Introduction The
sport of Wrestling offers spectators great excitement due
to its rare techniques, the quick changes in the score,
as well as the strength, the combative spirit and the amazing
physical attributes of the wrestlers.
 Widely
recognised as the world's oldest competitive sport, wrestling
appeared in a series of Egyptian wall paintings as many
as 5000 years ago. Based on historic evidence, Wrestling
as a sport can be found in many civilizations. In ancient
Greece, Wrestling was one of the most popular sports, conducted
by athletes in the nude. In modern history, Greek athletes
have won many distinctions in this specific sport, which
continues to be included among the most popular sports in
Greece.When the Games began in 776 BC, more than two millenniums
later, it included wrestling, and, in the years that followed,
wrestling featured as the main event.
The sport would return in a similar role when the Olympic
Games returned after a 1500-year absence in 1896. Organisers,
seeking direct links to ancient times, found a natural in
the sport that had enjoyed popularity across much of the
ancient world, from Greece, Assyria and Babylon to India,
China and Japan. They resurrected Greco-Roman wrestling,
a style they believed to be an exact carryover from the
Greek and Roman wrestlers of old.
In Greco-Roman wrestling, the wrestlers used only their
arms and upper bodies to attack. They could hold only those
same parts of their opponents. It worked nicely from a historical
perspective, but another breezier style was sweeping across
Great Britain and the United States by then. Known as "catch
as catch can", it had become standard fare - and popular
professional entertainment - at fairs and festivals in both
countries.
In 1904, the Olympic Games added the second wrestling event
and called it "freestyle". Now, wrestlers could
use their legs for pushing, lifting and tripping, and they
could hold opponents above or below the waist.
Understanding Wrestling
Wrestling
Area or Tapis
 The
wrestling area is a square or octagonal mat measuring 12
m on each side. There are two concentric circles, in the
middle of the mat, a small and a larger one. The large one
has a diametre of 9 m, while the smaller one has a 7 m diameter
and constitutes the "central wrestling area". The area formed
between the smaller and larger circles is the "passive zone",
which is red in colour and has a width of one metre.
The
two diametrically opposite corners of the mat have the colours
of the wrestling suits worn by the two opponents: red and
blue.
Wrestling
Suits
 The two competing athletes appear at each end of the wrestling
area, wearing full-body wrestling suits of a different colour
(red and blue), in order for the referee to easily distinguish
between them. Prior to the commencement of the match, it
is determined which of the two athletes will wear the red
and which will wear the blue wrestling suit. The name of
the athlete with the red suit is announced first. It is
obligatory for each athlete to bear the emblem of his country
on the chest of his wrestling suit, and an abbreviation
of his country's name with lettering measuring 10 x 10 cm
on his back.
Piece
of cloth
The
athlete must bear a piece of cloth, for personal use during
the bout.
Wrestling
Boots
The
contestants must wear wrestling boots that tie with laces
around the ankles. Boots with built-up heels, rings or metal
components of any sort are forbidden, as are soles with
studs or nails.
Rules
Weight
categories
 Wrestlers are divided into categories according to
their age and weight. In the Athens 2004 Olympic Games athletes
will compete in the following weight categories:
Men's greco-roman: 55 kg, 60 kg, 66 kg, 74 kg,
84 kg, 96 kg, 120 kg
Men's free style: 55 kg, 60 kg, 66 kg, 74 kg, 84
kg, 96 kg, 120 kg
Women's free style: 48 kg, 55 kg, 63 kg, 72 kg
Prior
to participating in a match, the wrestlers are obliged to
undergo medical tests. Then they are weighed and they enter
a lottery procedure to determine the pairing of contesting
athletes.
Referees
 The refereeing group is comprised of the referee,
the judge, the mat chairman and the inspector-controller.
The match is managed by the referee, who is responsible
for the maintenance of order on the mat, for the protection
of the wrestlers from any possible unsporting actions, for
keeping of rules and regulations and for respect of the
overall sporting spirit. The referee uses his whistle to
signal the start and end of a match and allocates points
for the holds of the wrestlers.
The
judge, if he agrees with the recommendation of the referee,
registers the number of points awarded after a certain wrestling
move and communicates the result, on a board, to the spectators
and wrestlers. It is also the responsibility of the judge
to point out to the referee the passive wrestler and a fall.
