User Guide
The College Wrestling Clip Library (“College WCL” or “the Library,” for short) was created in 2020 to be an educational and training resource for collegiate wrestling officials, and is the first and only resource of its kind in existence. Watching video has proven to be one of the most effective training methods available, and the College WCL has assembled, categorized, and analyzed hundreds of video clips pertaining to all aspects of the rules of collegiate wrestling. Certain parts of the Library, such as “Tough Calls” clips, are made available to the general public, so that they can challenge themselves to “make the call,” and discuss their reasoning, with other participants in, and fans of, this great sport.
The College WCL has taken over six months, and thousands of hours of hard work, to create. It has evolved from what was originally a hyperlinked PDF document, into a full-fledged, responsive website, capable of unlimited expansion. As it steadily grows over time, its utility will only continue to increase. Building it has often been a challenging and tedious process, though still an enjoyable one in many ways — but by far, the most exciting part is finally being able to introduce it to all of you.
Please take a moment to read this User Guide and familiarize yourself with how the site works. Answers to many frequently asked questions can be found therein. You can also feel free to ask us any question(s), or send any feedback, you may have via the form on our contact page. We make every effort to respond to all inquiries within 24 hours.
We hope you enjoy using the College Wrestling Clip Library!
Gray, the College WCL mascot
The Catalog is your starting point for browsing the College Wrestling Clip Library. It is an accordion-style menu that organizes clips into numerous sections and subsections covering all of the topics a collegiate wrestling official may potentially encounter. Clicking on a row of the Catalog will either expand that row to reveal its subcategories (expandable rows contain a plus sign on the right-hand side), or, if the row does not expand further, will take you to the clip listing page for that particular Catalog entry.
Useful Tip
For your convenience, whenever you see the Catalog icon throughout the site, you can click on it and a mini-Catalog will slide out from the right-hand side of the screen. Try this by clicking on the Catalog icon below!
This row is expandable because it has a plus sign on the right-hand side.
1 of 2This row is not expandable. Clicking on it will take you to the clip listing page for section 10.
2 of 2Members of the public can freely access all of the Library’s “Tough Calls” clips. They are also able to view the “call on the mat” information box for each clip, which contains the call on the mat and any subsequent history regarding that call (such as whether it was challenged, and if so, what the result was), if known. Public access is available without having to log in to the site.
If you have a College WCL account, you will be able to access features and parts of the website that members of the general public cannot. These include:
- Full analysis of each clip, carefully reviewed and approved by NCAA Championship officials;
- Analysis videos, which accompany certain clips where the user would benefit from a more visual explanation in addition to the written analysis;
- “Examples” and “Hypotheticals” clips;
- Meta information for each clip (i.e., its description and any tags assigned to it); and
- Search functionality.
Eligibility for Full Access
To be eligible for a College WCL account, you must be one of the following:
(1) An NCAA-registered wrestling official; or
(2) A collegiate wrestling coach or athletic department administrator at an institution with a collegiate wrestling program (NCAA, NAIA, NCWA, or NJCAA) or club team.
If you are an NCAA-registered wrestling official, [text forthcoming].
If you are a collegiate wrestling coach or athletic department administrator, access is provided via an annual subscription. [Details forthcoming.] Send us a message if you are interested in purchasing a subscription.
To log in, simply go to the login page. Enter your username and password in the appropriate spaces, and click the “Log In” button. Note that you can check the “Remember Me” box so that your credentials will be saved for future visits (of course, you should not do so if you are using a public computer).
If you lost, forgot, or otherwise cannot access your password, or if you wish to change your password, you can click the “Lost password?” link located below the login button. You will be taken to another screen and asked to enter your username or e-mail address connected to your account. An e-mail will then be sent to that address. Click on the link contained in that e-mail, and you will be taken to a page where you will be prompted to create a new password. Once you have done so, you will be able to log in immediately with that new password.
The link to reset (or change) your password is located here.
1 of 1
There are three types of clips. The first, and most common, are “Tough Calls” clips, which, as the name suggests, are clips in which the official is presented with a situation we view as difficult and/or controversial. Naturally, some clips are more so than others; nonetheless, we consider the vast majority of them to be at an above average difficulty level or greater.
