1 Collegiate/Scholastic Wrestling (Sometimes Known As Folkstyle
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Collegiate/scholastic wrestling (sometimes known as folkstyle wrestling) is the commonly used name of wrestling practiced at the university level in the United States. A very similar style is practiced at the high school and middle school levels, and also for younger participants. The term is used to distinguish the styles of wrestling used other parts of the world, and for those of the Olympic Games: Greco-Roman wrestling, and Freestyle wrestling. Match Format A bout between two wrestlers is called a match. It consists of three periods, with an overtime period if necessary. Each period lasts from 1 to 3 minutes depending on the age group of the competitors. Period length for our middles school program is 2/1/1 minutes meaning the first period is 2 minutes in length, the second period is 1 minute, and the third period is 1 minute for varsity (A team) competition. The clock stops when wrestlers go out of bounds and for injury. Layout The match takes place on a thick rubber mat that is shock-absorbing to ensure safety. A large outer circle, about 28 feet in diameter, designates the wrestling boundary marked on the mat. The wrestlers are within bounds when at least one wrestler's supporting points (the weight-bearing points of the body, such as the feet, hands, knees, buttocks, etc.) are within this boundary line. Inside the outer circle is an inner circle about 10 feet in diameter. Wrestlers must make every effort to stay within this inner circle or else they will be penalized for stalling. Each wrestler begins action at a starting line inside the inner circle (marked red and green to differentiate opponents). Surrounding the outer circle is a protection area that helps prevent injury. Match Progression Pre-match Each wrestler puts on a green or red ankle band which the referee will use to indicate scoring. Period 1 The first period begins with both wrestlers in the standing or neutral position. Each wrestler starts with a foot on opposites sides of the starting lines. The referee asks both wrestlers to shake hands, and then signals the start of the match by blowing his whistle. The match commences with both wrestlers attempting to take down the opponent. The first period in middle school wrestling is two minutes long. Period 2 After the first period ends, the referee will flip a coin to determine who gets to choose the starting position of the 2nd period. There are four choices: neutral (the standing position; same as first period), top, bottom, and defer. Deferring will allow a wrestler his or her choice at the beginning of the third period. The second period in middle school is one minute long. 1 Period 3 The wrestler who did not choose the starting position for period 2 now chooses the starting position. This period is also one minute long. Overtime If period 3 ends in a tie, one minute of sudden death overtime is used. Both wrestlers start in the neutral (standing) position, just like the first period. The first takedown wins. 2nd Overtime If no points are scored in 1st overtime, a 30 second 2nd overtime is used. Wrestlers start in referee’s position. A coin flip determines who choses top or bottom (no neutral choice). If the bottom man does not escape then the top man wins. If the bottom wrestler scores a point then he wins. Scoring Points are awarded when a certain level of control is gained over your opponent. In general, you have to be controlling your opponent’s hips in order for the referee to determine that you have gained control of your opponent. Scoring can be accomplished in the following ways: Take down (2 points) - From the neutral position, one wrestler brings the other down onto the mat and establishes control over him. This is most often accomplished by attacking the legs of the opponent, although various throws can also be used to bring a wrestler down. Reverse (2 points) - A wrestler who is being controlled takes control from his opponent. Near-fall (2 point version) - A wrestler exposes his opponent's back to the mat for 2 to 4 seconds. The referee counts the seconds off. Near fall (3 point version) - A wrestler exposes his opponent's back to the mat for 5 seconds or more. After 5 seconds, the referee awards 3 points and stops counting. Escape (1 point) - A wrestler who is being controlled manages to escape from his opponent into the neutral position. Penalty (1 point) - A point can be awarded by the referee for various penalty situations, such as illegal holds or stalling. Pinning (also known as a fall or pin) Pinning your opponent’s shoulder blades to the mat is the ultimate goal in wrestling. It ends the match immediately and is worth the most points towards the cumulative team score. If both shoulders are authoritatively held to the mat for 2 consecutive seconds, the referee will slap the mat indicating a pin and the end of the match. 2 Weight Classes Wrestlers compete by weight class. In middle school, there are 20 weight classes. To belong to a weight class, a wrestler must weigh less than or equal to the weight value of the class. Wrestlers will “weigh-in” prior to a match or tournament. We will also weigh wrestlers at practice to see which weight class they will compete in. Wrestlers are not expected to “cut” weight to get to a lower class. Weight classes are: 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95, 100, 105, 110, 115, 120, 125, 130, 135, 140, 150, 160, 170, 185, and "Heavyweight" (not to exceed 245 pounds) Dual Matches During a dual match, both the junior varsity (B team) and varsity (A team) squads from the two involved schools compete against each other. The format of competition is as follows: 1. The top junior varsity wrestler of each school competes against each other in order of increasing weight class. Periods are one minute each for these matches. Oftentimes, if more than one junior varsity wrestler is at a certain weight class for each school, the coaches will match opponents based on experience levels. All junior varsity matches are considered "exhibition" and do not count towards the team point totals. These allow the wrestlers to gain more competitive experience. During some exhibition bouts, students from the same school compete against each other for live match experience. 2. After a break, the varsity matches commence in the same fashion as the junior varsity/exhibition matches. The winner of the individual match earns points for his/her team towards the cumulative team score. The winning wrestler's team is allotted 3 points if he wins the match on points by a margin of victory of 7 points or less. The winning wrestler's team is allotted 4 points if he wins the match on points by a margin of victory of between 8 and 14 points. The winning wrestler's team is allotted 5 points, and the match is immediately ended, if said wrestler opens a 15 or more point margin over his opponent. This occurrence is known as a technical pin or a technical fall because the winning wrestler is assumed to have complete domination over his opponent, with the notable absence of a pin. The winning wrestler's team is allotted 6 points, and the match is immediately ended, if said wrestler pins his opponent. In addition, 6 points are awarded to a team if a wrestler affiliated with that team qualifies for a weight class at which the opposing team has no qualified wrestlers. This occasion is known as a "forfeit"; or a “bye.” At the end of the dual match, the points are tallied and the team with the most points wins. 3 What to Expect at Wrestling Practice Wrestlers should wear t-shirts and comfortable athletic shorts without pockets. Shirts will be tucked in to prevent entanglement. Wrestling shoes should be worn and can be purchased at Big 5, Sports Authority, Dick’s, Champs, etc. Even the least expensive shoes available at these stores are of good quality for this level of competition. Another option is purchasing a used pair at a sports consignment shop such as Play it Again. Headgear is provided by the team to prevent ear injuries. Headgear is mandatory for competitions. No street shoes/sneakers are permitted on the wrestling mats. We want to keep them as clean as possible and prevent rocks stuck in shoes from tearing the mats. Practices normally begin with warm-up and conditioning exercises such as stretching, running, and gymnastic exercises. Next will be technique, demonstrations by the coaches, followed by practicing the demonstrated moves with a partner. Each wrestler will be paired with another of comparable weight and skill. Practices usually include live wrestling or games. Wrestlers are expected to listen and behave during practice so as not to distract the coaches and other wrestlers. What to Expect at a Wrestling Tournament Weigh-ins occur the morning of the tournament. They are conducted by an official and include checking for skin rashes, long fingernails, hair length/skullcap, and mouthguards for those with braces. Wrestling occurs simultaneously on multiple mats. Wrestlers need to pay attention for their weight class and name to find out what mat they’ll be competing on. Wrestler need to be ready to go when his/her name is called. The winner must report to the scorer’s table to ensure the proper wrestler moves on in their bracket of competition. Some tournaments require the wrestler to sign the scorecard indicating the winner.