Below are some answers to the most frequently asked questions. If you have a suggestion or an idea of a question that you found confusing at first, please let us know and we’ll post it below to share with other parents.
Nava/Breffle
- What age group does the Nava/Breffle Club serve?
- What about beginners or more experienced kids?
- What are practices like, and how often are they?
- What are scrimmages and tournaments?
- What gear/equipment is needed?
Wrestling
- How do I get a USA Wrestling Card?
- How do I find and print a tournament bracket?
- What do all the referee hand signals mean?
- How do you watch a wrestling match?
- What are bout sheets and what are they used for?
- How do you score points in wrestling?
Q. What age group does the Nava Breffle Club serve?
A. We target 6-14 year olds. Wrestlers that continue will go onto their middle or high school wrestling teams.
Q. What about beginners or more experienced kids?
A. We work with both. We typically have a lot of beginners, often half of the total group. The practices are typically mixed, and work to partner the kids with someone who will best fit their skill level, for both the new and more experienced kids.
Q. What are practices like, and how often are they?
A. Our typical practice schedule is two weekdays, from 6:00 to 7:30. This is usually a consistent day of the week to make scheduling easier.
Practices will include warm-ups and conditioning, trying to get the kids prepared for the practice, and improve their strength, balance, and stamina, which are critical to the sport.
From there, we will move onto group instruction, teaching the basics of the sport, wrestling moves and strategies. Kids break out with their assigned partners, and will work on learning and reinforcing the moves. Coaches (and dads!) walk around and give individual feedback and instruction during this time.
Each practice will have a mix of half and full speed wrestling, which brings a much higher intensity, and gives the kids a chance to test what they have learned. We stress that practice is the best time to learn, as it is a very good environment to get quick and constructive feedback from your teammates. Feedback received during a wrestling match at a scrimmage or tournament is a little more… direct 🙂
Finally, we often end in a physical game that helps everyone unwind, and make the most of a giant padded room.
Q. What are scrimmages and tournaments?
A. Scrimmages and tournaments are the “games” in wrestling. Wrestlers are matched up in brackets with other kids in their same age bracket (e.g. 8-9 year olds) and same weight (within 5-8 lbs). Beginner tournaments will also limit the experience level of participants to first and second year wrestlers.
Scrimmages are coordinated with 1-3 other local teams, and are often held on a weeknight. The goal is to get the kids experience wrestling with other kids their age, size, and experience level. We typically try to schedule 2-3 of these a year, which often have 2-4 matches for each kid.
Tournaments are held on weekends, either Saturday for more experienced kids, or Sundays for beginners. They are held all over the state, but we usually target 6-8 that are within 15-45 minutes. These are 4-6 hour events, and will typically have 3-4 matches per wrestler.
Q. What gear/equipment is needed?
A. For beginners, all that is needed for the first couple practices are shorts (no pockets), a t-shirt, and clean, soft soled shoes (light tennis shoes). Eventually, you will probably want to purchase wrestling shoes and head gear (protects the ears during matches).
For competitions, singlets are worn in all open tournaments, though a tshirt/shorts is fine for beginning tournaments and scrimmages. We will do a singlet order in the first couple weeks of the year if you are interested in purchasing one.
Q. How do I get a USA Wrestling Card?
A. To obtain your USA Wrestling Card you will need to go to the Team Georgia Wrestling Website @ http://www.teamgeorgiawrestling.com
– choose click “memberships” on the top menu bar.
– Scroll down until you see the “USA Membership Cards” link.
– Select “athlete” and then indicate if you had a card in the past. Then follow the online instructions.
– select New or Renew (if you select Renew, you will need your card number from last year. If you don’t have it, follow instructions below).
– continue process to renew or obtain new card
Additional Info to Keep in Mind:
First Time Wrestlers – if you have not had a USA card before, the card will be issued with a temporary number (999999999). It will take 7 – 14 days for this number to be changed to your new permanent number. This process will happen automatically. You will be able to log back in to get your permanent card with your new number
Renewals – if your wrestler previously had a USA card, it is important that you RENEW and do not purchase a new membership. If you do not know your USA card number, all you need to do is log on (i.e., go to “Register for Tournament” link and log in and “Wrestlers” link will be at the top. Select that link and the card number will be displayed for your wrestler) – or you can select “no” you don’t have your card with you and fill out the information requested.
Once you have purchased, please print multiple copies of the card. Maintain a copy for yourself as you will need it for tournaments and bring a copy with your registration.
WRESTLERS CANNOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE UNLESS YOUR WRESTLER HAS A USA CARD. THIS IS FOR INSURANCE PURPOSES.
