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How Wrestling Tournaments Work
A wrestling tournament is an event where multiple wrestlers come to compete against each other. Traditional wrestling tournaments are run using a bracket system where wrestlers are ranked and then matched up with other wrestlers who then progress through the bracket until a champion emerges. A champion is the person who wins all their matches.
A typical wrestling bracket looks like this:
High school and college brackets are created according to weight and ranking. For example, all 9-12 graders of the same weight would be in the same bracket regardless of skill level. That means a national champion could face a 9th grade wrestler who is competing in their first match. Similarly, a sixth-year senior college wrestler could face-off against a freshman college wrestler of the same weight regardless of skill level.
Youth Wrestling Brackets
Youth wrestling brackets are typically ordered by skill level and age, then weight. Skill levels include:
- First year – those who just started wrestling or who have been wrestling for less than one year.
- Novice – Generally this is considering first or second year wrestlers.
- Open – Anyone can enter an open style tournament, but the competition is usually tougher because it’s populated with kids who have experience. It’s generally best not to enter open tournaments if this is the first year of experience.
Some tournaments are offered only for first-year wrestlers. That means your first year wrestler will be competing against other kids who have similar experience – just one year or less. Kids who have more than one year experience are not allowed to enter first year tournaments.
Some tournaments feature multiple skill levels on the same day and allow kids to register or bracket for multiple events. For example, a first year wrestler could bracket for the first-year competition and the novice competition.
Some tournaments offer brackets just for girls as well, and a girl could bracket for novice (which would include girls and boys) and they could bracket for just girls as well, thereby competing in two different brackets.
Once wrestlers are grouped by skill level, they are then grouped by age. Typically this is done in bands by odd or even ages. Most tournaments will feature multiple age groups.
- 6 and under – Wrestlers who are 6 years old or younger at the time of wrestling.
- 8 and under – Wrestlers who are 8 years old or younger at the time of wrestling.
- 10 and under – Wrestlers who are 10 years old or younger at the time of wrestling.
- Etc.
After skill and age grouping, then they are then grouped into weight classes live 50 pounds, 65 pounds, 120 pounds, etc. Wrestlers are put into weight classes that are at or just above their actual weight. Kids weighing in over a weight class limit are then moved into the next class. For example, consider the following traditional tournament with weight classes:
- 50 lbs
- 55 lbs
- 60 lbs
- 70 lbs
- 80 lbs
- 100 lbs
If this A wrestler weighing in at 54 lbs would be put into the 55 pound weight class because she weighed in above 50 lbs but below 55 lbs.
Weighing-In for Tournaments
Your age and skill level are defined at any given time, and your weight can, of course, fluctuate. That’s why weigh-ins are conducted prior to any wrestling matches, so that wrestlers of similar weight can be matched as close to the day of wrestling as possible.
Most tournaments allow same-day weigh-ins, but some tournaments prefer to conduct weigh-ins the day before wrestling so brackets can be prepared and posted earlier.
Some tournaments allow you to weigh in at your own gym while others require you to weigh in using their scales at their location.
The rules of weigh-ins will be posted at the tournament website. A good place to check for upcoming tournaments is Pennsylvania Youth Wrestling which aggregates wrestling tournaments across the state of Pennsylvania.
The Cost of Attending Tournaments
Typically, registering a wrestler for a tournament will cost between $25 and $35 per tournament. Those who plan to double-bracket might be required to pay twice. For example, a 10 year old female wrestler may choose to wrestle in a tournament under the 10u girls division and also the open division with boys and girls. Sometimes just a single fee is required regardless of the number of brackets you enter. Tournament instructions will tell you whether double payment is required for double bracketing.
Parents and spectators typically pay a small fee to attend, usually $5 or less per person.
Winning and Losing in Tournaments
Tournaments are typically billed as single or double-elimination. Single elimination means if you lose just once you’re out. Double elimination means you can lose only twice. Double elimination tournaments feature split championship and consolation brackets. Those who keep winning progress through to the championships where the first and second place winners are determined. Those who lose are put into a consolation bracket with the losers of other matches. Wrestlers in the consolations “wrestle back” to win third place.
The wrestler who wins all matches is crowned champion. The person who loses to the champion in the finals is the runner up, or second place finisher.
You can “make the podium” by placing 1st through 3rd, though some tournaments will also provide trophies or medals for lower places.
Each win through a bracket delivers points for the team from which that wrestler competes. This is one of the unique features of wrestling which makes it an individual and a team sport at the same time. Tournaments can use different scoring models, but usually the wrestlers who progress the furthest in their brackets typically garner the most points and teams with the most wrestlers who progress the furthest will have the most team points.