The second of the clip types are called “Examples,” which are primarily instructional in nature. The purpose of an Example clip might be to show what a particular hold or maneuver looks like during live wrestling action, or to show what exemplary officiating mechanics look like in a particular situation, or even to illustrate what an official should not do in a particular situation. Unlike Tough Calls clips, Example clips typically involve situations that are straightforward and uncontroversial. Put simply, Examples are intended to assist the user in identifying, understanding, and adhering to best officiating practices.
The third of the clip types are called “Hypotheticals.” In Hypothetical clips, the actual call on the mat is unimportant (sometimes the official will have made the correct call, sometimes not) — instead, we use the situation in the video as a starting point, tweak that situation slightly, and then ask a question based on that slightly different, hypothetical situation. One purpose of Hypotheticals is to draw attention to certain situations or rules nuances that might be encountered by an official for which a definitive rules interpretation, or other Secretary-Rules Editor guidance, has not yet been issued. Accordingly, a Hypothetical scenario may not actually have a “correct” answer, even if the user is confident that their analysis represents the best answer.
There are three types of clips. The first, and most common, are “Tough Calls” clips, which, as the name suggests, are clips in which the official is presented with a situation we view as difficult and/or controversial. Naturally, some clips are more so than others; nonetheless, we consider the vast majority of them to be at an above average difficulty level or greater.
The second of the clip types are called “Examples,” which are primarily instructional in nature. The purpose of an Example clip might be to show what a particular hold or maneuver looks like during live wrestling action, or to show what exemplary officiating mechanics look like in a particular situation, or even to illustrate what an official should not do in a particular situation. Unlike Tough Calls clips, Example clips typically involve situations that are straightforward and uncontroversial. Put simply, Examples are intended to assist the user in identifying, understanding, and adhering to best officiating practices.
The third of the clip types are called “Hypotheticals.” In Hypothetical clips, the actual call on the mat is unimportant (sometimes the official will have made the correct call, sometimes not) — instead, we use the situation in the video as a starting point, tweak that situation slightly, and then ask a question based on that slightly different, hypothetical situation. One purpose of Hypotheticals is to draw attention to certain situations or rules nuances that might be encountered by an official for which a definitive rules interpretation, or other Secretary-Rules Editor guidance, has not yet been issued. Accordingly, a Hypothetical scenario may not actually have a “correct” answer, even if the user is confident that their analysis represents the best answer.
There are three types of clips. The first, and most common, are “Tough Calls” clips, which, as the name suggests, are clips in which the official is presented with a situation we view as difficult and/or controversial. Naturally, some clips are more so than others; nonetheless, we consider the vast majority of them to be at an above average difficulty level or greater.
The second of the clip types are called “Examples,” which are primarily instructional in nature. The purpose of an Example clip might be to show what a particular hold or maneuver looks like during live wrestling action, or to show what exemplary officiating mechanics look like in a particular situation, or even to illustrate what an official should not do in a particular situation. Unlike Tough Calls clips, Example clips typically involve situations that are straightforward and uncontroversial. Put simply, Examples are intended to assist the user in identifying, understanding, and adhering to best officiating practices.
The third of the clip types are called “Hypotheticals.” In Hypothetical clips, the actual call on the mat is unimportant (sometimes the official will have made the correct call, sometimes not) — instead, we use the situation in the video as a starting point, tweak that situation slightly, and then ask a question based on that slightly different, hypothetical situation. One purpose of Hypotheticals is to draw attention to certain situations or rules nuances that might be encountered by an official for which a definitive rules interpretation, or other Secretary-Rules Editor guidance, has not yet been issued. Accordingly, a Hypothetical scenario may not actually have a “correct” answer, even if the user is confident that their analysis represents the best answer.
The clip listing page contains, as the name suggests, a listing of all of the clips for a particular section or subsection of the Catalog. Clicking on a clip’s image box will take you to the video page for that clip.
At left: If you are a logged-in user, three buttons will appear at the top of the screen as you scroll the clip listing page. Clicking on them will automatically scroll you up or down the page to the start of the listing for that particular clip type.
For your convenience, a Catalog icon appears in this spot on every clip listing page. Click it and a mini-Catalog will slide out from the right-hand side of the screen.
