International wrestling rules starting in 2005

1. Each weight division will be contested in a single day.
2. A match will consist of three 2-minute periods.
3. A wrestler must win two periods or pin his/her opponent to win the match; the total score of all three periods does not matter. Each period starts with a 0-0 score.
4. If a wrestler wins the first two periods, the match is over at the conclusion of the second period.
5. A pin ends the match, even if only one period has been wrestled.
6. If an athlete steps out of bounds, his/her opponent receives one point unless he/she was in the process of scoring technical points when he/she stepped out.
7. A 6-point lead in a single period constitutes a technical superiority for that round only, and the round ends once that lead is reached.
8. A wrestler who scores a 5-point throw automatically wins that period.
9. A wrestler who scores two 3-point holds in a single period automatically wins that period.
10. Any period that ends 0-0 goes to the clinch. The Greco-Roman clinch is the same as in the past. In freestyle, the winner of a coin toss will grab a single-leg position and action will begin.
11. All clinches last for 30 seconds.
12. If a period ends in a tie with points scored, the following criteria will determine the winner of that period:
    • Most 3-point techniques.
    • Most 2-point techniques.
    • Least passivity penalties.
    • Last technical point scored (not including passivity or cautions).
13. Classification points for matches is:
    • Victory by fall, forfeit, injury or disqualification: 5 points.
    • Victory by superiority or withdrawal: 4 points.
    • Victory by points: 3 points.
    • Defeat with technical point(s) scored: 1.
    • Defeat with no technical points scored: 0.
14. Consecutive gut wrenches and ankle laces are permitted.
15. Only athletes who lose to a wrestler that makes it into the gold-medal finals will be entered in the wrestleback round ("repechage").
16. The recovery time between matches has been reduced to 15 minutes.