Rules & Techniques Of Greco-roman Wrestling

The rules of Greco-Roman wrestling make it essential for participants to focus on technique. Although other types of Olympic wrestling allow full body attacks, Greco-Roman limits itself to the upper part of the body. Learning the proper techniques in accordance of the rules remains essential to success in this grueling sport.

Use of Legs

You cannot use your legs as a tool for offense or defense, and cannot make contact with your opponent below his waist. This means that you cannot do single or double leg takedowns like you would in freestyle or folkstyle wrestling. You also cannot use your legs to defend a takeout or trip your opponent to the mat. You must avoid touching your opponent with your legs in any way, as this can lead to the referee calling a foul.

Ground Holds

When you take an opponent to the mat, you must accompany him to the ground and stay in physical contact with him for the hold to count. This means that you cannot throw your opponent to the ground and then apply a hold afterward, but must rather hold him above his waist through the takedown and into the hold that you apply on the ground.

Throws

Greco-Roman throws require you to compromise your opponent's balance and quickly lift him before he can regain it. If you can lift your opponent slightly off the ground, you will have taken away his center of gravity, which allows you to complete your throw. You start by controlling an area of your opponent's body with your arms, shoulders and head. Once you control an area of your opponent's body, you can lock him into position and attempt a throw. You should attempt your throw when you feel as though you and your opponent have gone slightly off-balance, as your opponent will attempt to recover from this, putting him in a vulnerable situation.

Positioning

Much of the sport focuses on positioning, as you must keep your body in a position where you have balance, while manipulating your opponent to get him into a position where he loses his balance. Only remove yourself from your base position, where you have your center of gravity, to attack. You must attack quickly, as your opponent will sense that you have moved from base position and can attack you. If you find yourself in a bad position, you can get yourself back into wedge position by controlling your opponent's head, which forces him to move his legs by putting him into a non-functional position.