Freestyle Wrestling
An Olympic wrestling style where wrestlers may attack the legs and use holds below the waist to take down and pin their opponent.
Overview
Freestyle is one of the two international wrestling styles contested at the Olympic Games. Wrestlers aim to take their opponent to the mat, control them, and win on points or by pinning (a fall).
The defining feature of freestyle is that attacks are allowed across the whole body: a wrestler can grab the opponent's legs and use their own legs to trip, lift, or control. This makes leg attacks central to the style.
Points are earned for takedowns, for turning an opponent so their back is exposed to the mat, and for other controlling actions, while a fall ends the bout immediately.
What defines it
- Holds and attacks below the waist are permitted, including grabbing the legs.
- Leg attacks such as single-leg and double-leg takedowns are core techniques.
- Wrestlers score through takedowns, exposing the opponent's back, and pins.
- Both men and women compete in freestyle internationally.
- A fall (pin) ends the match regardless of the running score.
Getting started
- 1Look for a local wrestling club, school team, or gym with qualified coaching where beginners can learn stance, motion, and basic takedowns in a structured setting.
- 2Early sessions usually focus on fundamentals such as a balanced stance, level changes, and simple takedowns and escapes before any live competition.
- 3Comfortable athletic clothing is enough to begin; a coach will explain any style-specific gear and mat etiquette.
Other Wrestling disciplines
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Sports
- WrestlingA grappling sport of takedowns and control where two athletes compete to pin or out-position each other.
- SnowboardingA downhill snow sport where you ride a single board sideways down the mountain.
- CricketA bat-and-ball team sport where sides take turns to bat and to bowl and field, scoring runs.
- Alpine SkiingA downhill snow sport where you glide and turn down groomed slopes on a pair of skis.
- PadelA sociable, doubles-first racquet sport played in an enclosed court where the walls stay in play.
Exercises
- SupermanA back-focused exercise where you lie face down and lift your arms and legs off the floor.
- Step-upA movement where you step up onto a raised platform one leg at a time and step back down.
- Bulgarian split squatA single-leg squat where the back foot is raised on a bench behind you.
- LungeA single-leg movement where you step forward and bend both knees to lower your body.
- Dead bugA floor core exercise where you extend opposite arm and leg while keeping your back settled.
Techniques
Tactics
- Counter-attackWinning the ball and moving forward at speed to attack before the opponent can reorganise their defence.
- Serve and volleyAn attacking tennis tactic where the server follows their serve to the net to finish the point with a volley.
- Man-to-man markingA defensive tactic where each defender is assigned a specific opponent to track and contain.
- Net playControlling the point from close to the net with volleys, smashes and touch shots to cut down an opponent’s time.
- High pressA football tactic where a team hunts the ball high up the pitch to win it back close to the opponent’s goal.
Strategies
- Exploiting MatchupsSteering play toward the pairings where you hold an advantage while shielding the pairings where an opponent could hurt you.
- Transition PlayTransition play is the strategy of switching quickly between attack and defence the moment possession changes, exploiting the opponent's brief disorganisation.
- Controlling TempoControlling tempo is the strategy of dictating the pace and rhythm of play — speeding up or slowing down — to suit your strengths and unsettle opponents.