Individuals are placed by their individual match results, and teams are placed by their team score – which is a combination of the number of wins their team has throughout all the brackets and multiple weight classes of a single tournament.
Tournament Timelines
Most youth tournaments take place during one single day, but advanced tournaments can take place over a weekend or even several days during the week. The latter is true of championship tournaments like state championships, national championships, and large events like Powerade and Tulsa.
In a 16-person bracket, most wrestlers will get between 3 and 4 matches. A double-elimination tournament with a 16-person bracket could have several more matches for those in consolation rounds. Typically, each wrestler will wrestle once or twice per hour. For larger tournaments you can plan to be there all day, sometimes wrestling from 9am until 6 or 7 pm at night.
WAR Zone style tournaments take place over the course of a day, but each wrestler is assigned a specific window of time during which they will weigh-in and compete. Usually, all their matches are completed within a two hour time period. This cuts down on the time you need to spend at events.
How Scoring Works in Wrestling Tournaments
Scoring models can vary by tournament and are usually set by the tournament director and advertised ahead of time on the tournament information page. Folk style and scholastic wrestling typically follow the scoring format set by the National Federation of High School Associations (NFHS.org) and the individual state’s high school association.
Wrestlers earn points individually in their match, and teams earn points for advancement of their wrestlers through the brackets. Individual and Team scoring is shown below from the 2023-2024 official NFHS rule book in the image below:
Individual Tournament Takedown 2 pts. Fall 2 pts. Escape 1 pt. Default 2 pts. Reversal 2 pts. Forfeit 2 pts. Near fall 2,3, or 4 pts. Disqualification 2 pts. Dual Meet Advancement Fall 6 pts. Championship Bracket 2 pts. Default 6 pts. Consolation Bracket 1 pt. Forefeit 6 pts. Technical Fall 1 1/2 pts. Disqualification 6 pts. Major Decision 1 pt. Technical Fall 5 pts. Bye Followed by a Win: Major Decision 4 pts. Championship Bracket 2 pts. Decision 3 pts. Consolation Bracket 1 pt. Scoring individual matches in Tournaments
Scoring of individual matches within tournaments works just like it does in regular matches and dual meets, according to the scoring table shown above and in the scoring discussion.
Scoring team points in Tournaments
Just as individual wrestlers can earn placement on the podium in tournaments, so can teams. The number of place winners in each tournament is determined by the tournament director in accordance with the number of individuals and teams competing in that tournament.
Team scoring works according to the table above, and is shown in more detail below:
- Two team advancement points shall be scored for each match won in the championship bracket, except for the first place match, A wrestler who receives a bye in a round where at least one match is wrestled shall be awarded two advancement points by winning the next match. No points are awarded for the bye if the wrestler loses the next match.
- One team advancement point shall be be scored for each match won in the consolation elimination, except for the final third, fight, and seventh place matches. A wrestler who receives a bye in a round where at least one match is wrestled shall receive on advancement point, provided the wrestler wins the next round match.
- Two additional points shall be scored for each match won by default, disqualification, fall or forfeit throughout the tournament.
- One and one-half additional points shall be scored for each match won by a technical fall.
- One additional point shall be awarded for each match won by a major decision.
- In tournaments scoring four places the winner of each championship semi-final shall be awarded 10 place points and the winner of each championship final shall be awarded four additional place points. The winner of each consolation semi final shall receive four place points and the winner of third place shall receive three additional place points.
- In tournaments scoring six places, the winner of each championship quarterfinal shall be awarded three place points, the winner of each championship semifinal shall be awarded one additional place points and the winner of each championship final shall be awarded four additional place points. The winner of the quarterfinal consolation match shall receive three place points. The winner of the consolation semifinals shall receive four additional place points. The winner of the third place and the winner of the fifth place shall receive two additional place points.
- In tournaments scoring eight places, the winner of each championship quarterfinal shall be awarded three place points the winner of each championship semifinal shall be awarded nine additional place points; and the winner of each championship final shall be awarded four additional place points. All winners who reach the quarterfinal consolation shall be awarded one place point. The winner of the quarterfinal consolation match shall receive two additional place points. The winner of the consolation semifinals shall receive for additional place points. The winner of third place and the winner of fifth place shall receive two additional place points. The winner of seventh place shall receive an additional place point.
Tournament team scoring for the number of places are shown in the table below:
Four Places Six Places Eight Places 1. 14 pts. 16 pts. 16 pts. 2. 10 pts. 12 pts. 12 pts. 3. 7 pts. 9 pts. 9 pts. 4. 4 pts. 7 pts. 7 pts. 5. 5 pts. 5 pts. 6. 3 pts. 3 pts. 7. 2 pts. 8. 1 pt. -
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