1 of 2Click anywhere on a clip’s image to go to the video page for that clip.
2 of 2For identification purposes, each clip in the Library is assigned an alphanumeric code utilizing the following system:
Tough Calls clips begin with the code TC, followed by the Catalog section, followed by a dash and a three-digit number (sequentially-ordered within each section, starting with 001). For instance, TC 1.1-001, TC 3-008, or TC 6.3.1.2.1-001.
Examples begin with the code Ex, followed by the Catalog section, followed by a dash and a letter (sequentially-ordered within each section, starting with A). For instance, Ex 4.1-A, or Ex 12.3-C.
Hypotheticals begin with the code Hy, followed by the Catalog section, followed by a dash and a two-digit number (sequentially-ordered within each section, starting with 01). For instance, Hy 7.1-01, or Hy 5-03.
Once you understand this system, you can actually tell which type a particular clip is simply by looking at what follows the dash. If it has three digits, it is a TC, if it has a letter, it is an Ex, and if it has two digits, it is an Hy.
Pro Tip
College WCL pages are organized using the following URL structure:
collegewrestlingclips.com/catalog section number (without periods)/clip number or letter
For instance:
Clip TC 1.2-015 would be located at collegewrestlingclips.com/12/015
Clip Ex 1.1-A would be located at collegewrestlingclips.com/11/a
Accordingly, if you already know the code of the clip you are looking for, you can go directly to its video page by typing its URL in your web browser, thereby skipping the Catalog and clip listing page.
The video page is where you watch individual clips; each clip has its own video page. To begin playing the clip, click on the play button in the center of the video area (containing the large College WCL logo). (Note: Depending on the device and/or web browser you are using, you may need to click a second time to begin playing the video.) Most clips have audio, and the audio is set to “on” by default, so you may need to lower or mute your device’s volume depending on the environment you are in. (You can also adjust the volume on the video player itself.)
Below each video, you will notice one or more boxes, depending on your level of access. Click on a box to reveal its contents.
All users will be able to see the “Call on the mat” box, which contains the actual call(s) on the mat, if known, as well as any subsequent history (such as whether there was a coach’s challenge or official review, and if so, the outcome), if known. If, for whatever reason, we do not know either of those things with certainty, this will be explicitly stated.
Logged-in users (i.e., those with full access) will be able to see the Analysis box, which contains a complete and independent analysis of the clip. Each such analysis has been carefully reviewed and approved by NCAA Championship officials. While it is important to note that this does not render such an analysis technically authoritative (only the Secretary-Rules Editor can make authoritative rulings), it should nonetheless give the user confidence that it does represent the best possible answer.
In addition, logged-in users will be able to see the “Meta information” box, which contains the clip’s description and any tags assigned to it. These are utilized by the Library’s search feature, which is also available only to logged-in users.
Another Catalog icon, for your convenience.
1 of 4Click on the analysis box to reveal the analysis for the clip. (Note: This box is visible to logged-in users only.)
2 of 4Click on this box to reveal the call on the mat and any subsequent history, if known.
3 of 4Click on this box to reveal meta information (e.g., description, tags) for the clip. (Note: This box is visible to logged-in users only.)
4 of 4Analyze each clip yourself first.
Don‘t look at the call on the mat or the analysis before fully analyzing the clip yourself. (The call on the mat may appear in the video, but this is sometimes unavoidable.) Try to come up with the correct answer and rationale, without regard to what the mat official called. It is one thing to be able to determine, for example, that a takedown should or should not be awarded, but it demonstrates understanding on a completely different level to be able to explain why that is the correct call in a given situation. It is this higher level of understanding that we are most interested in furthering.
Don't think about who the official is.
There are quite a few exceptionally-talented collegiate wrestling officials, but they will be the first to tell you that no wrestling official is perfect. An official will make hundreds, or even thousands, of calls during the course of an event, and it is more likely than not that at least one of these calls will be incorrect (or at least capable of reasonable dispute). There is not an official appearing in this library who does not make a questionable call in at least one clip. It is also important to keep in mind that when you watch a clip, you may not be seeing the full context. For example, you may see an official make a call, but what you might not know (at least not until you view the call on the mat information box) is that he subsequently decided to conduct an official review and ultimately overturned his call. In short, if you allow yourself to be influenced by who the official in a particular clip is, you will likely arrive at the wrong answer quite frequently. The Library was designed very deliberately in this way.
