A Description Of High School Wrestling Moves

A Description of High School Wrestling Moves

Jun 14, 2011 | By Jake Wayne

High school wrestling observes the same rules as college wrestling, except the rounds are shorter and the field of play is smaller. The main difference between the two is in the complexity of the moves used in most competition. College wrestlers are simply too skilled for most complex moves to work well. At the college level, though, you'll see more flamboyant and risky moves succeed in competition.

Granby Roll

A high school wrestler uses a granby roll to turn the tables if an opponent is directly on top of him. To execute this reversal, he captures his opponent's arm and then does a forward shoulder roll. As both wrestlers tumble through the roll, he stops the roll when his opponent is on his back and he is lying on his opponent's stomach, with his own back down. From there, he can turn over and attempt a pinning combination.

Sacrifice Throw

Sacrifice throws work from upright and ground wrestling positions. There are many varieties, but they work the same. A wrestler performs a sacrifice throw by grabbing his opponent and rolling over onto his own back, then continuing the momentum to roll until his opponent is on his back. These work at the high school level because the opponent is likely to cooperate with the first half of the roll, seeing an opportunity to gain an illusory advantage.

Arm Bar

Arm bars are aggressive moves used from the top to flip an opponent onto his back. To perform an arm bar, a wrestler bends one of his opponent's arms behind his back at a 90-degree angle. He then runs in a tight circle around his opponent, pushing on the arm all the while. The pressure and pain from this position will force his opponent to move and eventually flip over to his back.

Head and Arm

A head and arm is a pinning combination in which a wrestler puts his opponent on his back while gripping his neck and upper arm in the pit of his elbow. While in this position, the wrestler on top is lying with his back or side across his opponent's chest, and his legs spread out as far as possible for counterbalance. A head and arm throw uses the same body position while standing up, then uses a hip toss to take both wrestlers to the ground for a pin.