Rules

Wrestling rules, the way high school girls wrestle them

High school wrestling in the United States runs on one rule book, the NFHS's, and girls and boys wrestle under the same one. This is that book as a girl meets it in 2026-27: how a match works, how you score, what gets called, what you can wear, and what happens at the scale. Then, in one table, how the freestyle she wrestles in the spring and in college is different.

Every rule names the document we read it in, and the list is at the bottom. If this is your first season, the first tournament guide walks through the day itself, and the guide for parents covers what to bring and ask. The basic terms, from takedown to technical violation, are in the glossary; the holds are explained below, where they come up.

By Joe Spisak, Pennsylvania state champion and 4x NCAA qualifier at Virginia · Published August 24, 2026 · Updated September 29, 2026

Most common outdated advice

A takedown is worth three points.

The NFHS raised it from 2 to 3 for 2024-25 (Rule 9-1-2). Plenty of rules pages, including some on the first page of search results, still say two.

You do not need a hair cover.

The hair length restriction was eliminated for the 2020-21 season. Covering is optional now, at any length. Plenty of coaches and almost every older article still say otherwise.

Which rule book is yours

It depends on where you wrestle: high school is the NFHS book your state association adopts, NCAA women wrestle under the NCAA's own rule book and NAIA women under USA Wrestling's with NAIA changes, and spring and summer club freestyle follows United World Wrestling's rules as USA Wrestling applies them. Before any rule means anything, find your book. Most arguments about wrestling rules are two people quoting different ones.

If you wrestle	Style	Rule book
High school	Folkstyle	NFHS Wrestling Rules Book, adopted by your state association
USA Wrestling folkstyle events	Folkstyle	NFHS rules with USA Wrestling's changes: headgear is recommended, not required (USA Wrestling 25.5). States may change more for events in the state (USA Wrestling 25.8)
NCAA women	Freestyle	The NCAA's Rule Book & Guide to Women's Wrestling: USA Wrestling's rules combined with those of the National Collegiate Women's Wrestling (NCWW) committee
NAIA women	Freestyle	The USA Wrestling rule book, with NAIA changes
Spring and summer club freestyle, Fargo, national and international	Freestyle	United World Wrestling's rules, applied by USA Wrestling

In high school, a girl wrestles under the same NFHS book whether her opponent is a girl or a boy. Where the NFHS's published documents treat girls differently, this page says so: the minimum body fat, the sports bra, the girls' weight classes, and a 2026-27 point of emphasis on uniforms that fit. Which weight classes apply when a girl wrestles boys, and where she may enter a boys' bracket, is on girls wrestling boys. Which association runs girls' wrestling in each state, and since when, is on high school girls wrestling, state by state.

How a high school match works

A varsity match is six minutes: three periods of two minutes (Rule 6-1-1), with no rest between them (6-1-4). In a tournament's consolation bracket the first period can be one or two minutes (6-1-2).

The first period starts in the neutral position: both wrestlers standing, facing each other at the starting lines in the middle of the mat (5-19-4, 6-2-3).

Before the second period, one wrestler gets the choice of position: top, bottom or neutral. She can also defer, which passes her choice to the third period (6-2-3). In a tournament, the referee tosses a disk to decide who chooses first (6-3-2). In a dual meet, the toss before the meet settled it (6-3-1). The other wrestler chooses for the third period (6-3-3).

Top and bottom: the referee's position

When a period starts on the mat, the referee sets up the bottom wrestler first, then the top wrestler (5-19-9).

Bottom: on her hands and knees. Knees behind the back line, hands ahead of the front line, elbows off the mat (5-19-2).
Top: at her side, with at least one knee down. One hand goes on the back of her near elbow, and the other arm loosely around her waist (5-19-5).
Optional start: the top wrestler puts only her hands on the bottom wrestler's back, thumbs touching. She must tell the referee first (5-19-7, 5-19-8).
Letting her up: the top wrestler can give up the position before the whistle. Her opponent gets an escape point, and they start in neutral (5-19-6).

