According to Andy Brick, a wrestling coach in Hillsboro, Ore., last man standing bouts are a competition and training option for all styles of wrestling, including American collegiate, freestyle, mixed martial arts and Greco-Roman. Though not part of traditional Judo or Jiu-Jitsu training, some modern fight sport organizations have added those arts to their competition roster. Though the specific rules will vary from sport to sport and event to event, the general framework of a last man standing competition remains the same.
Basic Framework
Dave Coffman, a martial arts tournament organizer from Hillsboro, Ore., says that a last man standing competition eliminates participants from play according to a specific set of rules. The competition can occur with all participants competing in a single scrum, an event often called a Battle Royale. Brick notes that this kind of competition is part of U.S. Army basic training. Another option is a single elimination tournament in which competitors participate in standard one-on-one matches with each loser eliminated from the tournament until only one remains.
Elimination Rules
A major point of last man standing competition is the terms by which an athlete is removed. Some common examples include fall, decision and technical fall. A fall is when the opponent fulfills a victory condition, such as pinning or choking out the loser. A decision is victory by accumulating more points than the loser according to the rules of the specific sport. A technical fall is when the referee, competitor or coach chooses to stop the match. This is most often due to a rules violation or injury. In some competitions, stepping out of the ring is cause for elimination and usually falls under technical fall.
Sport-Specific Rules
Most last man standing competitions abide by the standard rules of their sport. A last man standing wrestling competition would award points for takedowns, escapes and near falls and would grant a fall to a competitor who pinned his opponent. Likewise, that competition would not allow striking, joint locks or choking. In some cases, specific rules may have to be adjusted to accommodate the nature of the event. A Battle Royale wrestling match, for instance, would forego the usual requirement that matches be one-on-one and likely would span several weight divisions.
Professional Wrestling
Pro wrestling companies sometimes stage last man standing matches as promotions or special events. According to "Main Event" by Brian Shields, these matches are staged entertainment with a script. The rules for such events are whatever the promoters decide will be the most entertaining and bring in the most ticket and pay-per-view sales.
References
- Andy Brick, Wrestling Coach, Hillsboro, Ore.
- Dave Coffman, Martial Arts Instructor, Bushido Martial Arts, Hillsboro, Ore.
- "Main Event: WWE in the Raging 80s"; Brian Shields; 2006
- West Virginia Wrestling: Overview of Wrestling Rules
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