Arm wrestling rules and regulations help prevent broken bones in addition to ensuring fair play. The American Armsport Association requires that you are at least 16 years old. Professional arm wrestlers must meet weight requirements to participate in a particular weight class. You must weigh-in without wearing any clothing for all World Armwrestling Federation or American Armsport Association competitions. Weight categories are classified by 10 to 20 lb. increments for the WAF.
Attire
Professional arm wrestlers must wear short sleeve or sleeveless shirts, and sport pants. The World Armwrestling Federation requires you to wear clothing with minimal advertising which identifies your home country. You must wear shoes, and you can wear specialized platform shoes if your waist does not reach the top of the competition table. Do not wear anything on your arms: The WAF forbids wraps, straps, bandages or rings anywhere on your wrist or arm.
Set Up
Stand facing your opponent with your shoulders square to the competition table. Rest the elbow of your active arm on the padding. Grip your opponent palm-to-palm by contacting the webbing between your opponent's thumb and index finger with the same area on your hand. Your thumbs and knuckles must be visible, and your wrist must be straight. Grasp the peg at the edge of the table with your free hand. Gripped hands must be lined up with the side pegs at center of table. The space between your shoulder and forearm, and your chin and hand, should be approximately one hand-width apart.
Technique
Attempt to pin your opponent with your arm and body strength. Pulling any part of your opponent's wrist or fingers in contact with, or below the touch pad qualifies as a pin. You can move your legs in any fashion that does not interfere with your opponent during the match. The elbow on your competing arm must not break contact with the elbow pad. Keep your non-competing hand around the side grip throughout the match.
Fouls
Lifting your elbow slightly off the pad is a foul. Riding on your triceps or forearms, which extends any part of your elbow beyond the edge of the pad, is also a foul. However, temporarily breaking elbow contact with the pad while maintaining tricep or forearm contact is not a foul. Intentional slip-outs are fouls, which occur when both your palm completely loses contact with your competitor's palm. Lifting your fingers off your opponent's hand prior to a slip out, or brining your fingers inside your opponent's hand, are examples of intentional slip-outs. If you and your opponent commit a foul at the same time, then the fouls cancel out, and you may start the match over.
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