Equipment Used in Wrestling

Wrestling is a combat sport and martial art practiced in a number of different styles. Wrestlers wear highly specialized equipment. Some of this equipment is designed to protect the wrestler or to maximize performance. Other pieces enable scoring. All styles in amateur athletics take place on a rubberized mat.

  1. What Is Wrestling?

    • Wrestling is a martial art and combat sport. Matches consist of two opponents who attempt to gain physical control over one another via a number of physical grappling techniques that include takedowns, throws, clinches, submission holds and joint-locks. In amateur athletics and the Olympics, three forms have become prominent: Greco-Roman, freestyle and scholastic (also referred to as collegiate). There are a number of cultural and "folkstyle" variants. Rules, points and scoring systems vary by the type of wrestling, and when style is not specified, wrestling here will refer to any of the international styles contested on a mat.

    Singlets

    • In wrestling, referees need to be able to both assess points accurately and ensure that participants do not engage in illegal moves. For these two reasons, the three major styles of wrestling require that each combatant wears a singlet. These garments are traditionally made of spandex so that they cling to the body. This tightness prevents the other contestant from using the singlet during grappling. It also allows the referee to more accurately gauge points or see when one wrestler has pinned another. The colors can vary by the location of the competition (at home or away), and in scholastic wrestling traditionally reflect school colors.

    Headgear

    • American high school and collegiate wrestlers are required to wear headgear. This piece of equipment is made from plastic or vinyl ear coverings with straps to keep it secure on the head. The primary purpose of headgear is to prevent cauliflower ear (medically known as hematoma auris or perichondrial hematoma). This condition results from trauma to the external ear that causes a blood clot or fluid retention under the skin. The resulting formation of fibrous tissue leads to permanent swelling and deformation.

      In Greco-Roman and freestyle wrestling, headgear is optional.

    Shoes

    • Wrestlers wear highly specialized shoes during competition and training. They are usually made of a lightweight, flexible material and lace up above the ankles to provide support to that joint. Because wrestlers compete on a rubber mat, the soles are often made of rubber and designed to provide traction and grip on the mat's surface. In scholastic wresting, wrestlers must keep the laces covered or tucked in.

    Mats

    • Wrestling matches take place on rubber mats of a thickness and dimension that is specified by each style of wrestling. The padding of these mats provides protection to the wrestlers. In the Olympic Games, the competition area is nine meters in diameter with a 1 1/2-meter safety border. Depending on the style, the mat may be marked with other boundaries. The mat must be no more than four inches thick, although scholastic matches allow for additional padding underneath.

    Other Equipment

    • In scholastic wrestling, competitors can use additional specialized equipment, including face masks (to protect previously broken noses or ocular bones), knee and elbow pads, and mouth guards to protect the teeth. In freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling, each participant is required to keep a "bloodrag" (handkerchief) inside his singlet. These are used to stop any bleeding that occurs and clean up blood, sweat, or any other bodily fluid transferred to the mat.