Amateur Wrestling Styles

Amateur wrestling is the most widespread form of sport wrestling. There are two international wrestling styles performed in the Olympic Games under the supervision of FILA (Fédération Internationale des Luttes Associées or International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles): Greco-Roman and freestyle. Freestyle is possibly derived from the English Lancashire style.  A similar style, commonly called collegiate (also known as scholastic or folk-style), is practiced in colleges,  universities and schools in the United States.

Freestyle wrestling is a style of amateur wrestling that is popularly practiced throughout the world. Along with Greco-Roman, it is one of the two styles of wrestling contested in the Olympic games. It is, along with track and field, one of the oldest organized sports in history. In Freestyle Wrestling opponents are allowed to attack and use opponents whole body including legs, but not fingers, feet or face. Limbs are not bent unnaturally and normally points are scored without hurting the opponent by controlling the opponent, throws, or maneuvering the body so that the back is facing the mat.  If the more than half of the back touches the mat for at least one-second, a fall is given, that will end the match.

In the older Greco-Roman wrestling attacks below the waist is forbidden, which results in an emphasis on more dramatic throws, since a wrestler cannot use trips to take an opponent to the ground or avoid throws by hooking or grabbing their opponent's leg. This is the major difference between it and Freestyle wrestling, the other form of wrestling at the Olympics.

Grappling is a collection of wrestling disciplines or styles and the name refers to techniques, maneuvers, and counters applied to an opponent (sometimes making use of the clothing or uniform of either person) in order to gain a physical advantage. Grappling is practiced as a sport and as a form of self defense, but does not include striking or the use of weapons.