College Wrestling Rules - A Guide For Beginners

The goal of any form of wrestling for sport is to pin your opponent fully on his or her back. A pin is defined as the moment where your opponent is on his or her back. During an official pin, your opponent's shoulders, shoulder blades, and back must touch the mat for at least two seconds. Once a pin occurs, the match is over. If there is no pin, the winner of the match is determined by the wrestler who scored the most points during the course of the match. This is the basic premise behind college wrestling rules.

Scoring

• Take-down (2 points) - Two points are awarded when you take your opponent to the mat by clearly controlling him.
• Escape (1 point) - A point is awarded for getting out of a hold or getting into a neutral position while your opponent is going for a pin.
• Reversal (2 points) - Two points are awarded when you reverse a hold you are in when on the mat and turn it around so that you gain control.
• Near Fall/Pin (back points) - Two or three points are awarded when an opponent is almost pinned. To be considered a near fall/pin, the following criteria must be met:

1. Both shoulders must be held for at least 2 seconds within 4 inches of the mat.
2. One shoulder touches the mat while the other remains at a 45 degree angle to the mat.
3. One of the wrestlers is on both elbows or held in a high bridge.

A near pin lasting for two seconds is worth 2 points. A near pin that lasts for 5 seconds is worth 3 points.

• Penalty Points (1/2 points) - Points are awarded to your opponent for the following rule violations:

Illegal holds or improper holds that the referee may call without warning. Holds determined to be "dangerous" also fall into this category, but may not involve a penalty.

Technical violations, which includes going off the mat at any point during the match, forcing your opponent off the mat, grabbing clothing or headgear, grabbing the mat for support, locked or overlapping hands, lack of proper or use of illegal equipment, unnecessary roughness, leaving the mat during the match without permission, stalling, unsportsmanlike conduct, false starts, incorrect starting position, and flagrant misconduct.

The first two offenses award a single point to your opponent. The third instance awards two points to your opponent. A fourth technical violation in a single game results in disqualification. The only exception is for a false start, which involves two warnings before any action is taken.

Note: Additional rules apply if a tie occurs when adding up points in a match where there is no pin. There are also rules that only apply during a tournament.