Rules & Procedures

Qualification Procedures – Junior & 16U Nationals

State teams shall be limited to four (4) wrestlers per age per style per weight class. Wrestlers who earn automatic qualifier status shall not count against any limit.

All athletes who wish to participate in this event must go through their respective state to register.  This is not an open event. For additional information on how to qualify or attend please contact your respective state representative CLICK HERE!

Automatic Qualifiers – 16U & Junior Nationals

The following shall serve as automatic qualifiers at Junior & 16U Nationals and shall not count against any roster limit:

• Current year 1st-6th place at USA Wrestling Regionals (placement must be in the same age and style)
• Current year 1st-8th place at U15 Nationals (placement must be in the same style)
• Current year 1st-8th place at U17 Nationals (placement must be in the same style)
• Current year 1st-8th place at U20 Nationals (placement must be in the same style)
• Previous year 1st-8th place at Junior Nationals (placement must be in the same style)
• Previous year 1st-8th place at 16U Nationals (placement must be in the same style)

*Geographical Exception for Qualification Procedures – Junior & 16U Nationals

For Hawaii and Alaska only, their roster limit shall not exceed 4 per weight class plus 2 additional wrestlers. The wrestlers can be at any weight class. (e.g.: 15 weight classes = 62 wrestlers)

• 16U Girls and Junior Girls 1st-6th Place finishers serve as automatic qualifiers at Junior & 16U Nationals in their designated age group .
   
• Girls Greco-Roman is a festival and NOT a qualifier for Kids Nationals or Junior & 16U Nationals.

Weight at Kids Nationals

At Kids Nationals, provided a wrestler has qualified for Kids Nationals or been granted a waiver to compete, he/she may not compete lower than the lowest weight weighed in at any regional, minus one weight class.

Eligibility at Kids Nationals

In order to be eligible for Kids Nationals, one must compete in any regional or obtain a waiver to compete from his/her state chairperson.

Please reach out to your state chairperson on how to qualify for the annual USA Wrestling Junior & 16U National Championships Team in Fargo, ND.

For qualification rules visit USA WRESTLING – JUNIOR OLYMPIC WRESTLING COMMITTEE BOARD REPORT

BRACKETING

Double elimination line bracketing will be used for all groups and styles with a wrestle back to 4th.

Weights with four (4) or fewer competitors will wrestle in a round robin format. Weights with two (2) competitors will wrestle two (2) out of three (3) to determine region champion.

Athletes will be seperated by state following PIN seperation:

USA Wrestling Performance Index (PIN): Separation used for all brackets. Click here for more information about PIN 

*The number of separated spots will be based on registered numbers and decided upon by tournament director and head operations official

ABOUT THE USA WRESTLING PIN

• The USA Wrestling Performance Index (PIN) measures consistency over time and rates the probability of a person winning against an opponent based on their bodies of work.

• A person with a higher PIN is considered more likely to beat someone with a lower PIN and the closer the PINs are between athletes, the closer the probability gets to 50/50 chances.

• This does not reward the one-time win or head-to-head over an opponent. What it does is reward an athlete’s consistency over time. If you consistently beat people with higher PINs, you will gain PIN points to surpass them in the index, given that you do not lose to lesser competition along the way.

• The more you wrestle, the more opportunity you have to change your PIN.

• The baseline number for a person’s PIN is 1,000 points. The more points your PIN has above 1,000 reflects positive success against your opponents.

Tie-Breaker Criteria:

In the event of a tie between two or more participants in a round-robin, the
following criteria shall be used to break the tie:
1. If two participants are tied, the head-to-head outcome will determine
highest placer.
2. Cumulative activity points (2 pts: Fall, Inj. Default, Forfeit, WBD; 1.5 pts: Technical Fall; 1 pt: Major decision).
3. Most pins.
4. Most technical falls.
5. Fastest time of falls (cumulative).
6. Fastest time of technical falls (cumulative).
7. Most match points.
8. Lowest contestant weight.

BRACKET CHANGES WILL BE MADE UP UNTIL 1 HOUR PRIOR TO THE START OF THE WRESTLING SESSION. Please contact the tournament director with any issues (ie: wrestler missing from bracket or incorrect weight) by email at least 2 HOURS PRIOR to the start of the wrestling session or please come to the headtable.  

RULES

In effect immediately, USA Wrestling events will follow the 2022 UWW Rule changes for Freestyle and Greco-Roman. All Regional/National events will follow these rules and policies.
 

Regional/National Rules Modifications

1. If an athlete flees the mat during an attack and the offensive wrestler finishes his/her takedown or other scoring maneuver, the offensive wrestler will score the takedown/scoring maneuver (2, 4, or 5 points)  PLUS caution to his/her opponent and one more point (2, 4, 5 + 1).  Match will restart in PAR TERRE.  This rule applies to all styles.

2. If an athlete flees the mat during an attack and the offensive wrestler is unable to finish his/her attack, the offensive wrestler will score the step out (1 point) PLUS caution to his/her opponent and one more point (1 + 1).  Match will restart STANDING.  This rule applies to all styles.

3. If an athlete flees the mat in par terre, caution to the defensive wrestler and his/her opponent receives one point.  Athletes will restart in par terre. -- If an athlete flees in danger, caution to the defensive wrestler plus two points to the offensive wrestler, restart par terre (no change from previous rules).

4. Par Terre Starting Position:  Match will start once the offensive athlete places hands on any part of the back.

5. If an athlete is put on activity time and does not score, the active wrestler will get one point on top of any points he/she scores in activity time.  The passive athlete on activity time must score in that 30 seconds or their opponent will receive one point.  The point will be awarded without stopping the match.

6. In the 14U and younger, U15, 16U, U17 and Veteran age categories, no verbal warning for inactivity will be given due to the shortened periods.  The first stoppage in the match for passivity will go directly to activity time. 

7. All Masters age categories will wrestle 2-minute periods.

8. In a fall situation where the defensive athlete nearly has his/her shoulders to the mat and screams to simulate an injury and a reason for this potential injury is not observed, the refereeing team is obligated to call a fall, with mat chairman approval.

9. Headgear is not required for wrestlers 14U and younger. A distinguishable shade of red or blue is acceptable for singlest.

10. Double arm bar with sit-out, three quarter nelson w/leg hook and west point ride (iron cross/cross chest cradle) maneuvers are now LEGAL in all age divisions.

11. Technical superiority in GR will now be 8 points across ALL age divisions.

12. Kickbacks are legal in FS, assuming the offensive wrestler does not use undue force against the defensive wrestler’s knee.  This has always been legal.

13. In Greco the offensive wrestler DOES NOT have to accompany his opponent to the mat during a throw or action in order to score points.

14. Mouth guards are not required for wrestlers (even wrestlers with braces) but recommended

15. Rest time in between matches is a minimum of 15 minutes

16. A match can be started when a wrestler does not have a coach

USA Wrestling rules governing ages, weights and match time will take precedence where applicable. USA Wrestling Protest Procedures will govern all challenges, and where available video review will be used to aid in the decision making process.  

RULE BOOK: https://www.usawmembership.com/usa_wrestling_rule_book