Wrestling Match Types

Under the category of amateur wrestling, several types of wrestling matches are found. For young wrestlers across America, one most commonly finds the collegiate level governing the rules of mats from the elementary school level through the college level. This style of wrestling adopted its rules from the two wrestling match types practiced at the Olympic Games, Freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling. These are both considered “international wrestling styles.” The major differences that exist between these three types is in the type of holds acceptable. In the international style, points are awarded based on takedowns (a wrestler forces his opponent into a defensive position from a neutral position), reversals (a wrestler reverses the dominance by switching roles with his opponent from a defensive position), exposures or near falls (forcing one’s opponent on his back to the mat), and penalty points (various rules broken by a wrestler, giving his opponent points).

Professional wrestling match types range widely and without a lot of regulation, as this sport is practiced primarily as a form of entertainment, complete with story lines and acting. Therefore, creativity leaves room for a variety of match types practiced therein. Among some of the most popular professional wrestling match types are the crowd pleasers, in which the drama associated with this performance sport abounds. “Blind fold” matches are when one or both of the wrestlers are blindfolded. A “flag” match is basically a dramatized, wrestling version of “capture the flag,” and the crowd-pleasing “inferno” match takes place in ring of fire and the winner must catch the opponents clothes on fire. These are just a few of the creative wrestling match types found in professional wrestling.

Other types of wrestling matches may be no longer practiced as a modern sport. These are typically termed as “folk wrestling,” reflective of the various types of combat sports practiced at one point or another by almost every major human culture across the globe. Of these, one of the most popular wrestling match types still practiced today is Sumo wrestling, a Japanese style wrestling that has been long practiced as a part of the Shinto religion. In Sumo wrestling matches, two wrestlers face off in a ring. When one wrestler is forced out of the ring, or a wrestler is forced to touch the ground with a body part other than the bottoms of his feet, the match is over. Böke is a similar sport practiced in Mongolia. Glima is a combat sport associated with Nordic cultures and is still the national sport of Iceland. Various other wrestling match types exist.