Amateur Wrestling - Victory Conditions in The International Styles

Victory Conditions in The International Styles

A match can be won in the following ways:

• Fall: A fall, also known as a pin, occurs when one wrestler holds both of his opponents' shoulders on the mat simultaneously.
• Technical Superiority: If one wrestler gains a 6-point lead over his opponent at any point in the period, the current period is declared over, and he is the winner of that period. Also, if a wrestler executes one 5-point throw or two 3-point throws in a single period, the current period is declared over, and he is the winner of that period by technical superiority. If a wrestler wins two out of three periods in this way, he is then the winner of the match by technical superiority.
• Decision: If neither wrestler achieves either a fall or technical superiority, the wrestler who scored more points during the period is declared the winner of that period. If the wrestlers have gained the same number of points at the period's end, then the winner is determined in the following order:
  • 1. The number of cautions given to each wrestler for penalties
  • 2. Most three-point moves
  • 3. Most two-point moves
  • 4. Most one-point moves
  • 5. Last technical point scored.

In freestyle, if neither wrestler has scored a point at the end of the two-minute period then a procedure known as The Clinch is used to decide the winner. The referee flips a colored disk with a blue side and a red side. This determined which wrestler will take the opponent's leg while kneeling in front of his opponent. Once the referee blows his whistle, the kneeling wrestler has 30 seconds to score a point and win the period. If he does not score or his opponent scores first, then the wrestler whose leg was taken to start the period is declared the winner.

In Greco-Roman, the Clinch procedure is slightly different. The first 60 seconds of a Greco-Roman wrestling period feature both wrestler attempting to gain takedowns and other points from a neutral position. At the end of the first minute, in general, the wrestler who has scored the most points is awarded an Olympic lift from an open par terre position on the other wrestler. This position is known as The Clinch in Greco-Roman wrestling. If neither wrestler at the end of the first minute of the period has any points, the wrestler receiving the Olympic lift will be the winner of a colored disk toss. At the end of thirty seconds, the clinch position is reversed with the other wrestler receiving the Olympic lift, and the period is decided by who accumulated the most points during both standing and ground phases. During the ground phase if the top wrestler cannot score, the other wrestler is awarded one point. In the case of no scoring moves being executed during either ground phase the score will be 1–1, and in this case generally the wrestler to score last will be awarded the period.

• Default: If one wrestler is unable to continue participating for any reason or fails to show up on the mat after his name was called three times before the match begins, his opponent is declared the winner of the match by default, forfeit, or withdrawal.
• Injury: If one wrestler is injured and unable to continue, the other wrestler is declared the winner. This is also referred to as a medical forfeit or injury default. The term also encompasses situations where wrestlers become ill, take too many injury time-outs, or bleed uncontrollably. If a wrestler is injured by his opponent's illegal maneuver and cannot continue, the wrestler at fault is disqualified.
• Disqualification: Normally, if a wrestler is assessed three Cautions for breaking the rules, he is disqualified. Under other circumstances, such as flagrant brutality, the match may be ended immediately and the wrestler disqualified and removed from the tournament.