Folkstyle Wrestling/What is Folkstyle Wrestling

Folkstyle Wrestling is the form of Wrestling that is practiced mostly in American high schools and colleges. It is also known as collegiate wrestling. The object of folkstyle wrestling is to pin your opponent. Failing this, you want to get as many points as possible.

Folkstyle scoring focuses mainly on changes in control. Taking an opponent down to the mat, escaping from or reversing control, or turning an opponent's back to the mat are all scoring situations. This differs from other styles such as Freestyle or Greco Roman, which don't encourage escapes or reversals.

The scoring for folkstyle wrestling is as follows: expose an opponents back to the mat for 3 seconds at a 45 degree angle or less, score 2 points. Hold him for 5 seconds at 45 degrees or less, and you earn 3 points. In a takedown, once you gain control of your opponents hips and they have 3 points of balance (arms and legs) on the mat, you earn 2 points. If they can reverse the position so that they have control of your hips, they earn 2 points. If they simply get away so that you both are standing with no one in control, it is called an escape and they earn one point.