WRESTLING TERMINOLOGY

CAUTION: A ruling made by the referee where one wrestler is called for
 stalling, a false start, wrong starting position, etc. A second
 offense is a penalty. See: Stalling, Warning.

CONTROL: A position of advantage where one wrestler maintains restraining
 power over the other. This usually means that the other wrestler
 is off his feet and on the mat.

CRADLE: A pinning situation where the offensive wrestler has his
 opponent's head and one of his legs encircled, usually with his
 arms. In a pinning situation, locking of the hands is legal.

ESCAPE: When the defensive wrestler gains a neutral position and his
 opponent has lost control while either wrestler is inbounds.
 Counts one (1) point.

FALL: Also called a "Pin." When either both shoulders or both shoulder
 blades are held in contact with the mat for two(2)continuous
 seconds. It terminates the match and is worth six (6)team points.

LEG BANDS: In tournaments, the contestants wear leg bands to identify which
 one is being scored as the home wrestler and which is the away
 wrestler. The green leg band is for home, the red for away. 
 Scoring cards, when used, are also green and red. The 
 referee's coin is green on one side and red on the other. It 
 is used to determine which wrestler chooses the starting
 position at the beginning of the second period.

LOCKING HANDS: Interlocking or overlapping hands, arms or fingers
 around the opponent's body is illegal, except in a
 pinning (near fall) situation.

MATCH: Individual contest between two wrestlers.

MEET: A contest between two wrestling teams. Each may have one 
 wrestler in each weight class. Team points are awarded
 on the basis of the results of individual matches between
 wrestlers. See: Points (Team), Tournaments.

NEAR FALL: A near fall occurs when offensive wrestler has control of his
 opponent in a pinning situation. It involves holding the
 shoulders or shoulder blades within four (4) inches of the mat
 or holding one (1) shoulder or shoulder blade on the mat and the
 other is held at a 45 degree angle for two (2) seconds.
 It is awarded when the defensive wrestler gets out of the pinning
 situation. A nearfall is two (2) points if held for two (2)
 seconds or three (3) points if held for five (5) seconds.

NEUTRAL POSITION: A position where neither wrestler has control. See: Control.

PIN See: Fall.

POINTS (MATCH): Awarded for a takedown (2 points), escape (1 point), reversal (2 points), and
 near fall (2 or 3 points). Penalty points are awarded for warnings. See:
 Warnings.

POINTS (TEAM): Awarded on the basis of individual matches. A fall (or pin), forfeit, 
 default or disqualification is six (6) points. A technical fall is five (5)
 points. A superior decision (point spread of twelve (12) or more match
 points) is five (5) points. A major decision (point spread of 8 to 11 match
 points) is four (4) points. A decision (point spread of 1 to 7 match points)
 is three (3) points. See: Tournament.

REFEREE'S STARTING POSITION: A starting position where one wrestler is in a defensive position
 (on hands and knees) and the other is in an offensive position 
 (positioned over the other, normally with at least one knee on
 the mat).

REVERSAL: When the defensive wrestler comes from underneath and gains control over his opponent
 either on the mat or in a near-standing position, while either wrestler is inbounds.
 Counts two (2) points.

STALLING: A caution by the referee when one of the wrestlers fails to make a reasonable effort
 to wrestle aggressively. An offensive wrestler must make a reasonable effort to pin
 his opponent; a defensive wrestler, to escape.

STARTING POSITION: The wrestlers begin each period either in the neutral or referee's position.
 The first period always starts in the neutral position. For the second
 period, a coin toss decides which wrestlers chooses the starting position.
 He elects the neutral, offensive or defensive position, or he 
 may defer his choice. Unless he defers, the other wrestler chooses the
 starting position for the third period. When the wrestlers go out of
 bounds, either the neutral or referee's starting position is used,
 depending on whether one wrestler has control. See: Leg Bands,
 Neutral Starting Position, Referee's Starting Position.

TAKEDOWN: When one wrestler gains control over the other down on the mat from a neutral
 position while either wrestler is inbounds. A takedown is normally awarded
 when one or both of the defensive wrestler's knees are down on the mat. Counts two
 (2) points.

TECHNICAL FALL: It occurs when one wrestler has accumulated fifteen (15) points more than his
 opponent. It terminates the match and it worth (5) team points.

TOURNAMENT: A contest between several schools where wrestlers are divided into weight brackets.
 Each school may have one per bracket. Normally, wrestlers in each bracket are
 seeded according to past records. Team points are given on the basis of the final
 placement of its wrestlers. See: Leg Bands.

WARNING: A ruling made by the referee when one wrestler has made an illegal or potentially
 dangerous hold or other serious violation. False starts or stalling are given a
 caution for the first offense. A first or second warning awards the opposing
 wrestler one (1) point, a third two (2) points; a fourth results in 
 disqualification of the offending wrestler. See. Caution.