OFFICIAL REFEREE HAND SIGNALS FOR SCORING A COLLEGE WRESTLING MATCH

College wrestling officials use 32 standardized hand signals to communicate calls to the scorer’s table, coaches and spectators. Each signal is shown below, numbered as it appears in the NCAA rules book.

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 (left or right hand) — 10 Indicates Wrestler in Control (left or 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 (left or right hand) — 13 Pushing or Pulling the Opponent Out of Bounds (left or right hand)

NCAA wrestling referee signal 14: Defer Choice — 14 Defer Choice

NCAA wrestling referee signal 15: Potentially Dangerous (left or right hand) — 15 Potentially Dangerous (left or right hand)

NCAA wrestling referee signal 16: Stalemate — 16 Stalemate

NCAA wrestling referee signal 17: Caution: False Start or Incorrect Starting Procedure (left or right hand) — 17 Caution: False Start or Incorrect Starting Procedure (left or right hand)

NCAA wrestling referee signal 18: Stalling (left or right hand) — 18 Stalling (left or 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

NCAA wrestling referee signal 24: Awarding Points (left or right hand) — 24 Awarding Points (left or right hand)

NCAA wrestling referee signal 25: Unsportsmanlike Conduct (left or right hand) — 25 Unsportsmanlike Conduct (left or right hand)

NCAA wrestling referee signal 26: Flagrant Misconduct (left or right hand) — 26 Flagrant Misconduct (left or right hand)

NCAA wrestling referee signal 27: Control of Mat Area / Badgering (left or right hand) — 27 Control of Mat Area / Badgering (left or right hand)

NCAA wrestling referee signal 28: Coach Questioning a Rules Application (left or right hand) — 28 Coach Questioning a Rules Application (left or right hand)

NCAA wrestling referee signal 29: Unnecessary Roughness (left or right hand) — 29 Unnecessary Roughness (left or 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

Signals reproduced from Appendix B of the 2025-26 and 2026-27 NCAA Men’s Wrestling Rules Book. Signals and their numbering can change between seasons — confirm against the current rules book.