XHCWF’s Rules of Competition

Structure

Matches are held within a wrestling ring, an elevated square canvas mat with posts on each corner. A cloth apron hangs over the edges of the ring. Three horizontal ropes or cables surround the ring, suspended with turnbuckles which are connected to the posts. Wrestlers are expected to stay within the confines of the ring, unless allowed by the rules of a specialty match, i.e. Hardcore matches.

Matches are held between two or more sides ("corners"). Each corner may consist of one wrestler, or a team of two or more. Most team matches are governed by tag team rules (see below). Other matches are free-for-alls, with multiple combatants but no teams. In all variants, there can be only one winning team or wrestler.

Scoring/Decisions:

The standard method of scoring is the "fall", which is accomplished by:

• Pinfall: In order to score by pinfall, a wrestler must pin both his opponent's shoulders against the mat while the referee slaps the mat three times (referred to as a "three count"). If a wrestler's shoulders are down (both shoulders touching the mat) and any part of the opponent's body is lying over the wrestler, it is completely legal to start a three count. Occasionally, there may be where a pinfall is made where both wrestlers' shoulders were on the mat for the three count. This situation will most likely lead to a draw, and in some cases a continuation of the match or a future match to determine the winner. Typically, pinfalls must occur within the ring area, however there are times where it may be stipulated otherwise.

• Submission: To score by submission, the wrestler must make his opponent give up. A wrestler may voluntarily submit by verbally informing the referee (usually used in moves where all four limbs are incapacitated, making tapping impossible). Also, a wrestler can indicate a voluntary submission by "tapping out", that is, tapping a free hand against the mat or against an opponent. Occasionally, a wrestler will reach for a rope only to put his hand back on the mat so he can crawl towards the rope some more; this is NOT a submission, and the referee decides what his intent is. Passing out in a submission hold constitutes a loss by knockout not submission. If a manager decides that his client wrestler should tap out, but cannot convince the wrestler themselves to do so, he may throw in the towel (literally taking a gym towel and hurling it into the referee's line of sight); this is the same as a submission, as the manager is considered the wrestlers agent, and therefore, authorized to make formal decisions (such as forfeiting a match) on the client's behalf. Again, this is considered a submission. Typically, submissions must occur within the ring area, however there are times where it may be stipulated otherwise.

• Knock Out: Opponent down on the mat for a 10 second count or incapacitating the opponent to wear the opponent cannot respond to a referee. Passing out in a submission hold constitutes a loss by knockout. To determine if a wrestler has passed out in, the referee usually picks up and drops his hand. If it drops three consecutive times without the wrestler having the strength to stop it from falling, the wrestler is considered to have passed out. If the wrestler has passed out, the opponent then scores by knock out. Also, a wrestler can win by knockout if he does not resort to submission holds, but stills pummels his opponent to the point that he is completely out cold. To check for a knockout in this manner, a referee will wave his hand in front of the wrestlers' face; if the wrestler does not react in any way, the referee will award the victory to the other wrestler.

• Countout: A countout (alternatively "count-out" or "count out") happens when a wrestler is out of the ring long enough for the referee to count to ten and thus disqualified. The count is broken and re-started when a wrestler in the ring exits the ring. If all the active wrestlers in a match are down inside the ring at the same time, the referee will begin a count (usually ten seconds). If nobody rises to their feet by the end of the count, the match is ruled a draw. Any participant who stands up in time will end the count for everyone else.

• Draw: A draw occurs if both opponents are simultaneously disqualified (as via countout), neither opponent is able to answer a ten-count, or both opponents simultaneously win the match. The latter can occur if, for example, one opponent's shoulders touch the mat while maintaining a submission hold against another opponent. If the opponent in the hold begins to tap out at the same time a referee counts to three for pinning the opponent delivering the hold, both opponents have legally achieved scoring conditions simultaneously. A championship may not change hands in the event of a draw.

• No contest: A wrestling match may be declared a no contest if the winning conditions are unable to occur. This can be due to excessive interference, loss of referee's control over the match, one or more participants sustaining debilitating injury not caused by the opponent, or the inability of a scheduled match to even begin. A no contest is a state separate and distinct from a draw — a draw indicates winning conditions were met.

• Disqualification: Disqualification (sometimes abbreviated as "DQ") occurs when a wrestler violates the match's rules, thus losing automatically. Disqualification from a match is called for a number of reasons:

• Performing any illegal holds or maneuvers, such as refusing to break a hold when an opponent is in the ropes, hair-pulling, choking or biting an opponent, or repeatedly punching with a closed fist. These violations are usually subject to a referee-administered five count and will result in disqualification if not released before.
• Intentionally laying hands on the referee.
• Any outside interference involving a person not involved in the match striking or holding a wrestler.

In matches with multiple competitors, an elimination system may be used. Any wrestler who has a fall scored against them is forced out of the match, and the match continues until only one remains. However, when more than two wrestlers are involved the match can simply go one fall, with the one scoring the fall, regardless of who they scored it against, being the winner. In championship matches, this means that, unlike one-on-one matches (where the champion can simply disqualify himself or get himself counted out to retain the title via the Champion's Advantage), the champion does not have to be pinned or involved in the decision to lose the championship.