A match tied after six minutes goes to overtime, which starts with one minute of sudden victory in neutral, where the first point wins (6-1-3, 6-7-1). The tiebreakers after that, and who chooses position in them, are on the scoring page.

How you score in high school

Read a row across. The rule number is the article that sets the value.

Move	Points	Rule
Takedown	3	9-1-2
Escape	1	9-1-3
Reversal	2	9-1-4
Near fall (her back held toward the mat)	2, 3 or 4	9-1-5
Fall (pin): both shoulders down for two seconds	Match over	5-11-1
Technical fall: a 15-point lead	Match over	5-11-4
Opponent's illegal hold or technical violation	1, then 1, then 2, then disqualified	Penalty Chart
Opponent's stalling	Warning, then 1, 1, 2, then disqualified	8-1-4

If a takedown looks like two points to you, you learned the old rule. For 2024-25 the NFHS raised it from 2 to 3. It also redefined near fall so the seconds equal the points: two points for two seconds, three for three, four for four (9-1-5). An escape is still 1 point and a fall still ends the match wherever the score stands. Team points, major decisions, the full overtime sequence and the referee's signals are on the scoring page, beside the NCAA women's and freestyle values.

Stalling, and what changed for 2026-27

Stalling is not wrestling to score. In neutral, backing off the mat and pushing or pulling your opponent out of bounds are both stalling (5-24-3). It is also stalling, from either wrestler, to keep grabbing one of the other's legs to stop her scoring. So is delaying the match, or creating a stalemate again and again so nobody can score (7-6-6). Since 2022-23, an untied shoelace or a shoe coming off is called as stalling too.

Fleeing the mat is different. It means going out of bounds on purpose, or forcing the opponent out, to avoid being scored on. It is a technical violation: the other wrestler gets 1 point the first time, with no warning (7-3-1). And there is no extra penalty point when the wrestler trying to flee is taken down or held in near-fall criteria.

The stalling penalty climbs: a warning, then a point to her opponent, then another point, then two points and her opponent's choice of position, then disqualification (8-1-4). A wrestler disqualified for stalling can still wrestle in the rest of a tournament.

New for 2026-27, under Rule 7-6-3: when the referee stops the match because the wrestlers went out of bounds in neutral, the referee announces one of four calls. Stalling for leaving the wrestling area, stalling for pushing or pulling the opponent out, stalling for backing out, or wrestling action is taking place. The last one is not a penalty; it tells everyone the edge was honest wrestling. Four new referee signals go with them, and a companion change at 5-24-4b says when a hold applied on the edge can become a stalling situation. The signals are described on the scoring page.

Illegal and potentially dangerous holds

An illegal hold is penalized with no warning: 1 point to her opponent, then 1, then 2, then disqualification (the NFHS Penalty Chart).

If an illegal hold injures her or makes her bleed, she gets two minutes of recovery time (5-28-3). It does not come out of her own injury time. Bleeding was added for 2026-27.

The rule book's list is long, and it says it is not complete. These are the illegal holds a parent is most likely to see called:

Slams (7-1-1). Lifting her and bringing her down to the mat with too much force. The referee calls it right away.
Straight-back throws (7-1-2). The straight-back suplay and the straight-back salto throw her straight backward. Since 2017-18 they are illegal whatever lands first: head, neck or shoulders.
The full nelson (7-1-5). Both arms under hers, with the hands on the back of her neck. It is illegal even when the hands do not touch, and from the front too.
A headlock with nothing inside it (7-1-5). Arms locked around her head alone. A legal headlock also wraps one of her arms, at or above the elbow, or a leg.
Throat and neck pressure (7-1-5). Any pressure on her throat, or on the carotid artery at the side of her neck, is illegal in itself. So is anything over her mouth, nose or neck that restricts her breathing or blood flow.
A forced hammerlock (7-1-5). A hammerlock bends her arm behind her back. It is illegal past a right angle, or when her arm is pulled away from her body.
A figure four around her body, head or both legs (7-1-5). Legs locked in the shape of a 4 around her body, her head or both her legs. Around one leg it can be legal, with no pressure on her knee.
Forcing a joint (7-1-5). Bending, twisting or forcing her head, an arm or a leg past the way it normally moves.
The nelson cradle (7-1-5). A cradle combined with a nelson. It has been illegal since 2018-19.
Flips over her (7-1-5). A front flip or hurdle over her from the neutral position. It has been illegal since 2017-18. The NFHS gave two reasons: it is risky for the wrestler who tries it, and the one defending it must react without causing a slam.
Cut-backs (7-1-5n). Leaving the feet and using a foot or leg to cut her leg out from under her, including from behind. It can badly hurt her legs. The rule was clarified for 2025-26.

