Wrestling Has Its Own Language. Learn it.

What Did He Just Say?

Wrestling has its own unique language and slang. The coaches will use it. The other parents are going to use it. Your child is going to pick up on it quickly and they will use it too. If you want to understand what is going on, you have to learn the lingo. There's a lot of it, but the list below is a good starting point.

Wrestling Terms

Action − It is a referee's command to the wrestlers to begin wrestling.

Base − A good wrestling position where the wrestler lays on his hand and knees instead of back or belly.

Bottom Position- After either losing control or at the start of a period, this is when the wrestler is on bottom.  The wrestler must work to escape from underneath or reverse positions to gain points. 

Bout − A wrestling match.

Breakdown − This move is where a wrestler tries to force another wrestler on the mat upon his stomach or side.

Bridge: A defensive move in which a wrestler, while facing belly-up, attempts to avoid being pinned by supporting himself or herself with his or her head and feet. The goal is to keep the rest of their body from touching the mat and to eventually overtake the opposing wrestler who has established a position on top.

Caution: When a wrestler disrupts a match (fleeing the mat, fleeing a hold, refusal to start, illegal hold, etc.), the referee may decide to issue that wrestler a caution. Cautions may be accompanied by points to the opposing wrestler. A wrestler receiving 3 cautions in a match is disqualified.

Cradle: A move in which a wrestler places one arm around his or her opponent's neck, the other around the back of the opponent's knee, then locks his or her hands together to draw the knee toward the opponent's face.

Crotch lift: When a wrestler wraps his or her arms around his or her opponent's upper thigh and lifts.

Danger position: When the line of a wrestler's back or shoulders vertically or in parallel to the mat form an angle of less than 90 degrees, and the wrestler attempts to use the upper part of his body to resist a fall. Wrestlers can earn technical points by using certain moves to force their opponent into the danger position

Decision − This term signifies winning of a match in 1-7 points.

Double Leg Takedown-This move is when one wrestler attacks both legs from a neutral position, gains control, and uses those legs to take down their opponent.  It is worth 2 points. 

Duck-under: When a wrestler slips his or her head under their opponent's arm and comes up behind in preparation for a takedown.

Escape – A wrestler in bottom position breaks control of the top man and enters into neutral position. This move earns 1 point.

Fall: Called when both shoulders of the defensive wrestler are held against the mat. Also called a pin. This ends the match.

Fireman's carry: A takedown in which a wrestler is brought across his or her opponent's shoulders.

Fleeing the mat: When a wrestler intentionally leaves the combat area of the mat. The wrestler who flees the mat gets issued a caution, and the opposing wrestler receives points.

Freestyle: The style of wrestling in which competitors may use both arms and legs to execute holds. 

Greco-Roman: The style of wrestling in which a competitor may not attack his opponent below the waist nor use his own legs to trip, lift or execute other holds.

Half Nelson: When a wrestler passes his or her arm under his or her opponent's armpit from behind and places the palm of his or her hand against the back of the head.

Near Fall − It is a position where one shoulder of the wrestler touches the mat and another is past 45 degree angle, or if both the shoulders are positioned within the 4 inches area of the mat.

Major Decision − This is a process of winning a match by 8-14 points.

Neutral Position − It is the position where both the wrestlers have lost their controls. From this standing position the wrestlers try to takedown each other.

Novice Tournament-A tournament for wrestlers with less than three years of experience.

Open Tournament-A tournament for wrestlers of all experience levels and skills. 

Penalty Points-Points awarded for committing the following infractions:  illegal holds, fleeing the mat, grabbing clothing/headgear, locked hands, unnecessary roughness, unsportsmanlike conduct, stalling, false starts, or incorrect starting positions. 

Pin: Called when both shoulders of the defensive wrestler are held against the mat for a designated length of time. Also called a fall. This ends the match.

Referee’s Position-Occurs at restarts.  One wrestler takes top position and the other takes bottom. 

Reversal − This is a move in which the wrestler who is underneath of another, gains control over his opponent. This earns 2 points.

Single Leg Takedown-This is a move where a wrestler gains control of one leg and uses it to gain a takedown.  This earns 2 points. 

Singlet: A tight, form-fitting jersey or bodysuit worn by wrestlers and other athletes.

Sprawl − This is a defensive move where a wrestler scoots his/her feet and legs backward and lands his/her hands and hips on the wrestler who attempted a takedown.

Stalling-Failure to actively engage in advancing one’s position, fleeing an opponent, or failure to try to escape are all considered stalling.  Stalling can occur in Neutral, from the Top position, or from the Bottom position.   

Sudden Victory-Overtime in wrestling.  The wrestlers will wrestle a 1 minute period with the first to score winning the match.

Takedown – This move enables a wrestler to gain control of the other wrestler by shooting in and tackling the opponent to the mat. Single leg or double leg takedowns. This move earns 2 points.

Technical fall: Also called technical superiority, this is wrestling's version of the mercy rule. A match will end if one wrestler amasses a large enough lead before time runs out. The threshold for a victory by technical fall is a 15-point lead.

Top Position-After either gaining control or at the start of a period, this is when the wrestler is on top.  The wrestler must work to expose their opponents shoulders to the mat to score points or secure a pin.