Official High School Wrestling Rules

Overview of Wrestling Rules:

THE OBJECT OF THE SPORT OF WRESTLING IS TO PUT YOUR OPPONENT ON HIS BACK--TO PIN YOUR OPPONENT.

A PIN (OR FALL) OCCURS WHEN ANY PART OF BOTH SHOULDERS OR BOTH SHOULDERBLADES OF EITHER WRESTLER MAKES CONTACT WITH THE MAT FOR 2 SECONDS.

WHEN YOU PIN YOUR OPPONENT, THE MATCH IS OVER AND YOU ARE THE WINNER.

IF NOBODY GETS PINNED, THE WINNER IS THE WRESTLER WITH THE MOST POINTS AT THE END OF THE MATCH. THERE ARE FIVE WAYS TO SCORE POINTS IN A WRESTLING MATCH.

TAKEDOWN

ESCAPE

REVERSAL

NEAR-FALL

PENALTY

1) TAKEDOWN--(2 POINTS)-- YOU SCORE 2 POINTS FOR TAKING YOUR OPPONENT DOWN TO THE MAT AND CONTROLLING HIM.

2) ESCAPE--(1 POINT)-- YOU SCORE 1 POINT FOR GETTING AWAY OR GETTING TO A NEUTRAL POSITION WHEN YOUR OPPONENT HAS YOU DOWN ON THE MAT.

3) REVERSAL-- (2 POINTS)-- YOU SCORE  2 POINTS WHEN YOUR OPPONENT HAS YOU DOWN ON THE MAT AND YOU COME FROM UNDERNEATH AND GAIN CONTROL OF YOUR OPPONENT.

4) 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...

1. SHOULDERS ARE HELD FOR 2 SECONDS WITHIN 4 INCHES OF THE MAT, OR ...
2. ONE SHOULDER TOUCHES THE MAT AND THE OTHER IS AT A 45 DEGREE ANGLE COMING DOWN TO THE MAT FOR 2 SECONDS, OR ...
3. THE WRESTLER IS HELD IN A HIGH BRIDGE OR BACK ON BOTH ELBOWS FOR 2 SECONDS.
4. IF A NEAR FALL LASTS FOR 2 SECONDS, YOU GET 2 POINTS. IF A NEAR FALL LASTS FOR 5 SECONDS, YOU GET 3 POINTS.

5) PENALTY POINTS-- (ONE POINT)-- YOU OPPONENT GETS ONE POINT WHEN YOU COMMIT THE FOLLOWING INFRACTIONS...

1. ILLEGAL HOLDS-- THERE ARE SEVERAL HOLDS THAT THE REFEREE WILL PENALIZE YOU FOR WITHOUT WARNING. ( THERE ARE OTHER HOLDS CALLED "POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS HOLDS" WHICH A REFEREE MIGHT MAKE YOU LET GO OF BUT WILL NOT PENALIZE YOU FOR).
2. TECHNICAL VIOLATIONS
3. -- GOING OFF THE MAT TO AVOID WRESTLING
4. --GRABBING CLOTHING, MAT OR HEADGEAR.
5. --INCORRECT STARTING POSITION OR FALSE START ( YOU GET 2 CAUTIONS)
6. -- LOCKED OR OVERLAPPING HANDS (IF YOU ARE DOWN ON THE MAT WRESTLING AND ON TOP OF YOUR OPPONENT, YOU CANNOT LOCK OR OVERELAP YOUR HANDS, FINGERS, OR ARMS AROUND YOUR OPPONENT'S BODY OR BOTH LEGS UNLESS..
   1. YOU HAVE HIM I A NEAR PIN, OR...
   2. HE STANDS UP AND HAS ALL HIS WEIGHT  ON TWO FEET.
7. -- LEAVING THE MAT DURING THE MATCH WITHOUT REFEREES PERMISSION...
8. -- FIGURE 4 HEAD SCISSORS FROM THE NEUTRAL POSITION.
9. -- UNNECESSARY ROUGHNESS
10. -- UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT
11. -- FLAGRANT MISCONDUCT (EJECTION, THE MATCH IS OVER)
12. -- STALLING (NO POINTS ARE SCORED, BUT YOU FORFEIT THE MATCH ON THE THE 5TH STALL CALL)