The legal ones, the cradle, the half nelson and the rest, are defined one line each in the glossary of wrestling terms.

Potentially dangerous is not illegal

A potentially dangerous hold is legal. It takes a body part to the limit of how far it normally moves. The referee warns the wrestler not to force it further, without stopping the action. If that is not enough to prevent an injury, the referee stops the match (7-2-2). There is no penalty unless the hold is forced into an illegal position (7-2-1). The book's examples:

The double wristlock and the chicken wing (7-2-2, 7-2-3). Holds that use her arm to turn her. They are legal when the force goes across her body. Pushed along the length of her body, they become illegal.
The guillotine (7-2-2). A pinning hold that traps one of her arms. It becomes dangerous when that arm is forced too far.
Split scissors (7-2-2). Legs hooked inside hers, spreading them apart. The referee may break it up to prevent an injury.
Toeholds (7-2-2). Gripping and twisting her foot.
Front headlocks (7-2-2). An arm around her head from the front, with one of her arms inside it. Any headlock with an arm or a leg inside it counts too.
Arm traps (7-2-2). Some holds that trap her arm. They were added to the list for 2016-17.
Standing up carrying the top wrestler (7-2-2). The bottom wrestler stands up carrying all of the top wrestler's weight. The referee stops the match.

Striking and hair pulling

Striking or elbowing an opponent is not an illegal hold. It is flagrant misconduct (2025-26 NFHS interpretations, Situation 10). The penalty: disqualification on the first offense, removal for the rest of the event, and 3 team points off (the Penalty Chart).

Pulling hair is unnecessary roughness (5-29-1). The one exception is hair caught in a legal hold (2025-26 NFHS interpretations, Situation 11).

What girls can wear to wrestle

Girls wrestle under the same uniform rule as boys, with the sports bra added. For 2026-27 the NFHS also made girls' uniforms a national point of emphasis, titled "Properly Fitted Female Wrestlers Uniforms":

Schools, parents and coaches are expected to be proactive in addressing uniform needs by ensuring access to a range of sizes and appropriate uniform options, including legal undergarments.

A point of emphasis is not a new rule. It is the NFHS telling officials, schools and coaches what to watch this season. This one says a uniform should allow a full range of motion, stay secure without constant adjusting, and give appropriate coverage.

The two piece option is real, and it is your choice

Under NFHS Rule 4-1-1, every wrestler may choose between the traditional one piece singlet and a two piece uniform. The two piece is:

Compression shorts or wrestling shorts, minimum four inch inseam, not extending below the knee
A form fitted compression shirt, not extending below the elbow, with a minimum three inch tail

This is not a girls only rule and it is not a special accommodation you have to request. It has been an option in the rule book since the 2017-18 season, and Cliff Keen and others sell the pieces as a matched set. The catch and the full requirements are in the complete two piece guide, including the part most people miss: both pieces must be school issued.

Worth knowing because a lot of girls quietly decide whether to keep wrestling based on how they feel in a one piece, and a fair number of programs never mention the alternative exists.

Sports bras: required, Rule 4-1-1a

A sports bra is required for female wrestlers, and it must fully cover the breasts and minimize the risk of exposure. A compression shirt under a one piece singlet is permitted, and required only if it is needed for full coverage.