The
referee and the judge (second referee) must agree, in order
for a point or points to be allocated to a wrestler. In
case of disagreement, and only in that case, the recommendation
- decision of the mat chairman prevails. Under no circumstances
can the mat chairman voice his opinion first.
In
the Olympic Games and the World Championships, a member
of the refereeing committee or a senior category referee
is appointed as mat inspector-controller. The inspector-controller
does not mediate in the management of the match. In the
case that the reconsideration of the result of a match is
deemed necessary, the mat inspector controller confers with
the mat chairman and if they end in agreement they announce
the exact result.
FILA
(the International Amateur Wrestling Association) evaluates
the referees and classifies them internationally in four
categories: A, B, C and E. Referees which belong to category
E are those who referee at the Olympic Games.
The
Match
During
the course of a match, it is forbidden for wrestlers to
have on them, or to wear; glasses, watches, rings, chains
and other objects, which can cause injury to their opponents.
Long nails, punching, biting, pinching, strangulation holds
or dislocations are also forbidden, as is in fact any act
in general, which can cause injury to the opponent. Finally,
unsporting behaviour and arguing with the referee or opponent
are strictly punished.
A
match is judged on points or a fall, as follows:
 A fall is called when a wrestler holds his opponent
down with his back pinned to the mat for at least two seconds.
The referee acknowledges and registers the fall (having
first agreed with the judge or mat chairman) by blowing
the whistle and simultaneously striking the mat with his
hand.A match can be judged on points when, during the course
of a match, there are no falls. The wrestler who has been
allocated the most points is declared winner. If, at any
time, the difference in points between the contestants is
more than 10, the game is stopped and the winner is the
wrestler who holds the lead, due to a "technical fall" of
his opponent.
At
the end of the first three-minute half of the match, and
if no wrestler has won a point, the 30-second interval follows
and then the second half begins with the two wrestlers "tied"
in the centre of the mat (in other words, they embrace each
other around the chest, their hands clasped behind the back
of their opponent in such a way that one hand passes over
their opponent's shoulder and the other under their arm).
Upon the signal by the referee, each wrestler tries to throw
his opponent down, thereby winning a point or points. In
the case that one of the two does not comply with the regulations
or breaks the clasp first, he is punished by the referee
with one point and a warning.
If
there is neither a fall nor a 10-point difference between
the two wrestlers, the winner at the end of the match is
the one who has scored the most points, with the minimum
number of points being three. If, during the normal duration
of the game, neither of the two athletes scores the minimum
of three points, the match goes into extra time and ends
when one of the wrestlers reaches three points. If during
extra time neither athlete reaches three points, then the
score up to that point is taken into consideration. And
if the wrestlers are tied in the score (eg. 0-0 or 1-1),
then both the penalties and cautions imposed on them are
taken into account, in order to reach a final result.
Specifically,
technical points are awarded according to how difficult
the hold was. The points are allocated as follows:
-
One point is awarded when there is a simple turnover,
that is, throwing the athlete down with his chest on
the mat.
- Two
points are awarded when a turnover is achieved which
throws, even momentarily, the opponent with his back
on the mat, putting him in the so-called dangerous position
("momentary bridge").
- Three
points are awarded when the wrestler holds the opponent
in the so-called "bridge" position. This means that
the opponent, though having fallen to the mat, has lifted
his hips up from the ground, supporting himself with
the head and soles of his feet. Three points are also
awarded when the wrestler, in implementing a certain
technique, lifts his opponent and throws him with his
back on the mat, tracing a small arc in the process.
("Tight waist roll", "Double underhook hip throw").
- Five
points are awarded when the wrestler, implementing a
certain technique, lifts his opponent and throws him
down with his back on the mat, creating a large arc
with his opponent's body. ("shoulder throw")
Warning
If
one of the two athletes is not wrestling (a passive wrestler),
preventing his opponent from applying a certain technique
(eg. by avoiding him), then the referee, in agreement with
the mat chairman, imposes a "warning". The passive athlete
is placed at the centre of the mat, with his knees and hands
on the mat (crouching position), while his opponent tries
to bring him to the so-called dangerous position.
|
home | 
about us | 
news & events | 
contact us 
