What happens at a Youth Wrestling Meet (Scrimmage)?
Each wrestler will have at least one match per scrimmage, depending on how many opponents are in his division and weight class. At the start of the scrimmage, each wrestler will be given bout numbers, we will write the numbers on their hand to help them remember (Parents may also want to write these numbers down). Please help your son listen for his bout numbers, the gym will get very loud and it becomes difficult to hear announcements. When your sons bout number is announced, he should promptly report to the head table. He and his opponent will be given their mat number and a bout slip which should promptly be carried by either wrestler to the appropriate mat number and handed to the people working the mat table.
The wrestler should now have a coach or begin looking for a coach. Remember that the coaches are helping everyone and may not be able to come to your mat immediately. There will be other matches taking place on your mat before your match. You can determine how many by asking the workers at the table or by counting the bout slips laying on the table before your slip, at times, the table will post the next three bout numbers. The top number is now wrestling, the middle number is on deck and the bottom number is second on deck. Let your coach know if you are on deck or second on deck or farther down. If you do not have a coach when your match is ready to begin, tell the referee that you don't have a coach. They will not start your match until a coach arrives.
Now that our wrestler has a coach, lets get ready to rumble!!! When you are on deck or second on deck the folks at the mat table will call your name so you can get your ankle band. You will get either a red or a green ankle band which, obviously, goes on your ankle. Now, your number is posted at the top, its time to report to the center of the mat. About now, your probably feeling a little nervous. The first period begins with both wrestlers standing with one shoe on the red or green line on the mat corresponding to your ankle band. The whistle blows and the wrestlers have at it!!! Each wrestler is now trying to take the other down. The wrestler who gets the takedown has control. The guy on the bottom now has to re-take control by getting a reverse or he has to escape from the top guy. The top guy in the mean time is trying to roll you over to expose your back to the mat (nearfall) or to pin you (called a fall).
The second period begins with a toss of a red and green coin. The winner of the coin toss chooses either top, bottom, neutral(standing again) or defers his choice until the third period in which case, the other guy gets his choice now. The wrestler chose down (for example) and we are now in a referee's position on the mat facing away from the mat table. The whistle blows and the action begins again with the top guy in control just like after a takedown in the first period. The third period is the same as the second with the guy who lost the coin toss getting his choice or the guy who won the coin toss and chose to defer until this period getting his choice.
The winner is determined by whoever scored the most points during the match. Doing moves that get their opponent closer to a pin scores points. An athlete wins by a pin when he holds both of his opponent's shoulders to the mat for one or two seconds. A pin ends a match. A "technical fall" also ends the bout; it occurs when a wrestler gets a 15-point advantage. A match that ends in a tie goes to sudden death overtime. Both wrestlers will start the overtime period in the neutral (standing) position. The wrestler who gets the first takedown wins. To make the score easy to see, the athletes are designated as either green or red (ankle bands), the scoreboard shows both green and red numbers, the referee wears green and red wristbands (used to show who scored) and the coin he flips is green and red, corresponding to the contestants' ankle band color. If the scoreboard doesn't have red and green numbers, but has home and visitor instead, just remember, "home is where the grass grows green". I don't know where I heard that, but it works.
Points are scored as follows:
Takedown - 2 points - This occurs when a wrestler takes his opponent from a neutral position (both standing up) to the mat and gains control by getting behind and on top of him.
Reversal - 2 points - A reversal occurs when an athlete who is down goes from the bottom position to the top position in control.
Escape - 1 point - If an athlete is in the bottom position and gets away from his opponent's control, he escapes.
Near Fall - 2 or 3 points - Sometimes an athlete will put his opponent on his back and almost pin him; that is called a near fall and is worth 2 or 3 points. It is a 2-point near fall when he holds his opponent on his back for 2 to 4 seconds. It is worth 3 points when he holds him on his back for 5 or more seconds. You can see the official counting the seconds with his arm when there is a pinning situation. Only the athlete in the top position can score these near fall points.
Stalling - 1 or 2 points - Stalling is not allowed. It is defined as avoiding wrestling by not attempting to score. The first offense is a warning. Second and third offense, 1 point (added to the opponent's score). Fourth offense, 2 points. Fifth offense, disqualification.
Illegal Holds - 1 or 2 points - An athlete can score points if his opponent does something illegal. Some holds are barred completely, but anything that is "potentially dangerous" is stopped by the official. Illegal holds are penalized just like stalling, except there is no warning.
Miscellaneous:
A match is broken into three periods of one minute each. In the first period, both athletes start standing. In the second period, the wrestler who wins a coin flip may start in the top, bottom, standing position or defer his choice until the final period. In the final period, the other wrestler or the wrestler who deferred until this period may choose the top, bottom, or standing position (coaches will assist with this decision).
When the athletes go out-of-bounds, the official blows the whistle and stops the action. He starts them again in the center. No scoring can occur out-of-bounds. Wrestlers compete in meets and tournaments; they do not "play" in "games". An athlete's contest is called a match or bout. Wrestlers have an official weigh-in before each competition (it's called "making weight"). One must weigh his weight class exactly or be lighter.
At the conclusion of the match, both wrestlers should report to the center of the mat and shake hands (that was the toughest 3 minutes you'll ever experience). The referee will raise the hand of the winner. Remember that good sportsmanship is also a sign of a winner. One way to show you're a good sport is to shake the hand of the opponent's coach.