© 2009 Angela Gillaspie All Rights Reserved
Arm bar: A method of turning an opponent from stomach to back on the mat by wrapping an arm around the opponent's elbow and using the leverage of that hold to flip him over.
Back-arching: throwing an opponent from his feet to his back
Back points: these are the same as near fall points; see near fall below.
Back-step: the action (footwork, level changes, etc.) taken to begin back-step throws (headlock, hiplock, etc.)
Bottom position: In the starting position, the wrestler who is on hands and knees is in the bottom position
Breakdown: The act of getting an opponent to the mat on his stomach or side.
Bridge: An arched position adopted by a wrestler, with his back above the mat, usually to avoid being pinned but sometimes as an offensive move.
Bye: When there aren't enough wrestlers in a weight class to fill each line of a tournament bracket, one wrestler is given a bye and he advances to the next round without wrestling.
Changing Levels: raising and lowering the body to attack and defend
Chicken Wing: a wrestling move where you capture the opponent's arm and pull it back to his side and then put your elbow in his back to pry his arm all the way up so that you can put in your arm. Once the opponent is immobilized, you can walk your hips around your opponent's hips as you pull your opponent onto his back. The Double Chickenwing is twice as deadly as the regular Chicken Wing and twice as painful. The Double Chicken Wing move starts by placing each of your opponent's arms in a chicken wing, and then you move around your opponent's head while posting your head to pull him onto his back. You must dig in both the chicken wings to keep control his arms as he is turned over.
Classification points: In a tournament, wrestlers are awarded classification points for each bout won. The points are used to determine seedings in the final round. The following table is used:
Outcome | Score | |
---|---|---|
Victory by fall | 5 points | |
Technical fall | 4 points | |
Injury default | 4 points | |
Disqualification | 4 points | |
Decision | 3 points |
Control: A wrestler who has a dominant position that restricts the opponent's mobility is said to be in control.
Cradle: A hold in which one arm is around the neck of the opponent, the other around the neck, with the hands gripped tightly together.
Cross-face: A hold in which the wrestler's forearm is pressed across the opponent's face.
Crotch lift: A hold in which the arms are wrapped around the opponent's upper thigh, often used to turn the opponent over for a pin.
Decision: A win by the wrestler who has scored the most points. It is a regular decision if the winner's score exceeds the loser's score by fewer than eight points. decision A victory in which the winner leads the opponent by 1 to 9 points. Compare technical fall.
Disqualification: A wrestler may be disqualified for brutality or unsportsmanlike conduct.
Double-leg tackle: A move in which a wrestler takes the opponent down by grasping both of the opponent's legs and pulling them.
Dual Meet: A competition between two schools in which there are a series of matches, one in each of the 14 weight classes.
Escape: If an athlete gets out from being under control in the bottom position and gets to his feet, facing his rival, it is an escape, which scores one point.
Exposure: Turning an opponent's shoulders to the mat, thus exposing him to the possibility of a pin.
Fall: When both of the opponent's shoulders are in contact with the mat (a pin), a wrestler is awarded a fall, which wins the match in international wrestling. In college wrestling, the pin must be held for one second, in high school wrestling for two seconds.
Five Point Move: this is a reversal of a takedown move that will score five points if the opponent is taken directly into a pin situation and the 3-point near fall criteria is met.
Fireman's carry: A takedown move in which the wrestler brings the opponent temporarily over his shoulders, then to the mat.
Folkstyle: A style of wrestling generally used in high schools and colleges, which is similar to freestyle wrestling but with more emphasis on control and safety.
Freestyle: A style of wrestling in which the legs may be used to execute attacks and the opponent's legs are a legitimate target for attack. Also known as "catch as catch can."
Full nelson: A hold in which both of the wrestler's arms are passed under the opponent's armpits and both hands are on the back of the opponent's head; illegal in amateur wrestling.
Grand amplitude: Descriptive of a throw in which a wrestler lifts the opponent completely off the mat, sweeps him through the air in a curve, and brings him down in the danger position.
Greco-Roman: A style of wrestling in which the wrestler may not attack the opponent's legs nor use his own legs to execute attacks.
Half nelson: A hold in which the wrestler's arm is passed under the opponent's armpit and the hand is on the back of the opponent's head.