Visit often.
We will be adding at least five clips per week to the Library, so be sure to return often to check out what’s new! You will see a list of the newest clips on the front page of the site.
Send us feedback.
Your feedback is important to us! We want to know what you think we can do to improve the Library, down to the most minor details. While we may not, of course, be able to act upon all the feedback we receive, that does not mean such feedback is not worth sharing. Sometimes, feedback about one thing ultimately prompts new ideas regarding other things. This process is valuable, and you are a critical part of that process.
To maximize clarity and readability, we employ certain terminology that, although commonly understood, may not be the precise terminology used by the Rules Book. Each such term is explained below, as are any terms that do track the Rules Book usage but nonetheless may not be commonly recognized or understood.
top/bottom man
The Rules Book uses the terms “offensive wrestler” to mean the wrestler in the top position and “defensive wrestler” to mean the wrestler in the bottom position. Instead, we utilize the terms “top man” and “bottom man,” respectively.
outside/inside man
We use the phrases “outside man” and “inside man” when relevant in the neutral position, which is most commonly for neutral out of bounds stalling situations. The outside man is closer to the boundary line, while the inside man is closer to the center of the mat. These are not phrases utilized in the Rules Book.
attacker/defender
The Rules Book does not have specific terms for designating which wrestler is which when both wrestlers are engaged in action from the neutral position. We utilize “attacker” to mean the wrestler in the neutral position who attacked first during a particular action sequence, and “defender” to mean the other wrestler.
This designation continues until the action sequence concludes, due to a change in position (in which case we begin using “top man” and “bottom man”), or when both wrestlers are once again facing each other on their feet (as a natural result of wrestling action, or because of a match stoppage).
Note that this means a defender may, in certain situations (such as scrambles), be the one who ultimately secures a takedown. It also means that the wrestler designated as the defender in one action sequence may be designated as the attacker in another action sequence, or vice versa.
upheld
There are three possible results of a video review (i.e., coach’s challenge or official review): Confirmed, stands, or overturned.
Frequently, it is unclear from the clips themselves whether an outcome was “confirmed” or “stands.” Even though, practically speaking, the result is the same (i.e., the call on the mat is not changed), they do technically mean different things, and we do not want our call on the mat information box to contain any inaccuracies. Therefore, we utilize the term “upheld” to mean “an outcome of either confirmed or stands” whenever we are uncertain as to which of those determinations was actually announced by the official. This is not a term utilized in the Rules Book.
no call
In wrestling, there are “calls” and “no calls.” Everybody knows what a call is. However, let’s say that an official does not award a takedown in a particular situation. The call on the mat is not “no takedown,” because there is not a signal for “no takedown.” Wrestling officials do not call the absence of x, they only call x. Accordingly, the call on the mat with regard to whether there was a takedown would simply be the absence of any call, or what is referred to as a “no call.”
(See 2019-21 NCAA Rules Book, Rule 3.13.4, p. 22 (stating that “[m]at-side video review may be used to confirm or reverse any call or non-call made on the mat by an official, except a fall”).)
Logged-in users have access to the Library’s search interface. After signing in, you will see “Search” as an option in the main menu. A detailed guide to how our search functionality works can be accessed on the search page.
One of the most time-consuming parts of building the Library is watching the countless hours of wrestling video required in order to discover the best possible clips for our purposes. This is frequently somewhat of a “crapshoot,” in that a particular event could end up yielding several useful clips, or only a single clip, or even no clips at all.
This is where you can help us grow the Library, as crowdsourcing can be extraordinarily productive for such purposes. The more sets of eyes we have looking for potentially useful clips out there, the more clips we can obtain, and the faster we can add them to the Library. Assuming that the event is being recorded on some platform that allows for subsequent retrieval (e.g., Flowrestling, Trackwrestling, Big Ten Network (BTN), ESPN+), you just need to send us enough information to allow us to track down the match containing the clip. You do not have to literally send us video footage yourself, although you are certainly welcome to do so; indeed, if the event is not being recorded anywhere other than your own device, you would be giving us access to a potential addition to the Library that we would otherwise never know existed.
