Wrestling season is coming and to get ready we're passing along a little information found in last season's Winters Mill wrestling program informing new viewers of the sport about how a match is run.

Veteran fans, of course, know all this, but if a person is knew to the sport, it's not always so easy to follow what's going on. As the Winters Mill program says, this if for "rookie" fans:

How are the athletes matched up?

By weight class. The athletes weigh-in before the match, and must be under the prescribed weight classes: 103, 112, 119, 125, 130, 135, 140, 145, 152, 160, 171, 189, 215 and heavyweight (285 max).

How is the match order determined?

A weight class is drawn from a hat as the starting point. Then the match order goes from there (as listed above), For example, the drawn weight class is 171 lbs. The next match will be 189, then 215, then 285, 103, 112, etc.

How do you know who's winning?

Two ways — by score or by fall (pin). Check the scoreboard for the points. Green is generally listed as the "home team". Red is generally the visitors, although occasionally, if team colors prevail, an official may change that.

In high school pins must be a two-count, with scapula (shoulders & Upper back) flat for two seconds.

How are individual match points scored?

By takedown — 2 points are awarded when a wrestler shows control by getting behind his opponent, from standing position to the mat.

By reversal — 2 points are scored when a person in the bottom (defensive) position reverses his opponent and gets on top or in control (offensive.

By escape — 1 point is scored when a wrestler on the bottom gets out into the neutral (standing) position, causing his opponent a loss of control.

By near fall — 3 points are awarded when a wrestler turns his opponent's back at a 45-degree angle and holds it there for 5 seconds. Two points are awarded when a wrestler turns his opponent and holds it for 2 to 4 seconds.

By pin — 6 points are awarded when a wrestler holds his opponents shoulders (upper back) to the mat for 2 seconds.

By penalty points — Most penalties begin at one point, which include violations such as misconduct, locked hands on top, illegal holds and so on. Stalling is given a warning (fist held in the air) first, then has infraction points of 1, 1, 2 and default if continued. False Starts get two cautions before awarding similar infraction points.

How does the team score work?

For each decision by a 7 point margin or less, a team receives 3 team points. For a major decision, an 8 to 14 point margin, a team receives 4 points. A technical fall, wrestlings's "slaughter rule" of a 15 point margin, the match is stopped and the team receives 5 points. For pins, forfeits or defaults A team receives 6 points.

If the score is tied at the end, a tie-breaking system will determine a winner based on the individuals' performances.

How is the match broken up?

There are three two-minute periods, and if necessary up to 4 periods of overtime. Wrestlers begin in the neutral (standing) position. After that, each wrestler is given a choice of one of three positions — standing, knelling top or bottom — in one of the final two periods.