Wrestling Ring Plans

When considering plans for a wrestling ring, you must first identify which kind of ring you need: competition or exhibition. A competition ring is a mat, the kind seen in collegiate and high school competition. Exhibition rings are elevated platforms topped with canvas and with turnbuckles, much like a boxing ring.

Competitive Surface

Competitive wrestling takes place on a foam mat 2 inches thick. The foam is coated with a layer of rubber for durability and traction, which may be decorated with a team mascot or other graphic. It's common practice for the manufacturer to paint borders and starting lines on the rubber.

Competitive Specifications

The dimensions of the wrestling mat vary according to the organization sanctioning your matches. High school mats must be at least 38 feet on each side, with a circle at least 28 feet diameter in the center. NCAA rules increase the circle size to 32 to 42 feet in diameter. In both cases, the mat must include 5 feet of padded space surrounding the play area. In tournaments, it's common to use tape to divide a single mat into two or four sections so more bouts can happen at the same time. Though this makes for close quarters, alert referees can keep play safe.

Exhibition Surface

An exhibition wrestling ring sets a thin wooden deck up on legs to provide a flexible play surface. The deck is topped with canvas, and frequently includes a layer of padding between the wood and canvas surface. Most wrestling rings are surrounded by a fence of ropes, with posts on each corner called turnbuckles. The turnbuckles themselves are padded to prevent impact injury to the athletes.

Exhibition Specifications

Exhibition wrestling is not as organized or centralized as competitive wrestling, meaning that ring specifications are more likely left to individual or regional organizers than to sanctioning organizations. Typical sizes for exhibition rings include 16, 18 and 20 foot squares. Organizers may also set minimum standards as to the sizes of the ropes and the kinds of padding on the turnbuckles. If you build your wrestling ring to correspond to International Boxing Association standards, it is likely to meet or exceed local organizational rules.

Spectators

In both kinds of wrestling, ensuring enough space for spectators to watch comfortably is an important part of your planning consideration. Since both mats are portable, it's all right for your plans to simply be a system for moving and installing the ring in an arena. If you're building a practice and competition area, though, bleachers or other seating should be part of your plans from the beginning.