If you search the web for images of collegiate wrestling officials, you will find that approximately 99.9% of them look like this:
These are excellent photos, to be sure, but they are all of the same pose. We would prefer to feature high-resolution images of collegiate wrestling officials during the matches, as opposed to during the post-match procedure. Our front page has the ability to feature one image for desktop computers (landscape dimensions), and one image for mobile devices (portrait dimensions), and we would like to be able to feature different images on at least a monthly basis. This means we will need a steady supply of high-resolution images. If you have any such images and you would like them to be featured on the front page of the site, we encourage you to send them to us. Images must be free of broadcast overlays, or must be capable of cropping in a manner that eliminates any such overlays. We are also happy to credit professional photographers and link to their websites, though we do ask that the image(s) not be watermarked.
I am currently a high school wrestling official, but I am not yet officiating college wrestling. Can I obtain full access to the Library?
Unfortunately, you cannot. You must be an NCAA-registered wrestling official to be eligible for full access to the College WCL. We look forward to providing you with that access whenever you obtain your NCAA registration. In the meantime, however, we have some good news for you — the High School Wrestling Clip Library is already in the works, with a target premiere date of September 2021. Be sure to check the front page of the College WCL regularly, as well as collegewrestlingclips.com, for further announcements!
The Catalog is your starting point for browsing the College Wrestling Clip Library. It is an accordion-style menu that organizes clips into numerous sections and subsections covering all of the topics a collegiate wrestling official may potentially encounter. Clicking on a row of the Catalog will either expand that row to reveal its subcategories (expandable rows contain a plus sign on the right-hand side), or, if the row does not expand further, will take you to the clip listing page for that particular Catalog entry.
This row is expandable because it has a plus sign on the right-hand side.
1 of 2This row is not expandable. Clicking on it will take you to the clip listing page for section 9.
2 of 2Useful Tip
For your convenience, whenever you see the Catalog icon throughout the site, you can click on it and a mini-Catalog will slide out from the right-hand side of the screen. Try this by clicking on the Catalog icon below!
Members of the public can freely access all of the Library’s “Tough Calls” clips. They are also able to view the “call on the mat” information box for each clip, which contains the call on the mat and any subsequent history regarding that call (such as whether it was challenged, and if so, what the result was), if known. Public access is available without having to log in to the site.
If you have a College WCL account, you will be able to access features and parts of the website that members of the general public cannot. These include:
- Full analysis of each clip, carefully reviewed and approved by NCAA Championship officials;
- Analysis videos, which accompany certain clips where the user would benefit from a more visual explanation in addition to the written analysis;
- “Examples” and “Hypotheticals” clips;
- Meta information for each clip (i.e., its description and any tags assigned to it); and
- Search functionality.
Eligibility for Full Access
To be eligible for a College WCL account, you must be one of the following:
(1) An NCAA-registered wrestling official; or
(2) A collegiate wrestling coach or athletic department administrator at an institution with a collegiate wrestling program (NCAA, NAIA, NCWA, or NJCAA) or club team.
If you are an NCAA-registered wrestling official, [text forthcoming].
If you are a collegiate wrestling coach or athletic department administrator, access is provided via an annual subscription. [Details forthcoming.] Send us a message if you are interested in purchasing a subscription.
To log in, simply go to the login page. Enter your username and password in the appropriate spaces, and click the “Log In” button. Note that you can check the “Remember Me” box so that your credentials will be saved for future visits (of course, you should not do so if you are using a public computer).
The link to reset (or change) your password is located here.
1 of 1If you lost, forgot, or otherwise cannot access your password, or if you wish to change your password, you can click the “Lost password?” link located below the login button. You will be taken to another screen and asked to enter your username or e-mail address connected to your account. An e-mail will then be sent to that address. Click on the link contained in that e-mail, and you will be taken to a page where you will be prompted to create a new password. Once you have done so, you will be able to log in immediately with that new password.
There are three types of clips. The first, and most common, are “Tough Calls” clips, which, as the name suggests, are clips in which the official is presented with a situation we view as difficult and/or controversial. Naturally, some clips are more so than others; nonetheless, we consider the vast majority of them to be at an above average difficulty level or greater.