The NFHS officials' guide for girls wrestling is unusually blunt about the equipment itself:

Boys singlets are not designed for female wrestlers. Girls' cut singlets are the optimal choice for NFHS wrestling.

That is the governing body saying it, not us. If your program is issuing boys' cut singlets to the girls' team, that sentence is the one to bring to the athletic director, and the 2026-27 point of emphasis above now backs it nationally.

Practical constraints for the sports bra, which its rule does not list: no zippers, no clasps, no exposed metal. They scratch, and they catch on singlet fabric.

Ear guards, shoes, sleeves and mouthguards

Ear guards are required in high school (4-1-4). Which ones fit, including over braids, is on the headgear page.
Wrestling shoes, with the laces secured. A lace that comes untied, or a shoe that comes off, is stalling (4-1-3).
A leg sleeve no longer needs a pad (4-3-5, changed for 2025-26; NFHS interpretations, Situation 4).
A long-sleeve compression shirt is not legal unless your state association has approved it (2025-26 NFHS interpretations, Situation 14).
Mouth protectors. For 2026-27 the NFHS added a fuller description of what counts as an intraoral mouth and tooth protector (4-2-6). We have not read the new wording, so we do not restate it; choosing one is on the mouthguard page.

Coming in 2027

From July 1, 2027, Rule 4-1-2 lists what may go on a uniform: the school's name, nickname, logo and mascot, the weight class, and the wrestler's own name (changed for 2025-26). The 2025-26 NFHS interpretations already treat the school's name, nickname, logo and mascot as allowed, with no size limit (Situation 19). Her own nickname is not allowed (Situation 3). Manufacturer logos stay capped at 2.25 square inches, including on legal hair coverings.

Hair

Under NFHS Rule 4-2-1 as amended through 2022-23, and again for facial hair in 2023-24: there is no hair length restriction of any kind. A hair cover is optional at any length. Hair control devices and adornments, including braids with beads, bobby pins and barrettes, are permitted when they are securely fastened and do not present an increased risk to you or your opponent. That is the whole rule; everything below is detail and history.

What changed, and when

Two changes to the head hair rule, both by the NFHS Wrestling Rules Committee: for 2020-21 it eliminated the length rule and made the cover optional, and for 2022-23 it legalized hair control devices and adornments that are securely fastened and safe. Through the 2019-20 season, the rule said hair could not extend below the top of an ordinary shirt collar in back, below the earlobes on the sides, or below the eyebrows in front. Longer hair had to be contained in a cover. Beads, bobby pins, barrettes, pins and clips were banned outright as hard or abrasive.

For 2020-21, the NFHS Wrestling Rules Committee eliminated the length rule entirely and made the cover optional. NFHS's own director of sports called removing it "a monumental change" that would extend wrestling to young people the sport had been turning away. A Tennessee pilot season with relaxed hair rules the previous winter had shown coaches and officials it caused no problems.

For 2022-23, the committee legalized hair control devices and adornments that are securely fastened and safe. This is the change most older articles miss: the list of banned items is gone, replaced by a standard. The same rules cycle also allowed facial hair with a visible-skin requirement for skin checks, which tells you the direction the committee has been moving in generally.

For 2023-24, the committee amended the article again. The reason the NFHS gave is about facial hair and skin checks alone, and the head hair standard above is still in the text it printed. That page lost its strikethrough marks when the NFHS moved its website, so it no longer shows word for word what was deleted, which is why we do not quote it.

If you choose to wear a cover

A cover is your choice now, not a requirement at any length. If you do wear one, the requirements are unchanged: solid, non-abrasive material, attached to the ear guards. A bandanna is not a legal hair cover. Caps designed for locs and textured hair are legal if they meet the material and attachment rules.

Procedure, in the rule since at least the 2014-15 book: wear the cover to weigh-in to be checked with it on, take it off on the scale, and if no referee is present at weigh-in, the meet referee checks it on arrival. Covers and face masks count as special equipment.