Officiating:
Every match must be assigned a rule keeper known as a referee, who is the final arbitrator (In multi-man lucha libre matches, two referees are used, one inside the ring and one outside). The most basic rule is that an action must be seen by a referee to be declared for a fall or disqualification.

Maneuvers and Holds Regulations:

• No punching an opponent with a closed fist
• No kicking an opponent with the toe of their boot
• No attacking an opponent's eye, such as raking it, poking it, gouging it, punching it or other severe attacks to the eye
• No choking an opponent
• No pulling the hair of an opponent
• No striking an opponent with a foreign object A direct low blow to the groin (unless the rules of the match specifically allow this).
• No pulling an opponent's wrestling trunks for a pinfall during a match
• No pulling an opponent's mask off during a match
• Wrestlers may lift an opponent and throw them, drop them, or otherwise force them to the mat.
• Wrestlers may jump onto an opponent, whether standing or lying down, in any manner, including with a clenched or the toe of a boot.
• Any legal wrestler is open to attack from any direction at any time, including when they are downed, as long as they are within the ring area enclosed by the ring ropes.
• Any legal wrestler may also be subject to attack if they are completely outside the ring, as long as no part of their body is touching, or directly underneath, a ring rope. If any part of either wrestler is in contact with the ropes or has otherwise broken the plane of ropes all grappling contact between the wrestlers must be broken within a five count or else the attacking wrestler may be subject to disqualification.
• All contact between the wrestlers must cease if any part of the body is touching, or underneath, the ropes, many wrestlers will attempt to break submission holds by deliberately grabbing the bottom ropes. This is called a rope break, and it is one of the most common ways to break a submission hold. Once this has been accomplished, and the accomplishment is witnessed by the referee, the referee will demand that the offending wrestler break the hold, and start counting to five if the wrestler does not. If the referee reaches the count of five, and the wrestler still does not break the hold, he is disqualified.

Extra Tag Team Regulations:

• Only one entrant from each team may be designated as the "legal" or "active" wrestler at any given moment. Two wrestlers must make physical contact (typically palm-to-palm) in order to transfer this legal status. This is known as a tag, with the participants tagging out and tagging in. Typically the wrestler who is tagging out has a 5-second count to leave the ring, whereas the one tagging in can enter the ring at any time.
• The non-legal wrestlers must remain outside the ring or other legal area at all times (and avoid purposeful contact with the opposing wrestlers) or face reprimand from the referee. The wrestler to be tagged in must be touching the turnbuckle on his corner, or a cloth strap attached to the turnbuckle.
• Regardless of rules of tagging, you can not pin your own tag team partner, even if it is technically possible from the rules of the match (e.g. Texas Tornado rules, or a three-way tag team match).

Championships

• XHCWF World Heavyweight Championship

This championship is the XHCWF’s highest and most prestigious championship. It is the top tier championship for the singles division.

• To contend you must:
• Be 18 years of age or older
• Have 70% win/loss record, not including tag matches.
• Defeat the current champion in a declared 2/3 match series challenge prior to receiving your championship opportunity
• Have held another lower tier championship, active or retired, at least once.
• Have been in at least 15 XHCWF singles matches.

• To hold the championship you must:
• Maintain a 70% win/loss record, not including tag matches, through the duration of your title reign
• Accept all qualified contenders
• Defend the championship once in every 4 events

• XHCWF National Championship

This championship is our second tier championship for the singles and is a gateway to the World Heavyweight championship. Although not officially called a “Television Championship” it is defended primarily on TV events.

• To contend you must:
• Be 18 years of age or older
• Have 60% win/loss record, not including tag matches.
• Defeat the current champion in a declared 2/3 match series challenge prior to receiving your championship opportunity.
• Have been in at least 5 XHCWF singles matches.
• To hold the championship you must:
• Maintain a 60% win/loss record, not including tag matches, through the duration of your title reign
• Accept all qualified contenders
• Defend the championship once in every two Friday Night Impact shows

• XHCWF World Tag Team Championship

This is our highest and only championship for the tag team division.

• To contend you must:
• Be 18 years of age or older along with your partner
• Have 70% tag team win/loss record with your partner
• Defeat the current champion team in a declared 2/3 match series challenge prior to receiving your championship opportunity.
• Have been in at least 7 XHCWF tag matches.
• To hold the championship you must:
• Maintain a 70% tag team win/loss record, with your partner, through the duration of your title reign
• Accept all qualified contenders
• Defend the championship once in every four events

• XHCWF hArDkOrE Championship

This is our highest and only championship for those who wish to participate in hardcore style matches on a more regular basis.

• To contend you must:
• Be 18 years of age or older
• Understand that the extreme majority for your matches will be hardcore style
• To hold the championship you must:
• Accept all qualified contenders
• Defend the championship in hardcore style matches