The second of the clip types are called “Examples,” which are primarily instructional in nature. The purpose of an Example clip might be to show what a particular hold or maneuver looks like during live wrestling action, or to show what exemplary officiating mechanics look like in a particular situation, or even to illustrate what an official should not do in a particular situation. Unlike Tough Calls clips, Example clips typically involve situations that are straightforward and uncontroversial. Put simply, Examples are intended to assist the user in identifying, understanding, and adhering to best officiating practices.
The third of the clip types are called “Hypotheticals.” In Hypothetical clips, the actual call on the mat is unimportant (sometimes the official will have made the correct call, sometimes not) — instead, we use the situation in the video as a starting point, tweak that situation slightly, and then ask a question based on that slightly different, hypothetical situation. One purpose of Hypotheticals is to draw attention to certain situations or rules nuances that might be encountered by an official for which a definitive rules interpretation, or other Secretary-Rules Editor guidance, has not yet been issued. Accordingly, a Hypothetical scenario may not actually have a “correct” answer, even if the user is confident that their analysis represents the best answer.
There are three types of clips. The first, and most common, are “Tough Calls” clips, which, as the name suggests, are clips in which the official is presented with a situation we view as difficult and/or controversial. Naturally, some clips are more so than others; nonetheless, we consider the vast majority of them to be at an above average difficulty level or greater.
The second of the clip types are called “Examples,” which are primarily instructional in nature. The purpose of an Example clip might be to show what a particular hold or maneuver looks like during live wrestling action, or to show what exemplary officiating mechanics look like in a particular situation, or even to illustrate what an official should not do in a particular situation. Unlike Tough Calls clips, Example clips typically involve situations that are straightforward and uncontroversial. Put simply, Examples are intended to assist the user in identifying, understanding, and adhering to best officiating practices.
The third of the clip types are called “Hypotheticals.” In Hypothetical clips, the actual call on the mat is unimportant (sometimes the official will have made the correct call, sometimes not) — instead, we use the situation in the video as a starting point, tweak that situation slightly, and then ask a question based on that slightly different, hypothetical situation. One purpose of Hypotheticals is to draw attention to certain situations or rules nuances that might be encountered by an official for which a definitive rules interpretation, or other Secretary-Rules Editor guidance, has not yet been issued. Accordingly, a Hypothetical scenario may not actually have a “correct” answer, even if the user is confident that their analysis represents the best answer.
There are three types of clips. The first, and most common, are “Tough Calls” clips, which, as the name suggests, are clips in which the official is presented with a situation we view as difficult and/or controversial. Naturally, some clips are more so than others; nonetheless, we consider the vast majority of them to be at an above average difficulty level or greater.
The second of the clip types are called “Examples,” which are primarily instructional in nature. The purpose of an Example clip might be to show what a particular hold or maneuver looks like during live wrestling action, or to show what exemplary officiating mechanics look like in a particular situation, or even to illustrate what an official should not do in a particular situation. Unlike Tough Calls clips, Example clips typically involve situations that are straightforward and uncontroversial. Put simply, Examples are intended to assist the user in identifying, understanding, and adhering to best officiating practices.
The third of the clip types are called “Hypotheticals.” In Hypothetical clips, the actual call on the mat is unimportant (sometimes the official will have made the correct call, sometimes not) — instead, we use the situation in the video as a starting point, tweak that situation slightly, and then ask a question based on that slightly different, hypothetical situation. One purpose of Hypotheticals is to draw attention to certain situations or rules nuances that might be encountered by an official for which a definitive rules interpretation, or other Secretary-Rules Editor guidance, has not yet been issued. Accordingly, a Hypothetical scenario may not actually have a “correct” answer, even if the user is confident that their analysis represents the best answer.
The clip listing page contains, as the name suggests, a listing of all of the clips for a particular section or subsection of the Catalog. Clicking on a clip’s image box will take you to the video page for that clip.
For your convenience, a Catalog icon appears in this spot on every clip listing page. Click it and a mini-Catalog will slide out from the right-hand side of the screen.
1 of 2Click anywhere on a clip’s image to go to the video page for that clip.
2 of 2Above: The clip listing page.
