The following measurements and wrestling terms are used to designate the various parts of the wrestling mat:
- The central circle indicates the middle of the mat, which is one meter in diameter.
- The orange circle in the central surface of wrestling mat is called central wrestling area and is 7 meters in diameter, from the inside measurement.
- The orange strip is 1 meter wide.
- The area outside the orange circle is called protection area, which is 1.5 meter wide.
- In all cases, the colour of the protection area will have to be different from the one of the mat.
The coach of each athlete will be present in the same side of the mat. The red wrestler will be placed on the left side and the blue wrestler on the right side.
Wrestling mat
Rules
The rules for wrestling usually change with the type of wrestling game being played. For instance, in Greco-Roman Wrestling, players cannot hold an opponent below the waist, but holding legs is generally allowed in Freestyle Wrestling.
Prohibitions
- Wrestling styles forbid the use of martial arts’ tactics. Strikes and kicks aren’t permitted.
- It is prohibited to wear the emblem or abbreviation of another country in the wrestling costume.
- It is prohibited to apply any greasy or sticky substance to the body.
- It is prohibited to arrive at the mat perspiring at the beginning of the match and at the beginning of each period.
- It is prohibited to wear bandages on fingers, wrists, arms or ankles except in the case of injury and on doctor’s orders. These bandages must be covered with elastic straps.
- It is prohibited to wear any object that might cause injury to the opponent, such as rings, bracelets, prosthesis, piercing, etc.
- It is prohibited to wear under-wired bras for women wrestler.
Classification of points
The prime objective of Olympic Wrestling is to put your opponent on their back or to pin the opponent to the ground. This is only applicable if any part of the shoulder or both shoulder blades of the opponent contact the mat for at least a period of two seconds.
To encourage risk-taking during bouts, a wrestler who may unsuccessfully try to execute a hold but ends up in the ‘parterre’ position (hands and knees on the ground), the wrestler on above will not be awarded any point. However, during a hold, if a defending wrestler initiates a counter-attack successfully, points would be awarded for the action.
Three points are given to the near fall position for the player who gets the opponent to fall down but can’t pin down completely. These points are given when shoulders of the opponent are within 4 inches of the mat (for at least 2 seconds) or when one shoulder touches the mat and the other is at 45 degree angle or when the wrestler is in high bridge.
An offensive wrestler can also get a point in ‘danger position’. A ‘danger position’ is the position when a defensive wrestler’s body assumes bridge position in order to be avoided being pinned down. A ‘danger position’ is considered when the wrestler’s line of the back or shoulder is vertical or parallel to the mat, forming an angle of less than 90 degrees, but the position is assumed only to resist the fall.
Points are awarded for the following—
Takedown: Up to 2 points are awarded if the opponent is taken down on the mat and the other player is controlling them.
Escape: Up to 1 point is given to a player who gets away from the mat or gets into a neutral position when pinned down.
Reversal: 2 points are given to the player who gains control of the opponent from underneath them.
Near fall: 2 points if the fall lasts for two seconds or 3 points if it lasts for 5 seconds.
Penalty Points: Up to 2 points for illegal holds, and technical violations like going off the mat, grabbing clothing, locking or overlapping hands.
Caution to a Wrestler
Caution is given to the wrestler for the following actions during the competition—
- For fleeing the mat, fleeing a hold, refusal to start, and illegal hold be noted by awarding (0).
- After each caution (0), the opponent will automatically receive two points in Greco-Roman wrestling.
- After each caution (0), the opponent will automatically receive one or two technical points in Freestyle wrestling depending on the gravity of the infraction.
- In Greco-Roman wrestling, no point is granted to the opponent when a wrestler is warned for the second time for passivity.
- Offensive wrestler can get a penalty to lock hands (except cradles) around the torso of the defensive wrestler.
- It can only be done if the opponent is standing on their feet or close to the fall count.
- A referee will consider overlapping fingers as locked hands.
Technical Violation
The referee can penalise the wrestler for the technical violation of the following rules—
- Going off the mat or forcing your opponent off the mat to avoid wrestling.
- Leaving the mat during the match without the referee’s permission.
- Reporting to the mat not properly equipped or not ready to wrestle, or with the illegal equipment at the time of starting the match.
- Bringing roughness in the game unnecessarily.
- Conducting oneself indecently.
- Incorrect starting position or false start.
Points on Technical Violation
- The first and second time wrestler is penalised, the opponent is awarded point.
- The third time wrestler is penalised, the opponent is awarded 2 points.
- The fourth time the wrestler is penalised with disqualification from that bout.
Duration of the Bout
- For school boys and cadets—two periods of 2 minutes with a 30 seconds break.
- For juniors and seniors—two periods of 3 minutes with a 30 seconds break.
- For all the competitions, the timing should be displayed on the scoreboards and shall start from 0 to 6 minutes for seniors and 0 to 4 minutes for schoolboys and cadets.
Criteria to Win
- A bout may be won by fall, withdrawal by injury, default, disqualification of the opponent, or by technical superiority through points.
- In case of tie by points, the winner will be declared by successively considering—the highest value of holds; the least amount of cautions; and the last technical point(s) scored.
- If nobody gets pinned, the wrestler who scored the most points during the match is declared as a winner.
Match Officials
In all competitions, the refereeing for each bout shall consist of—
- Mat Chairman
- Referee
- Judge
Some of the great wrestlers produced by India are Master Chandgi Ram, Satpal, Kartar Singh, Ombir Singh, K.D. Yadav, Palwinder Singh Cheema, Sushil Kumar, Yogeshwar Dutt, Geeta Phogat, Narsingh Yadav, Babita Kumari, Vinesh Phogat, Babita Kumari, Sumit Malik, etc.