Headlock: A hold in which an arm is around the opponent's neck and the hands are locked together. The opponent's arm must be gathered into the hold to prevent accidental choking.
Injury default: A win rewarded to a wrestler when the opponent cannot continue to compete because of an injury; this is worth four points.
Injury time: A period during which a match is halted because one of the wrestlers is injured or bleeding. If the wrestler cannot continue within two minutes, the match ends with an injury default.
Leg shot: A quick move, involving a level change, in which a wrestler thrusts toward the opponent's legs in an attempt to get a lock on one or both of them.
Level change: Bending at the knees to raise or lower the hips in order to get into a new position for a hold or takedown move.
Lift, Lifting: To take an opponent entirely off the mat.
Near fall: If the offensive wrestler (controlling wrestler) has his opponent in a pinning situation and exposes his opponent's shoulders four inches or less above the mat - OR - the offensive wrestler gets one of his opponent's shoulders or shoulder blades on the mat and the other shoulder (shoulder blade) is at a 45 degree angle or less to the mat, it is a near fall. If these criteria are met, the offensive wrestler gets two near fall points. If these criteria are met for five (5) seconds, then three points are awarded to the offensive wrestler. These points are also called back points.
Neutral position: The position wrestlers take at the beginning of a match, standing and facing each other, but not in contact. Also known as standing position.
On Deck: When you a wrestler is 'on deck' it means that his match on the board and will take place very soon.
Overtime period: If the score is tied or neither wrestler has three points when time runs out on a bout, a three-minute overtime period begins immediately. The first wrestler to score a point wins.
Penalty points: Points used in a negative scoring system, under which the wrestler with the fewest points wins. They're essentially the same as technical points, but they go to the other wrestler. For example, the wrestler who suffers a near fall is given two penalty points.
Penetration: moving forward to penetrate an opponent's defenses and to gain a takedown.
Pin: Forcing both of the opponent's shoulders to the mat. The result is a fall, which wins the match.
Referee's Position: A re-starting position in which a wrestler is on the mat, on hands and knees, and the other wrestler kneels beside him, with both hands on his back. Also called, "par terre."
Reversal: If the wrestler in the bottom position completely reverses the situation and comes to the top position in control, it is a reversal, worth one point.
Seed: Because of their success in previous competition(s), seeded wrestlers are acknowledged as superior wrestlers. Seeds are usually selected according to criteria established by the tournament director and/or by the voting of participating team coaches.
Single-leg tackle: A move in which a wrestler takes the opponent down by lifting one of the opponent's legs.
Singlet: The one-piece uniform worn by wrestlers.
Slam: To lifting the opponent from the mat and bring him back down with unnecessary force; illegal in amateur wrestling.
Sprawl: A move used to counter a leg shot. The wrestler throws the legs back and arches the hips into the opponent to break the hold.
Stalemate: Two contestants are interlocked in a position other than a pinning situation, and neither wrestler is able to improve his position. The referee starts the wrestlers again in the center of the circle.
Stalling: this occurs when a wrestler stays near the edge of the mat, doesn't wrestle aggressively, and avoids contact with his opponent. Stalling delays the match. A wrestler gets one warning, and then is penalized for each following stalling infraction.
Supporting Points: The parts of the wrestler's body that are supporting most of his weight. These may include: the feet, knees, side of thighs, buttocks, and sometimes hands.
Takedown: When a wrestler takes the opponent to the mat from the neutral position, it is a takedown, worth one point.
Technical fall: If a wrestler accumulates a lead of 10 points or more, it is called a technical fall and that wrestler wins the match. Also known as technical superiority.
Technical points: Points awarded during a match that help determine the outcome. The following system is used: Five points for a grand amplitude throw to an immediate position of danger; three points for taking the opponent from a standing position to an immediate position of danger; two points for a near fall; one point for a take down, an escape, a reversal, or for applying a correct hold without causing the opponent to touch the mat with head or shoulder. These are not classification points, but basically the same as penalty points.
Throw: Any move in which a wrestler lifts the opponent from the mat, then brings him back down.
Top position: In the referee's position, the wrestler who is kneeling with hands on the opponent's back is in the top position.
Tournament: A competition which involves 3 or more schools. There are a number of different ways to organize and conduct a tournament.