Braids, beads, and what the official is judging

The standard is secure and safe, not a list of approved objects. A braid with beads fastened close to the head can pass. Anything sharp, or anything that can come loose during live wrestling, will not. If something comes loose mid-match, the procedure is time to fix it, not a penalty; if it cannot be fixed on the spot, you leave the mat to fix it.

One edge case: decorative hair charms count as jewelry under the NFHS definitions, and jewelry is not allowed in wrestling. Beads that control hair, fine. Charms that decorate it, no.

Also still true: pulling hair is a penalty. Rule 5-29-1 treats it as unnecessary roughness, with one exception for hair incidentally caught in a legal hold like a headlock or cradle.

Hijab and religious head coverings

NFHS addressed religious headwear across its sports in 2022: coverings worn for religious reasons must be made of soft, non-abrasive material and fit securely, and no advance approval from the state association is required. The state association is notified afterward only if a concern comes up. Honesty requires a caveat here: that language is NFHS multi-sport guidance, and wrestling's own rulebook is not on the list of sports that name religious headwear explicitly. In practice a hijab that is soft, secure, and compatible with ear guards satisfies the same physical standard as any other head covering. If your state or an official pushes back, the multi-sport guidance is the document to point to.

Why the bad advice will not die

The old rule did real damage on its way out. In December 2018 a New Jersey referee gave a Buena Regional wrestler named Andrew Johnson, who is Black, a choice between cutting his dreadlocks and forfeiting; his hair was cut at the side of the mat on video, the state civil rights division investigated, and the referee was suspended for two years. That incident is part of why the length rule is gone. But five years of articles, forum threads, and coaching folklore were written under the old rule, and they still outnumber the current information. Date-check anything you read about wrestling hair rules, including this page, which we dated for exactly that reason.

College, for contrast

NCAA women's wrestling is freestyle, under its own rulebook, and that book contains no hair length restriction at all. Its entire treatment of hair covering is one sentence allowing a nylon stretch cap under the ear guard for wrestlers who cover their hair by culture or personal taste. Ear guards are mandatory in college women's wrestling any time live wrestling happens, in practice too (NCAA Rule 1.7.1), which goes further than the high school rule about what she wears to compete. Hair pulling is illegal there too. Its 2026-27 edition adds one point of emphasis on hair: repeatedly stopping to adjust or fix it, which interrupts the match.

The technique most people land on is a high, tight braid started at the scalp, because a ponytail alone does not survive a live match. Caps designed for textured hair exist and are legal if they meet the material and attachment rules above.

Sources: NFHS rules changes documents and press releases for 2019-20, 2020-21, 2022-23 and 2023-24, the NJSIAA August 2022 rules memo, the 2025-26 NFHS rules interpretations, and the 2025-26 and 2026-27 NCAA women's wrestling rule books. The NFHS changes lists for 2024-25, 2025-26 and 2026-27 contain no hair amendments, so the rule as it stood after 2022-23, with the 2023-24 facial hair change, is current as of this page's date. Not confirmed: the current rule book's verbatim text (a paid publication; this section is reconstructed from NFHS's own change announcements), whether the weigh-in cover procedure still appears in the current book word for word, and a wrestling-specific religious headwear clause, since wrestling is not on the list of sports whose rulebooks name religious headwear explicitly.

Jewelry

No jewelry. Watches, necklaces, bracelets, rings, earrings. Taping over earrings does not make them legal, which surprises people every season.

The standard exceptions:

Medical alert jewelry, allowed when taped down so it stays readable
Religious items, allowed when taped and worn under the uniform, usually with documentation given to officials in advance

Note on sourcing: this is the standard NFHS pattern across sports and it is enforced this way in wrestling, but we have not personally read the specific wrestling rule book article that states it, so we are not citing a rule number for this section. Almost every other rule on this page carries one.

