What are the High School Weight Classes:

The current high school weight classes are (in pounds):

106, 113, 120, 126, 132, 138, 145, 152, 160, 170, 182, 195, 220, 285

There will be a 2 pound growth allowance given on December 22nd

Basic Wrestling Terms:

Neutral Position: The neutral position has the two wrestlers standing opposite each other on their feet.  This is the position that the wrestlers are in when the match starts

Referee's Position: The referee's position has both wrestlers beginning action at the center of the mat with one wrestler (in the defensive starting position) on the bottom with his hands spread apart in front of the forward starting line and his knees spread apart behind the rear starting line with his legs held together. The other wrestler on the top (in the offensive starting position) then kneels beside him with one arm wrapped around the bottom wrestler's waist (with the palm of his hand against the opponent's navel) and the other hand on or over the back of the opponent's near elbow for control.

Takedown: A wrestler is awarded two points for a takedown when, from the neutral position, he gains control by taking the other wrestler down to the mat in bounds and beyond reaction time, and the supporting point(s) of either wrestler are in bounds. This is most often accomplished by attacking the legs of the opponent, although various throws can also be used to bring a wrestler down to the mat.

Escape: A defensive wrestler who is being controlled on the bottom is awarded one point for an escape when the defensive wrestler gains a neutral position and the offensive wrestler loses control of the opponent while the supporting point(s) of either wrestler remain in bounds.

Reversal: A defensive wrestler who is being controlled on the bottom is awarded two points for a reversal when he comes from the bottom/defensive position and gains control of the opponent either on the mat or in a rear standing position. Reversal points are awarded on the edge of the wrestling area if either wrestler's supporting point(s) or the feet of the scoring wrestler remain in bounds.

Near Fall (Back Points): Near fall criteria is met when: (1) the offensive wrestler holds the defensive wrestler in a high bridge or on both elbows; (2) the offensive wrestler holds any part of both his opponent's shoulders or shoulder blades within four inches of the mat; or (3) the offensive wrestler controls the defensive wrestler in such a way that one of the bottom wrestler's shoulders or scapulae, or the head, is touching the mat, and the other shoulder or scapula is held at an angle of 45 degrees or less to the mat. The referee counts the seconds off.  Near fall points are also known as "back points."

Two points are given when near fall criteria is met for two to four seconds.

Three points are given when near fall criteria is met for five seconds or more. After five seconds, the referee awards three points and stops counting. 

Penalty: One or two points can be awarded by the referee to the opponent for various penalty situations. "Unsportsmanlike conduct" by the wrestler includes swearing, teasing the opponent, etc. "Unnecessary roughness" involves physical acts during the match that exceed normal aggressiveness. "Flagrant misconduct" includes actions (physical or nonphysical) that intentionally attack the opponent, the opponent's team, or others in a severe way. Illegal holds are also penalized accordingly, and potentially dangerous holds are not penalized, but the match will be stopped by the referee. Also, "technical violations" such as stalling, interlocking hands, and other minor infractions are penalized. With some situations, such as stalling, a warning is given after the first occurrence, and if there is another occurrence the penalty point is given. In other situations, there is no warning and penalty points are automatically given.

Fall: A fall, also known as a pin, occurs when one wrestler holds any part of both of his opponent's shoulders or both of his opponent's shoulder blades in continuous contact with the mat for two seconds

Technical Fall: If a fall is not secured to end the match, a wrestler can win a match simply by points. If a wrestler can secure an advantage of 15 points over an opponent, then the wrestler can win the match by technical fall.

How a Match Progresses:

First Period:  Each match starts out in the first period with the score 0 to 0 and each wrestler in the neutral position.  Each wrestlers attempts to take down his or her opponent.

Second Period:  If the match is not ended by a fall, technical fall, default, or disqualification, the referee then prepares both wrestlers to begin the second period. After the first period ends, one wrestler will have the choice of starting position in the second period. In dual meets, this is determined by the colored disk toss that took place before the meet began. In tournaments, the referee will toss a colored disk, with a green-colored side and a red-colored side, and the winner of that disk toss will have the choice of position. The wrestler could choose between the neutral position, or to begin in what is called the referee's position on the mat, or to defer his or her decision to the 3rd period.

Third Period:  If the match is not ended by a fall, technical fall, default, or disqualification, the referee then prepares both wrestlers to begin the third period. The wrestler who did not choose the starting position for the second period now chooses the starting position.

Overtime:  If the match score is tied at the end of the 3rd period, the match will proceed to overtime.  Overtime has three possible types of periods:

Sudden Victory Period:  If the third period ends in a tie, a one-minute sudden victory period occurs. Both wrestlers start in the neutral position. The first wrestler to score a point wins.

Tiebreaker Periods:  If no points are scored in the sudden victory period, two 30-second tiebreaker periods occur. Both wrestlers start in the referee's position. The wrestler who won a colored disk toss made by the referee has the choice of either top or bottom position, and he may NOT defer the choice to his opponent. After the wrestler makes the choice, the two contestants then wrestle. Either of the two wrestlers must try to score as many points as he can. Once one 30-second period is over, the wrestler who did not have the choice in the previous period may choose to start the new period from the top or bottom. Whoever scores the most points (or is awarded a fall, default, or disqualification) wins the match.

Ultimate Tiebreaker Period:  If no points were scored or the score is still tied after the two 30-second tiebreaker periods, a final ultimate tiebreaker period is used. The ultimate tiebreaker period lasts for 30 seconds. Both wrestlers also start in the referee's position. The wrestler who scored the first points in regulation (except in the case of double-stalling or simultaneous penalties) has the choice of top or bottom position, or he may defer the choice to the opponent. If no points were scored in the regulation match, the winner of a colored disk toss will have the choice of position. After the wrestler makes his choice, the two contestants then wrestle. The person in the bottom position must then escape or reverse his opponent to get the win. If the wrestler in the offensive (top) position rides the defensive (bottom) wrestler (that is, keeps the defensive wrestler under control in the position of advantage) for the entire 30 seconds, he wins the match and is awarded one point. Wrestlers may still be awarded points for near falls, and a fall terminates the bout.

How a Team Match is Scored:

In a dual meet,  the wrestler not only wins the match for himself, but also gains points for his team. The number of points awarded to a team during a dual meet depends on the victory condition.

In a dual match, when all team points are totaled, the team with the most points wins the competition. If there is a tie between teams, the tie is broken by one team point being awarded to the winning team based on certain criteria.  The criteria used to decide the winner of the dual match are items like most victories, most falls/pins in the match, most first points in matches, etc.