

·  penalty points = biting, kicking, scratching, talking, locked hands, & other flagrant misconduct

How are team scores determined?
Team scores are determined by the type of victory each individual on the team has made.

·  Decision (1-7 point spread): Three (3) points.

·  Major decision (8-14 point spread): Four (4) points.

·  Technical Fall (15 point spread): Five (5) points.

·  Pin: Six (6) points.

Why do referees get tagged with a rolled up towel or flexible tube? When several mats are in the same gymnasium, the buzzers cannot be used to let the referee know when the match periods are over. To allow the referee to watch the match instead of the timekeeper, the referee is tagged when time has run out.