Weigh-ins and skin checks

Weigh-ins are not split by gender. Since 2020-21 the rule has had opponents weigh in together whatever their gender, in uniform (4-5-1, 4-5-2). For 2026-27 the NFHS added the option to weigh in by team where that is more practical (4-5-1); we have not read the new wording.

A girl weighs in wearing her legal uniform and a sports bra, with no shoes or ear guards. Socks may stay on, but she cannot take them off or put them on to make weight (4-5-7). If she misses on the first try, she may not do anything that could take weight off before she steps back on (4-5-3).

Before the season she certifies a minimum weight. Your state runs the program Rule 1-5 requires, in three steps:

A hydration test.
A body fat assessment, which sets the lowest weight she may certify at.
A descent plan, which limits how fast she may lose weight toward it.

She cannot recertify lower during the season (1-5-3). For 2026-27 the NFHS raised the girls' minimum body fat from 12 to 19 percent (1-5-1, 1-5-2); the boys' is 7. The math, and what the floor does to a girl's lowest weight, are on making weight. Which of the three NFHS girls' weight class sets your state uses is on weight classes.

The NFHS book gives two weight allowances. A growth allowance of 2 pounds "may be added to each weight class any time after the date of certification" (4-4-4). On consecutive days of team competition, the rule grants every wrestler 1 pound a day, up to 2 pounds, when the opponent has been given at least 48 hours' notice (4-5-5).

Your state association decides whether and when each allowance applies, and it can add conditions of its own. Those conditions differ from state to state. Your association's wrestling manual is the one that counts, and the state pages show the conditions we have read.

Before a dual meet or tournament begins each day, the referee does the skin checks, or confirms the on-site health care professional has done them (3-1-4a, 3-1-5). A suspicious spot keeps her off the mat until it is cleared, and the NFHS medical release form for that, with what it requires, is on the skin infections page. The 2026-27 points of emphasis add hygiene: "showering immediately after practices and competitions, washing and wearing clean practice and competition gear, and avoiding the sharing of personal items such as towels, clothing and equipment."

How women's freestyle is different

High school is folkstyle. Fargo, college and the Olympics are freestyle, and the two books disagree about almost everything that scores. In the table, "Art." is an article of United World Wrestling's rules. A number is an NFHS rule unless the cell names USA Wrestling or the NCAA. The short version:

Rule	High school folkstyle	Women's freestyle
Match length	Three 2-minute periods (6-1-1)	Two 3-minute periods, 30 seconds apart; 2-minute periods for under-17s and under-15s (Art. 22)
Takedown	3 (9-1-2)	2 (Art. 38)
Escape	1 (9-1-3)	Not scored
Reversal	2 (9-1-4)	1 (Art. 38)
Turning her back toward the mat	Near fall, 2, 3 or 4 (9-1-5)	2 (Art. 38), with no count
Big throws	Scored as a takedown plus near fall	4, or 5 if she lands straight in danger (Art. 38)
Going out of bounds	No points by itself. Fleeing the mat, or forcing the opponent out, to avoid being scored on is a technical violation: 1 point, no warning (7-3-1). Otherwise it can be stalling (7-6-3)	Stepping out with a whole foot gives the opponent 1; a push out with no real attack earns no point (Art. 38)
Ends early at	A 15-point lead, technical fall (5-11-4)	A 10-point lead, technical superiority (Art. 43)
Tied at the end	Overtime, starting with one minute of sudden victory (6-7-1)	No overtime: criteria decide it, starting with the highest-value move (Art. 29)
Not wrestling	Stalling: warning, then 1, 1, 2, then disqualified (8-1-4)	Passivity: a 30-second shot clock; if she does not score, her opponent gets 1 (Art. 46)
Headgear	Required (4-1-4)	USA Wrestling: recommended, not required (USA Wrestling 5.1). NCAA women: required (NCAA 1.7.1)

USA Wrestling applies United World Wrestling's rules at its freestyle events, and the NCAA women's book differs in places, headgear among them. Two things catch a folkstyle girl out most. The two-piece uniform is not allowed at USA Wrestling's freestyle regional or national championships, where girls wear a women's cut singlet. And there is no escape to score, so riding earns nothing and the referee stands you up. The whole freestyle book, explained for a folkstyle wrestler, is on freestyle rules; which style you wrestle when is on the styles page and the season calendar.

