Wrestling 101

Scoring a High School Wrestling Match

In Match Scoring
Takedown (3) The most common way is for one wrestler to take their opponent off their feet and control them from the top position. This requires the wrestler to control both of their opponent’s legs. The wrestler being taken down doesn’t have to go all the way down to the mat, but if they place two supporting points on the mat, that is sufficient to score the takedown.

Escape (1) A wrestler in the bottom position removes themself from the grasp of their opponent and faces their opponent is awarded an escape and 1 point. Most wrestlers choose bottom when they get to choose a position because of the advantage of scoring via an escape.

Reversal (2) When a wrestler is in the bottom position is able switch from bottom and gain top position, that is a reversal and is worth two points.

Near Fall (2, 3, or 4) A near fall is when a wrestler exposes his opponents shoulders to the mat at a 45 degree or less. At this point, the referee will begin a count and if the count reaches two continuous seconds, the wrestler is awarded a two point near fall. If the count reaches three continuous seconds, the wrestler is awarded a three point near fall. If the count reaches four continuous seconds, the wrestler is awarded a four point near fall.

Stalling Stalling is called when a wrestler is not evading wrestling. It’s subjective and every official calls it a little different, but a wrestler is allowed one warning for the first stall call. Two additional stall calls result in one point for their opponent, and a fourth stall is worth two points. If a wrestler receive a fifth stall call, they are disqualified from the match.

Caution If a wrestler makes a move before the referee signals the start, they get a caution violation. Each wrestler gets two warnings and 1 point is assessed for each false start after those warnings.

Illegal Holds There are a long list of illegal holds (full nelson, headlock without an arm, choke holds, locked hands, scissor the head). An illegal hold will result in 1 point for the opponent. Two additional illegal holds will result in one point for their opponent, and a fourth illegal hold is worth two points. If a wrestler receive a fifth illegal hold call, they are disqualified from the match.

Technical Violations Grasping the headgear is the most common one, but others include unnecessary roughness, unsportsmanlike conduct, body slamming (all of which if deemed egregious can cause a DQ rather than just a point penalty), and fleeing the mat. All of these violations give one point to your opponent.

End of the Match
Pinfall A fall occurs when any part of both shoulders or both scapula of either wrestler are in contact with the mat for two seconds. A fall is imminent when any part of both shoulders or both scapula of either wrestler are in contact with the mat. The shoulders or scapula must be held in continuous contact with the mat. The wrestler who receives the fall is the winner.

Tech Fall A technical fall is when a wrestler has earned a 15-point advantage over the opponent. Once a 15-point advantage has been reached, the match is over and the wrestler with the advantage is the winner.

Major Decision  A major decision occurs when a wrestler finishes the match with a scoring advantage between 8 and 14.

Decision A decision victory occurs when a wrestler finishes a match with a scoring advantage between 1 and 7.

Dual Meet............Team Scoring..........Tournament
6 points.......................Fall.......................2 points
5 points..................Tech Fall...................1.5 points
4 points..............Major Decision.............1 point
3 points..................Decision...................0  points