Wrestling is not just a contact sport, it's a combat sport. Although it is statistically low on injuries as compared to football, basketball and even soccer, injuries do happen every season. A wrestler with an injured nose may risk not being able to compete for weeks or even months. After all, the nose is in prime real estate for re-injury.
Causes of Nose Injuries
According to Oregon wrestling coach Andy Brick, nose injuries during wrestling take place most often from one of two causes. Wrestlers often get thrown to the ground during matches and practice, and they occasionally land on their faces. Despite the protection of the mat, sometimes that landing will bloody or break a nose. The other common cause is from collisions. Wrestlers vying for a takedown will dart in head first. If two heads dart in simultaneously, a nose is frequently the first casualty.
Blood
The first problem a wrestler with an injured nose faces is bleeding. Because of the risk from blood-borne pathogens like hepatitis and HIV, a wrestling match stops for a bleeding athlete. That athlete then has two minutes to control the bleeding or he is forced to forfeit the match. If the nose stops bleeding, then restarts later in the match, the two minute timer does not reset. Since blood flow and pressure tend to increase as a match goes on, this is a very common event once a wrestler sustains a nose bleed.
Position
The second problem a wrestler with an injured nose faces is the long-term prospect of re-injury. Wrestlers spend a lot of time getting their faces rubbed against, slammed into and pushed on by the mat or their opponents. Although wrestling headgear protects the ears and temples, they provide no protection whatsoever for the wrestler's nose. Worse, it's not uncommon for a wrestler who knows his opponent's nose is hurt to target the nose to cause pain and demoralization.
The Mask
The only commonly used protection for wrestlers with nose injuries is "the mask." This device looks like a hockey goalie mask and affixes to the front of a wrestler's headgear. It's made of hard rubber, and has small holes to allow a wrestler to see and breathe. According to Brick, "the mask" restricts both breathing and vision despite these holes, and is not favored by any wrestlers he knows of. Because "the mask" looks somewhat like the mask worn by Jason in the "Friday the 13th" movies, it is sometimes called a "Jason mask."
References
- Andy Brick; Wrestling Coach; Hillsboro, OR
- "NCAA Wrestling Rules Book;" NCAA; 2007
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