Although wrestling tournaments are focused on the competition of individual wrestlers, a team score is typically kept to gauge the strength of each team present at the event. Generally speaking, the team score at a tournament is determined by the outcome of every individual match that was wrestled. To a newcomer, understanding how team scores are calculated at a tournament can be extremely confusing and complex. The information below will fill you in on everything you need to know about how the team score is kept at most tournaments.
How to Score a Tournament
Not only are individual wrestling matches scored at a tournament, but an overall team score is also calculated. The team score at a wrestling tournament is determined by several factors. One of the factors is the individual wins by the members of the team. Another factor is the manner by which the win was decided. These two factors make up a large majority of a team’s points.
Another huge factor in scoring is individual placement in the tournament by the members of the team (1st place, 2nd place, 3rd place, etc.) Below is more in-depth information on how the team score is determined at tournaments. Keep in mind that the amount of points given will vary by event and level of competition. However, the scoring procedure remains virtually the same throughout all competitions.
Advancement Points
When an individual wrester wins a match, he earns what are known as “advancement points.” Advancement points are team points awarded to a wrestler’s team after every win.
While in the championship bracket (where every wrestler has not lost a single match), a wrestler’s team is awarded two advancement points per win. In this bracket, each wrestler has the opportunity to earn advancement points all the way up until the finals, where the wrestlers go head-to-head for first place.
While in the consolation bracket (the bracket in which every wrestler has lost once), only one advancement point is award to his team for every match he wins. In the consolation bracket, a wrestler may earn one advancement point for every win all the way up until the matches that determine the third, fifth, and seventh placeholders of the tournament.
Byes
Most tournaments have special requirements for earning advancement points when receiving a bye. A bye is when a wrestler is allowed to advance because there is no competitor for him to face in that particular round. In the case of a bye, a wrestler is awarded two advancement points only if he wins the match immediately following the bye.
Additional Points
Depending on the manner by which a wrestler wins an individual match, “additional points” will be given to his team along with his advancement points. Below is a quick list of additional points a wrestler may earn for his team depending on how he wins his match:
- A win by major decision (differential of 8 points or more): One additional team point
- A win by a technical fall (differential of 15 points or more): 1.5 additional team points
- A win by a fall, default, forfeit, or disqualification: Two additional team points
Hot Tip: Valuable Points
Although winning in the championship rounds offers the highest number of points, winning in the consolation rounds is also very important for the team race. It typically takes more matches to determine the 3rd through 6th place team winners in the tournament, so wrestlers in the consolation rounds have more opportunities to score points for their teams.
Placement Points
There are several particular rounds of a tournament that are very important to a wrestler because they determine an individual wrestler’s final placement. If an individual wrestler wins any of these particular rounds, he has the opportunity to earn extra points for his team. These extra points are accumulated after the final individual placements have been determined — the reason these extra points are called “placement points.” Below is a quick list of the placement points an individual wrestler may earn for his team in a tournament where there are six places for each weight class:
- A win in the championship quarterfinals: An extra three team points
- A win in the championship semifinals: An extra nine team points
- A win in the championship finals (first place): An extra four team points
- A win in the consolation quarterfinals: An extra three team points
- A win in the consolation semifinals: An extra four team points
- A win in the consolation finals (third place): An extra two team points
- A win in the match for fifth and sixth place: An extra two team points
Wrestle as a Team
Although wrestling is an individual sport, the “team element” of wrestling is extremely important. This is especially true in terms of deciding the team score of a tournament: The team score is dependent on the performance of its wrestlers. With this being said, know that your performance is not only a reflection of you, but also of your team! You should now understand how team competitions are scored, and be more prepared to step up for your team. For additional rules on scoring check out the Rules & Regulations guide.
