The United States Wrestling Federation changed its name to USA Wrestling in 1983. USA Wrestling is the governing body of the sport in America. It is recognized by the U.S. Olympic Committee and belongs to the Federal Internationale des Lutes (FILA), which is the worldwide governing body of amateur wrestling. In short, USA Wrestling uses the rules and standards for the sport that FILA disseminates, and they apply to young wrestlers in USA wrestling programs all the way up the top competitors in the Olympic Games. Fair play and sportsmanship are paramount in amateur wrestling. As a result, no kicking, head butting, strangling, pulling ears or hair, pinching, strangulation, twisting or torturing are allowed.
History of Wrestling
The first wrestling matches that are preserved in historical documents occurred in 708 B.C. at the Olympic Games. In the earliest days of the sport, there were two types of wrestling: upright and proper wrestling, where you tried to throw your opponent to the ground, and Ground Wrestling, which ended when one of the contestants raised his right hand in defeat. In the Viking era, a wrestling sport called glima was extremely popular. It was illegal in this early version of wrestling to kick or hit your opponent, and matches ended when one contestant fell down. Imported from England to America, wrestling proved to be a popular sport in colonial times, and it has endured until the present day. Freestyle wrestling was introduced into the modern Olympics in 1904, and Greco-Roman in 1908. It took another century for women to be invited, but in 2004, female wrestlers competed in four freestyle weight classes.
USA Wrestling
Strife and turmoil marked the evolution of USA Wrestling. In 1965, the wrestling community began efforts to create its own organization, and the United States Wrestling Federation was created in 1968. For the next 15 years, the group fought with the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) for control of amateur wrestling in America. In 1982, after numerous court battles, twists and turns, the AAU was ordered to resign and sever all ties with FILA and the U.S. Olympic Committee, and U.S. Wrestling Federation took its place as the official governing body in America. In 1983, the U.S. Wrestling Federation changed its name to USA Wrestling.
FILA Rules
Amateur wrestling has a noble tradition, and FILA aims to uphold it. The rules stress sportsmanship, and any obvious offense against fair play, such as cheating or brutality, will result in immediate disqualification. The rules also address the smallest details, such a requirement that wrestlers can't be sweating at the start of any of the three periods of a match. The rules apply to the two main forms of amateur wrestling: Greco-Roman and freestyle. In the former, you are forbidden to grasp your opponent below the belt, trip him or use your legs in any active fashion against him. Freestyle wrestling, as the name implies, allows you to use your upper and lower body to throw or pin your opponent.
Considerations
FILA rules are quite progressive. Youngsters and teenagers, both boys and girls, are encourage to wrestle and compete in age groups starting at 12 for boys and 14 for girls. Most of the rules are the same for both sexes. One of the few differences in the banning of two arm double nelsons in female wrestling.
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