By Jim Woolnough
Copyright 2006

Welcome to the new season of Freestyle/Greco-Roman wrestling.

The International Governing Body for wrestling, FILA, made significant changes to the rules of wrestling in 2005. USA Wrestling decided to delay the introduction of the new rules until this year for all age group wrestling. For those who were familiar with freestyle in the past, it is a very different sport. For newcomers, it may be a little disorienting. On to the rule changes for this year.

Each match will consist of three periods of 2-minutes, all age-groups. Every period will have a winner. The wrestler who wins 2 of the 3 periods will win the match. A wrestler may pin his/her opponent at any time to win the match. In effect, each period is now a mini-match. There is no carryover of points from period to period. Penalties (cautions) will carry over for the entire match. Other than pin, a wrestler may win a period by:
· Gaining a 6-point difference at the end of the action sequence
· Execute a 5-point throw, regardless of score
· Execute 2 3-point throws, regardless of score
· Have more points when time expires
· Win by criteria if the score is tied

If there is any score for a period, there will be a winner for that period. In freestyle, a period may end with a 0-0 tie. In that case, the wrestlers will use a clinch to determine the winner of the period. If the same wrestler wins the first 2 periods then the 3rd period will not be wrestled.

The scoring for this year is a little bit different. Most of the scores you remember from the past are still there with a few new ones. The first wrestler to step out of bounds will give 1-point to his/her opponent. There is no point given for wrestling that goes out of bounds down on the mat. Only from the standing position will the point be given. In the clinch situations, the top/advantage/offensive wrestler must score within the 30-seconds of the clinch or give 1-point to the opponent. Dropped from the scoring list are escapes and lifts. There will no longer be a call for passivity or a choice of position for cautions. However, gut wrenches and ankle/leg laces may now be done until you are finished with turning your opponent.

In Freestyle, the entire match is wrestled from the standing position. Every time the match is stopped, it will restart from the standing position with the exception of defensive fouls down on the mat. Then the restart will be from the par terre position. In the event a freestyle period ends in a 0-0 tie, the clinch is used to break the tie. The official will flip a disc and the color that lands up will be the top/advantage/offensive wrestler. The top wrestler will then pick which leg the opponent must place in the center and will grip the leg with a head-outside single-leg. He must use the wrestler’s grip, finger lock.

The defending wrestler may place his/her hands on the back only or not touch the top wrestler. Once the proper grip is taken the referee will blow the whistle to start the wrestling. The top wrestler now must score within the 30-seconds of the clinch or his/her opponent will score 1-point and win the period. The first wrestler to score will win the period. The grip does not have to be maintained. Wrestling may take place as normal but someone will score, by rule.

In Greco, the period is divided into three increments. The first minute is wrestled from the standing position. If there is no winner during that time then there will be two 30-second Greco clinches. If a wrestler is in the danger position at the time a period would stop for the clinch, the period will continue and there will be no clinches. The wrestler with the most points will take the top position first.

If the score is tied, then the criteria for tie-breaking will be used. If need be, the disc flip will take place. The defensive wrestler will take the clinch position of being on hands & knees with the arms & legs being straight down to the mat from the body. The top wrestler will then take a reverse body lock, again using the finger lock grip. Both arms must close around the body at the same time. Once the grip is complete, the referee will blow the whistle to start wrestling. The top wrestler now has 30-seconds to score or the opponent will receive 1-point. At the end of the 30-seconds, if there is no winner, the wrestlers will trade places and do it all again. Like freestyle, someone will score in the clinch period. Unlike freestyle, the period will not be over with the score. The second clinch will be wrestled unless there was a winner of the period.

In all clinch situations the grip may be released without penalty. Wrestling takes place as normal except for the forced score if no one scores on their own and there will be no slipped throws. Picking up and carrying your opponent out of bounds is a caution against the lifting wrestler and 1-point to the opponent.
FILA and USA Wrestling may change or interpret the rules during the year as needed.