Below: If you are a logged-in user, three buttons will appear at the top of the screen as you scroll the clip listing page. Clicking on them will automatically scroll you up or down the page to the start of the listing for that particular clip type.
For identification purposes, each clip in the Library is assigned an alphanumeric code utilizing the following system:
Tough Calls clips begin with the code TC, followed by the Catalog section, followed by a dash and a three-digit number (sequentially-ordered within each section, starting with 001). For instance, TC 1.1-001, TC 3-008, or TC 6.3.1.2.1-001.
Examples begin with the code Ex, followed by the Catalog section, followed by a dash and a letter (sequentially-ordered within each section, starting with A). For instance, Ex 4.1-A, or Ex 12.3-C.
Hypotheticals begin with the code Hy, followed by the Catalog section, followed by a dash and a two-digit number (sequentially-ordered within each section, starting with 01). For instance, Hy 7.1-01, or Hy 5-03.
Once you understand this system, you can actually tell which type a particular clip is simply by looking at what follows the dash. If it has three digits, it is a TC, if it has a letter, it is an Ex, and if it has two digits, it is an Hy.
Pro Tip
College WCL pages are organized using the following URL structure:collegewrestlingclips.com/catalog section number (without periods)/clip number or letter
For instance:
Clip TC 1.2-015 would be located at collegewrestlingclips.com/12/015
Clip Ex 1.1-A would be located at collegewrestlingclips.com/11/a
Accordingly, if you already know the code of the clip you are looking for, you can go directly to its video page by typing its URL in your web browser, thereby skipping the Catalog and clip listing page.
The video page is where you watch individual clips; each clip has its own video page. To begin playing the clip, click on the play button in the center of the video area (containing the large College WCL logo). (Note: Depending on the device and/or web browser you are using, you may need to click a second time to begin playing the video.) Most clips have audio, and the audio is set to “on” by default, so you may need to lower or mute your device’s volume depending on the environment you are in. (You can also adjust the volume on the video player itself.)
Another Catalog icon, for your convenience.
1 of 4Click on the analysis box to reveal the analysis for the clip. (Note: This box is visible to logged-in users only.)
2 of 4Click on this box to reveal the call on the mat and any subsequent history, if known.
3 of 4Click on this box to reveal meta information (e.g., description, tags) for the clip. (Note: This box is visible to logged-in users only.)
4 of 4All users will be able to see the “Call on the mat” box, which contains the actual call(s) on the mat, if known, as well as any subsequent history (such as whether there was a coach’s challenge or official review, and if so, the outcome), if known. If, for whatever reason, we do not know either of those things with certainty, this will be explicitly stated.
Logged-in users (i.e., those with full access) will be able to see the Analysis box, which contains a complete and independent analysis of the clip. Each such analysis has been carefully reviewed and approved by NCAA Championship officials. While it is important to note that this does not render such an analysis technically authoritative (only the Secretary-Rules Editor can make authoritative rulings), it should nonetheless give the user confidence that it does represent the best possible answer.
In addition, logged-in users will be able to see the “Meta information” box, which contains the clip’s description and any tags assigned to it. These are utilized by the Library’s search feature, which is also available only to logged-in users.
Analyze each clip yourself first.
Don't think about who the official is.
It is also important to keep in mind that when you watch a clip, you may not be seeing the full context. For example, you may see an official make a call, but what you might not know (at least not until you view the call on the mat information box) is that he subsequently decided to conduct an official review and ultimately overturned his call.
In short, if you allow yourself to be influenced by who the official in a particular clip is, you will likely arrive at the wrong answer quite frequently. The Library was designed very deliberately in this way.
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To maximize clarity and readability, we employ certain terminology that, although commonly understood, may not be the precise terminology used by the Rules Book. Each such term is explained below, as are any terms that do track the Rules Book usage but nonetheless may not be commonly recognized or understood.
top/bottom man
The Rules Book uses the terms “offensive wrestler” to mean the wrestler in the top position and “defensive wrestler” to mean the wrestler in the bottom position. Instead, we utilize the terms “top man” and “bottom man,” respectively.
outside/inside man
We use the phrases “outside man” and “inside man” when relevant in the neutral position, which is most commonly for neutral out of bounds stalling situations. The outside man is closer to the boundary line, while the inside man is closer to the center of the mat. These are not phrases utilized in the Rules Book.
attacker/defender
The Rules Book does not have specific terms for designating which wrestler is which when both wrestlers are engaged in action from the neutral position. We utilize “attacker” to mean the wrestler in the neutral position who attacked first during a particular action sequence, and “defender” to mean the other wrestler.
