OFFICIAL REFEREE HAND SIGNALS FOR SCORING A COLLEGE WRESTLING MATCH

NCAA college wrestling referee hand signals

College wrestling officials use 32 standardized hand signals to communicate calls to the scorer's table, coaches and spectators. Each signal below matches Appendix B of the NCAA Wrestling Rules Book for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 seasons.

NCAA wrestling referee signal 1: Starting the match
1. Starting the match
NCAA wrestling referee signal 2: Stopping the match
2. Stopping the match
NCAA wrestling referee signal 3: Time out
3. Time out
NCAA wrestling referee signal 4: Start injury clock
4. Start injury clock
NCAA wrestling referee signal 5: Indicate blood timeout
5. Indicate blood timeout
NCAA wrestling referee signal 6: Start recovery clock
6. Start recovery clock
NCAA wrestling referee signal 7: Stop injury / recovery clock
7. Stop injury / recovery clock
NCAA wrestling referee signal 8: Neutral position
8. Neutral position
NCAA wrestling referee signal 9: Indicates no control
9. Indicates no control
NCAA wrestling referee signal 10: Indicates wrestler in control
10. Indicates wrestler in control
Left / right hand
NCAA wrestling referee signal 11: Out of bounds
11. Out of bounds
NCAA wrestling referee signal 12: Neutral position — wrestlers engaged in action
12. Neutral position — wrestlers engaged in action
NCAA wrestling referee signal 13: Pushing or pulling the opponent out of bounds
13. Pushing or pulling the opponent out of bounds
Left / right hand
NCAA wrestling referee signal 14: Defer choice
14. Defer choice
NCAA wrestling referee signal 15: Potentially dangerous
15. Potentially dangerous
Left / right hand
NCAA wrestling referee signal 16: Stalemate
16. Stalemate
NCAA wrestling referee signal 17: Caution — false start or incorrect starting procedure
17. Caution — false start or incorrect starting procedure
Left / right hand
NCAA wrestling referee signal 18: Stalling
18. Stalling
Left / right hand
NCAA wrestling referee signal 19: Interlocking hands or grasping clothing
19. Interlocking hands or grasping clothing
NCAA wrestling referee signal 20: Reversal
20. Reversal
NCAA wrestling referee signal 21: Technical violation
21. Technical violation
NCAA wrestling referee signal 22: Illegal hold
22. Illegal hold
NCAA wrestling referee signal 23: Near fall
23. Near fall
Left / right hand
NCAA wrestling referee signal 24: Awarding points
24. Awarding points
Left / right hand
NCAA wrestling referee signal 25: Unsportsmanlike conduct
25. Unsportsmanlike conduct
Left / right hand
NCAA wrestling referee signal 26: Flagrant misconduct
26. Flagrant misconduct
Left / right hand
NCAA wrestling referee signal 27: Control of mat area / badgering
27. Control of mat area / badgering
Left / right hand
NCAA wrestling referee signal 28: Coach questioning a rules application
28. Coach questioning a rules application
Left / right hand
NCAA wrestling referee signal 29: Unnecessary roughness
29. Unnecessary roughness
Left / right hand
NCAA wrestling referee signal 30: Neutral stalling — back out
30. Neutral stalling — back out
NCAA wrestling referee signal 31: Holding a stall
31. Holding a stall
NCAA wrestling referee signal 32: Referee time out
32. Referee time out

Source: NCAA Wrestling Rules Book, 2025-26 and 2026-27, Appendix B.