The Length Of A Wrestling Match

Wrestling, like all other sports, has its own set of specific rules to ensure fair and uniform play. Although different divisions and conferences have different specifications, wrestling matches tend to be shorter than many other competitions. The exertion in wrestling is intense, and two athletes can only compete for so long.

Collegiate Wrestling Matches

This is the wrestling you see at colleges and high schools, and it is typical of other amateur competition. At the high school level, a typical match consists of three rounds, each lasting two minutes. NCAA college matches last three rounds, with the first round lasting three minutes and subsequent matches lasting two. Exhibition matches and matches for younger athletes typically retain the three-round structure, but the rounds might be shorter.

Freestyle Wrestling

Freestyle wrestling is one of the styles practiced at the Olympics. A freestyle wrestling match has more variety than many other forms, with matches ranging from two one-minute rounds to a single five-minute round. Rules as of 2011 for freestyle wrestling at the Olympics set matches for two rounds, each lasting three minutes.

Greco-Roman Wrestling

Greco-Roman wrestling is also practiced at the Olympics, and it differs from the others in that gripping the legs is not permitted. Typical Greco-Roman matches consist of three rounds, each lasting two minutes.

Falls and Technical Falls

If a wrestler is pinned --- that is, he is held on his back for three consecutive seconds --- the match ends and the other wrestler wins. Similarly, if one wrestler gains a lead of 15 or more points at any point during a match, the contest ends as a technical fall similar to a TKO result in a boxing match.

Tie-breakers

In some competitions, ties at the end of a wrestling match result in tie-breaking rounds to determine a victor. Conventions for these rounds vary widely from region to style to program. One to three shorter rounds, played either for points or as sudden death, are common practices. Another is to set one wrestler in a controlling position and allow the other try try to escape for a set time period. Some conferences even weigh the athletes at the end of a tied match, awarding victory to the wrestler who weighs less --- under the assumption that he was at a slight disadvantage.