Where the full rules live

The NFHS Wrestling Rules Book is sold in print and digitally from the NFHS wrestling rules page, and we did not buy it. Everything above comes from free documents, listed here with the date we read each one. Your state association's wrestling manual adds its own rules on top, and the state pages link to it.

Wrestling Rules Changes - 2026-27, on the NFHS wrestling rules page, NFHS, August 13, 2026. Read September 29, 2026.
Adjustment in Minimum Body Fat Percentage for Females Highlights High School Wrestling Rules Changes, NFHS, April 16, 2026. Read September 29, 2026.
Wrestling Comments on the Rules - 2026-27, NFHS, August 13, 2026. Read September 29, 2026.
Wrestling Points of Emphasis - 2026-27, NFHS, August 13, 2026. Read September 29, 2026.
Wrestling Rules Interpretations - 2025-26, NFHS, October 15, 2025. Read September 29, 2026.
NFHS Wrestling Penalty Chart and Stalling Penalty Chart, 2024-25, NFHS, 2024. Read September 29, 2026.
2014-15 NFHS Wrestling Rules Book, posted by the Utah wrestling association, NFHS, 2014. Read September 29, 2026.
A Basic Understanding of H.S. Wrestling, by Jim Vreeland, OHSAA state rule interpreter, OHSAA, January 29, 2026. Read September 29, 2026.
2026-2027 Rule Book & Guide to Women's Wrestling for NCAA Institutions, NCAA, June 2026. Read September 29, 2026.
NAIA Women's Wrestling Rule Modifications, 2025-26, NAIA, 2025. Read September 29, 2026.
Rule Book & Guide to Wrestling: Freestyle, Greco-Roman & Female Wrestling, 2027 Edition (last updated 09/13/2026), USA Wrestling, September 13, 2026. Read September 29, 2026.
International Wrestling Rules, United World Wrestling, January 2026. Read September 29, 2026.
NFHS Wrestling Rules Changes, every season from 2015-16 to 2025-26, read September 29, 2026: 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25, 2025-26.

What we could not confirm

We did not read the current NFHS Wrestling Rules Book. It is a paid publication. The 2014-15 edition is the last full text we could read, and we used a rule from it only where no NFHS changes page from 2015-16 through 2026-27 touches it, or where a newer NFHS or state association document says it. If the NFHS changed a rule without announcing it on those pages, this page would be wrong, and we would rather say that than imply we own the book.
The illegal holds list above is not the whole list. The book's list is longer, one 2018-19 change is published only as "a specific maneuver is not allowed" without naming it, and the letters in 7-1-5 have moved as holds were added. We name only holds whose status a document we read states, and cite a letter only where the NFHS does. The keylock is illegal (7-1-5 in the 2014-15 book, pictured in its Photo 66), but no document we read describes it, so it is not listed.
Three 2026-27 changes are summarized, not quoted. The NFHS describes the new mouth protector wording (4-2-6), the hold on the edge of the mat (5-24-4b) and the change to how wrestlers weigh in (4-5-1) in a line or a phrase each. We have not read any of the three rules' text, so none is restated here beyond that line.
How your state applies the allowances. The NFHS book provides both (4-4-4, 4-5-5). Whether and when each allowance applies, and any conditions your state adds, is in your association's wrestling manual.

Scoring

Every point, overtime and team score, in high school, college and freestyle.

Freestyle rules

The women's freestyle book explained for a folkstyle wrestler.

Gear that fits the rules

Shoes, singlets, and sports bras that are actually built for you.

Making weight

The 19 percent floor, alpha weight, and the descent plan.

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