Q. How do I find and print a tournament bracket?
A. All tournament brackets are posted on the Track Wrestling Website and are usually posted the Friday before the tournaments for the weekend. You can get to the site one of two ways:
Option 1 – Just like you are registering for a tournament:
- Go to www.teamgeorgiawrestling.com
- Select “folkstyle”
- Select “register for tournament” and log in
- Across the top select “BRACKETING”
- Select tournament from drop down box; make sure you then hit “GO”
This takes you to the tournament info where you have several options
Option 2 – Go directly to Trackwrestling Site:
- Go to www.trackwrestling.com
- Select tournament from the list (usually in date, then alphabetical order)
- You will be asked to select “user type” – Select “Viewer”
This takes you to the tournament info where you have several options.
Under “Results”, Select “Brackets”, then select your son’s age / weight class
Or Under “Tournament Info” select “Teams”, scroll down to Nava/Breffle Wrestling Club and select. This will list all our wrestlers attending. You can then select “Weight Class” next to the wrestler name and that will show the bracket.
Q. What do the referee hand signals meant?
A. During the match the referee will use various hand signals to show what is happening in the match. The referee will have two bands one on each wrist one red and one green which correspond to the anklets worn by the wrestlers competing. If the wrestler with the red anklet scores a point(s) the referee will raise his arm with the red wristban and will raise his arm with the corresponding color to signify points earned by the wrestler with the matching anklet as well as to indicate other actions in the match. Below are the most common referee hand signals used in a folkstyle match.
(click here to download and print a pdf version of the Wrestling Hand Signals)
Q. How do you watch a wrestling match?
A. Watching a wrestling match for folks new to the sport can be confusing. Kerr Wrestling has put together a great Youtube tutorial on how to watch a match that can help folks who are new to wrestling undertand what is going on (Youtube link: http://youtu.be/cpiv9-11Ux8)
Q. What are bout sheets and what are they used for?
A. Bout sheets are the score sheets used in a wrestling match to keep score of the match. Kerr Wrestling has another Youtube tutorial on how the scorekeeper uses the bout sheet to keep the match score (Youtube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYl9F8q28j8).
Q. How do you score points in wrestling?
A. There are five ways to score points in a wrestling match:
1) Takedown – (2 points) You score two points for taking your opponent down to the mat and controlling him/her.
2) Escape – (1 point) You score one point for getting away or getting to a neutral position when your opponent has you down on the mat.
3) Reversal – (2 points) You score two points when your opponent has you down on the mat and you come from underneath and gain control of your opponent.
4) Near Fall (Back Points) – (2 or 3 points) You get near fall points when you almost but not quite get your opponent pinned. A near fall (near pin) is when…both shoulders are held for two seconds within four inches of the mat, or…one shoulder touches the mat and the other shoulder is at a 45 degree angle coming down to the mat, or…the wrestler is held in a high bridge or back on both elbows.
If a near fall lasts for two seconds, you get 2 points. If a near fall lasts for 5 seconds, you get 3 points.
5) Penalty Points – (1 or 2 points) Your opponent is awarded points if you commit the following infractions.
– Illegal Holds – There are several holds that the referee will penalize you for without warning. (There are other holds called “potentially dangerous holds” which the referee might make you let go of but will not penalize you for).
– Technical Violations.
– Going off the mat or forcing your opponent off the mat to avoid wrestling (“fleeing the mat.”).
– Grabbing clothing, the mat, or the headgear.
– Locked or overlapped hands: If you are down on the mat in control of your opponent, you cannot lock or overlap your hands, fingers or arms around your opponent’s body or both legs unless you have met criteria for a near pin of your opponent, or your opponent stands up and has all his/her weight on two feet, or you have lifted the opponent off the mat.
– Leaving the mat during the match without the referee’s permission.
– Reporting to the mat not properly equipped or not ready to wrestle, or equipment that is detected as being illegal after the match has started.
– Unnecessary roughness.
– Unsportsmanlike conduct.
– Flagrant Misconduct (ejection, the match is over).
– Stalling (you get one warning before you are penalized and points are awarded).
– Incorrect starting position or false start (You get two cautions before points are awarded).
The first and second time you are penalized, your opponent is awarded one point. The third time you are penalized, your opponent is awarded two points. The fourth time you are penalized, you are disqualified. (Except for illegal starting position or false start – you are cautioned twice, then one point awarded for each infraction, but you will not be disqualified.
In the event of Flagrant Misconduct, you are ejected from the match on the first offense, you lose the match.