The object
of the sport of wrestling is to to pin your opponent on his back. A
pin (or fall) is when you put your opponent on his/her back with any
part of both shoulders or both shoulder blades in contact with the mat
for two seconds. When you pin your opponent, the match is over and you
are the winner. If neither wrestler gets pinned, the winner is the wrestler
who has scored the most points during the match. It is possible for
an individual match to end in a tie.
Referees
are trained and paid to be impartial judges. Although in the heat of
a fast-moving match, coaches may request a review of the scoring, the
referee has the final say. Before each match the ref inspects all athletes
for long hair that is loose, and fingernails that are uncut. Long fingernails
can cause unintentional (and even intentional) injuries.
Matches consist
of three two-minute periods. In the first period, wrestlers start in
a neutral position. In the second and third periods, the wrestlers in
turn have choice on whether they want to start in neutral, top or bottom
positions. When a pin is called, the clock is stopped, and the total
time it took is noted. Pins can happen in the first ten seconds, or
even with one second to go in the third period!
Before the
first match, the ref tosses a coin, and the home team representative
(usually a team captain) calls head or tails. The winner of the coin
toss gets to pick odd or even matches; by calling odd matches, the 1st,
3rd, 5th... wrestlers get choice of position in the second period, while
the 2nd, 4th, 6th... wrestler on the opposite team get second period
choice. It is generally looked upon as an advantage to have second period
choice, and more often than not the chooser will choose top. In this
manner he can work for the fall while he is "fresher" than
he would be if his opponent chose top in the second period.
Injuries
that involve blood (such as nose bleeds) have two minutes to get the
the bleeding under control, or they will forfeit the match. Blood must
be wiped off the mat during the time-out.
Often you
will see one of the team managers throw a towel at the wrestlers when
a match is over, even when a buzzer can be heard. In tournaments, there
are often multiple buzzers going off, and wrestlers need to be sure
that time is up, otherwise they might accidentally give an advantage
to their opponent resulting in a points. You might have the advantage
of watching the clock while your son (or daughter) is on the mat, but
they don't have that luxury!
- Takedown (2 points)
You score two points for taking your opponent down to the mat and controlling
his/her hips.
- Escape (1 point)
You score one point for getting away or getting to a neutral position
when your opponent has you down on the mat.
- Reversal (2 points)
You score two points when your opponent has you down on the mat and
you come from underneath and gain control of your opponent.
- Near Fall (Back
Points) (2 or 3 points) You get near fall points when you almost but
not quite get your opponent pinned. A near fall (near pin) is when...
- both shoulders are held
for two seconds within four inches of the mat, or...
- one shoulder touches the
mat and the other shoulder is at a 45 degree angle coming down to
the mat, or...
- the wrestler is held in
a high bridge or back on both elbows.
If a near
fall lasts for two seconds, you get 2 points. If a near fall lasts
for 5 seconds, you get 3 points.
- Penalty Points -
(1 or 2 points) Your opponent is awarded points if you commit the following
infractions.
- Illegal Holds -
There are several holds that the referee will penalize you for without
warning. (There are other holds call "potentially dangerous holds"
which the referee might make you let go of but will not penalize you
for).
- Technical Violations
- Going off the mat to
avoid wrestling ("fleeing the mat.")
- Grabbing clothing, the
mat, or the headgear
- Incorrect starting position
or false start (You get two cautions before points are awarded).
- Locked or overlapped
hands: If you are down on the mat in control of your opponent, you
cannot lock or overlap your hands, fingers or arms around your opponent's
body or both legs unless you have your opponent in a near pin, or
your opponent stands up and has all his/her weight on two feet.
- Leaving the mat during
the match without the referee's permission
- Figure 4 head scissors
from the neutral position.
- Unnecessary roughness
- Unsportsmanlike conduct
- Flagrant misconduct
(ejection, the match is over)
- Stalling (you get
one warning before you are penalized and points are awarded).
When the
penalty is for illegal starting position or false start, you are cautioned
twice, then one point is awarded to your opponent for each infraction.
For all other
penalties, the first and second time you are penalized, your opponent
is awarded one point. The third time you are penalized, your opponent
is awarded two points. The fourth time you are penalized, you are disqualified.
At the end
of the match the team with the most points wins the match. Team points
are awarded based on the outcomes of each individual match.
Tie: 3 points
each
Normal decision:
3 points
Major decision
(win by 10 points or more): 4 points
Fall (pin):
6 points
Forfeit:
6 points (this is why it is extremely important to fill the roster!