Freestyle wrestling

Freestyle wrestling is a style of wrestling that is one of the two types of wrestling shown in the Olympic Games, along with Greco-Roman. It is different from scholastic wrestling, which is practiced in U.S. high schools, and collegiate wrestling, which is practiced in U.S. colleges. Women's collegiate wrestling in the United States uses freestyle rules.

Freestyle wrestling started from catch-as-catch-can wrestling. In freestyle, like in collegiate wrestling, the goal is to throw and pin the opponent to the mat for an immediate win. Unlike Greco-Roman wrestling, freestyle allows wrestlers to use the legs of either themselves or their opponent to attack or defend.

The world governing body for wrestling, the United World Wrestling (UWW), says that freestyle wrestling is one of six main kinds of amateur wrestling done around the world. The other kinds include Grappling/submission wrestling, Beach wrestling, Pankration athlima, and Traditional/folk wrestling.

In 2013, leaders of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) thought about removing wrestling from the 2020 Olympic Games, but they changed their minds later that same year and kept it in the Olympics.

History

Modern freestyle wrestling began in Great Britain and the United States as "catch-as-catch-can" wrestling. This style was popular at fairs and festivals in the 19th century. Wrestlers would start standing and try to pin their opponent's shoulder to the ground. If no pin happened, they would continue grappling on the ground using many different holds and moves.

Freestyle wrestling became an Olympic sport in the St. Louis Olympics of 1904. All the wrestlers were from the United States. Over time, rules were made to make matches fairer and safer. Today, many wrestlers from post-Soviet states, Iran, the United States, Bulgaria, Cuba, Turkey, and Japan are very successful. In 2013, wrestling was temporarily removed from the Olympic Games but was brought back after many people worked hard to support it.

Weight classes

Further information: Wrestling weight classes

Freestyle wrestling has different groups based on age and weight. Boys and girls have categories like schoolboys, cadets, juniors, and seniors. Each group has specific weight limits to make matches fair. For example, schoolboys wrestle in weights from 34 to 85 kg, while seniors can weigh from 57 to 125 kg. The same idea applies to girls, with their weights ranging from 28 to 72 kg depending on their age group. Wrestlers must stay in their weight class during competitions.

Layout of the mat

Freestyle wrestling matches happen on a special thick rubber mat that helps keep everyone safe. For big competitions like the Olympic Games, the mat must be brand new each time. The main wrestling area is a circle about nine meters wide, with a smaller red ring around the edge called the red zone. Inside this is the central wrestling area, which is smaller and has a marked circle in the middle. The corners of the mat are colored to show each wrestler's team.

Equipment

Wrestlers wear special clothing called a singlet, which is a tight one-piece suit made from stretchy material. One wrestler usually wears red, and the other wears blue so they can be easily told apart. They also wear light, flexible shoes to help them move quickly and grip the mat better.

Wrestlers may choose to wear headgear to protect their ears, though it is not required. They also carry a small cloth, called a bloodrag, inside their singlet to help clean up if there is any bleeding during the match.

The match

A match is a competition between two wrestlers of the same weight. In freestyle wrestling, three officials help run the match. The referee stands in the middle, starts and stops the action, and helps with scoring. A judge sits at the side to keep score and help the referee when needed. The mat chairman keeps time and helps the other officials.

The match has two three-minute parts. Before starting, the referee checks on the wrestlers and their gear. The wrestlers then shake hands and the referee starts the match. A wrestler wins by scoring more points over the two parts. If no one scores in two minutes, the more passive wrestler gets a short chance to score, and if they don’t, the other wrestler gets a point.

Points are scored mainly for quick moves and taking risks. For example, throwing an opponent in a way that puts them in a tough spot gives the most points. Other ways to score include taking down an opponent, reversing a hold, or getting an opponent’s back to the mat. There are also points for things like moving out of bounds or being too passive.

Victory conditions

A wrestling match can end in several ways. One way is by fall, also called a pin. This happens when a wrestler holds both of their opponent's shoulders on the mat at the same time. The referee must see that the wrestler has full control for a short time before declaring a fall. When this happens, the match ends right away.

Another way to win is by technical superiority. If a wrestler gets a lead of ten points over their opponent during the match, they win by technical fall. If neither wrestler achieves a fall or technical superiority, the winner is the one who scores more points overall.

If a wrestler cannot continue for any reason, such as injury, or if they do not show up for the match, their opponent wins by default. If a wrestler is hurt and cannot keep going, the other wrestler wins. A wrestler can also win if their opponent breaks the rules three times and is disqualified.

Women's freestyle wrestling

Women compete in freestyle wrestling at the collegiate, world, and Olympic levels. Women's freestyle wrestling made its Olympic debut at the 2004 Summer Olympics. After the 2020 Olympic Games, there are six weight classes for women.

Freestyle wrestling was added to the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program starting with the 2020–21 school year. At that time, 35 NCAA members had women's wrestling teams. Wrestlers wear red or blue singlets based on their bracket placement, and all female competitors must wear a women's-cut singlet.