Freestyle wrestling rules rules, for watching
Start with how a match works. Then the rules you see every few minutes, then the ones that change results.
Settling an argument? Search all 21 rules
- How do you score points in freestyle wrestling?
- What is exposure in wrestling?
- What is a pin in wrestling?
- What is technical superiority in wrestling?
- Who wins a wrestling bout if the score is tied?
- How can a wrestling bout end?
- How long is a wrestling bout?
- What is par terre in wrestling?
- What happens when a wrestler steps off the mat?
- What is passivity in freestyle wrestling?
- How does a challenge work in wrestling?
- What is not allowed in freestyle wrestling?
- What is the difference between freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling?
- What is fleeing in wrestling?
- How many cautions before a wrestler loses?
- What happens when a wrestler is injured or bleeding?
- What are the weight classes in freestyle wrestling?
- How does a wrestling tournament work?
- Who are the officials in a wrestling bout?
- What can a wrestling coach do during a bout?
- How big is a wrestling mat?
Where these rules come from
| Tag | Document |
|---|---|
| W plus article number | United World Wrestling International Wrestling Rules, edition dated January 2026 on its foreword page, Articles 1 to 55, read in full. One document covers Greco-Roman, freestyle and women's wrestling |
| R | "Why the rule exists", or a point reasoned from the rule, not stated in it |
| C | Common usage or general knowledge, not a rule |
All checked on 14 October 2026. Not covered: the UWW Uniform Guideline (shoes, ear guards, singlet colours and markings), the Regulations for the International Refereeing Body, the Disciplinary Regulations, the medical rules, team competitions (Articles 32 and 33), the under-17 and under-15 weight tables, beach wrestling, grappling and the other UWW styles, and American folkstyle wrestling.
Not covered: the UWW Uniform Guideline (shoes, ear guards, singlet colours and markings), the Regulations for the International Refereeing Body, the Disciplinary Regulations, the medical rules, team competitions (Articles 32 and 33), the under-17 and under-15 weight tables, beach wrestling, grappling and the other UWW styles, and American folkstyle wrestling.