Wrestling Interpretation

There has been some confusion with the area of near fall points awarded and we would like to clear up the interpretation of the tilt for the near fall. What we discussed was the two on one and tilting the wrestler and putting the defensive wrestler in near fall criteria to earn near fall points. The points should not be awarded until the hold is broken and the bottom wrestler maintains a defendable position. In the past we have had the top wrestler allow the bottom wrestler to return to their knees and then release the wrist with the hand around the body to show the official the hold was broken. The near side hand would still be controlling the wrist with the arm against the bottom wrestler’s stomach in the same position. We then as officials would award the near fall earned and the top wrestler would then grab the wrist with the hand around the waist and tilt the bottom wrestler back into another near fall criteria. This would not have constituted the hold being completely broken while the bottom wrestler’s arm was held in the same place and the first near fall situation never ended to allow the bottom wrestler a defendable position.

If the top wrestler allows the bottom wrestler to come to their knees and then goes to another near fall situation, other than the one stated above, a new set of near fall can be earned. Example: The top wrestler uses the 2 on 1 to tilt the bottom wrestler to near fall criteria and earns a 4 second count. They then return to their knees and the top wrestler releases the wrist on the near side and changes sides. The top wrestler then lifts the near knee to step through and turk the bottom wrestler. At the time the top wrestler changed side you would then award the 2 points from the first near fall situation and because the wrestler has gone to the turk, a different move/maneuver, the top wrestler then can work toward earning a new situation for near fall criteria.