This designation continues until the action sequence concludes, due to a change in position (in which case we begin using “top man” and “bottom man”), or when both wrestlers are once again facing each other on their feet (as a natural result of wrestling action, or because of a match stoppage).
Note that this means a defender may, in certain situations (such as scrambles), be the one who ultimately secures a takedown. It also means that the wrestler designated as the defender in one action sequence may be designated as the attacker in another action sequence, or vice versa.
upheld
There are three possible results of a video review (i.e., coach’s challenge or official review): Confirmed, stands, or overturned.
Frequently, it is unclear from the clips themselves whether an outcome was “confirmed” or “stands.” Even though, practically speaking, the result is the same (i.e., the call on the mat is not changed), they do technically mean different things, and we do not want our call on the mat information box to contain any inaccuracies. Therefore, we utilize the term “upheld” to mean “an outcome of either confirmed or stands” whenever we are uncertain as to which of those determinations was actually announced by the official. This is not a term utilized in the Rules Book.
no call
In wrestling, there are “calls” and “no calls.” Everybody knows what a call is. However, let’s say that an official does not award a takedown in a particular situation. The call on the mat is not “no takedown,” because there is not a signal for “no takedown.” Wrestling officials do not call the absence of x, they only call x. Accordingly, the call on the mat with regard to whether there was a takedown would simply be the absence of any call, or what is referred to as a “no call.”
See 2019-21 NCAA Rules Book, Rule 3.13.4, p. 22 (stating that “[m]at-side video review may be used to confirm or reverse any call or non-call made on the mat by an official, except a fall”).)
Logged-in users have access to the Library’s search interface. After signing in, you will see “Search” as an option in the main menu. A detailed guide to how our search functionality works can be accessed on the search page.
One of the most time-consuming parts of building the Library is watching the countless hours of wrestling video required in order to discover the best possible clips for our purposes. This is frequently somewhat of a “crapshoot,” in that a particular event could end up yielding several useful clips, or only a single clip, or even no clips at all.
This is where you can help us grow the Library, as crowdsourcing can be extraordinarily productive for such purposes. The more sets of eyes we have looking for potentially useful clips out there, the more clips we can obtain, and the faster we can add them to the Library. Assuming that the event is being recorded on some platform that allows for subsequent retrieval (e.g., Flowrestling, Trackwrestling, Big Ten Network (BTN), ESPN+), you just need to send us enough information to allow us to track down the match containing the clip. You do not have to literally send us video footage yourself, although you are certainly welcome to do so; indeed, if the event is not being recorded anywhere other than your own device, you would be giving us access to a potential addition to the Library that we would otherwise never know existed.
If you search the web for images of collegiate wrestling officials, you will find that approximately 99.9% of them look like this:
These are excellent photos, to be sure, but they are all of the same pose. We would prefer to feature high-resolution images of collegiate wrestling officials during the matches, as opposed to during the post-match procedure. Our front page has the ability to feature one image for desktop computers (landscape dimensions), and one image for mobile devices (portrait dimensions), and we would like to be able to feature different images on at least a monthly basis. This means we will need a steady supply of high-resolution images. If you have any such images and you would like them to be featured on the front page of the site, we encourage you to send them to us. Images must be free of broadcast overlays, or must be capable of cropping in a manner that eliminates any such overlays. We are also happy to credit professional photographers and link to their websites, though we do ask that the image(s) not be watermarked.
I am currently a high school wrestling official, but I am not yet officiating college wrestling. Can I obtain full access to the Library?
Unfortunately, you cannot. You must be an NCAA-registered wrestling official to be eligible for full access to the College WCL. We look forward to providing you with that access whenever you obtain your NCAA registration. In the meantime, however, we have some good news for you — the High School Wrestling Clip Library is already in the works, with a target premiere date of September 2021. Be sure to check the front page of the College WCL regularly, as well as collegewrestlingclips.com, for further announcements!