What is a figure-four in wrestling?
By the Smart Wrestler team · Written from hosting and scoring the events this software runs · Updated 2026-10-20
The figure-four is a leg lock that is legal around the head only from the offensive position. See the NCAA article, the appendix pictures and penalties.
Quick answer
A figure-four is a leg scissor in which one foot is hooked behind the knee of the other leg. The NCAA men’s rules book makes a figure-four illegal around the body, around both legs, and on the head from a neutral position or by the defensive wrestler, and shows a legal figure-four head scissors only from the offensive position. Applying one during a successful scoring action carries a separate penalty.
How does the rules book define the figure-four?
Article 13 of the illegal-holds section says a leg scissor around the body or both legs becomes a figure-four when the foot is placed directly behind the knee, where the knee bends. The name describes the foot position, not only the shape of the legs.
The article then lists when the lock is illegal: around the body of the opponent by either wrestler, around both legs of the defensive wrestler by the offensive wrestler, around the head by the defensive wrestler with or without the arm, or on the head in a neutral position by either wrestler.
Where is a figure-four legal?
The appendix shows a legal head scissors of this kind and states it is only legal from the offensive position. Another illustration shows the same lock on the head from a neutral position and says that hold, with or without an arm trapped, is illegal.
| Illustration | Status |
|---|---|
| Figure-four head scissors from the offensive position | Legal |
| Figure-four head scissors from a neutral position | Illegal |
| Figure-four scissors around the body or both legs | Illegal |
| Straight scissors on the head | Illegal |
A straight body scissors and a leg cradle are shown as legal.
What penalties apply when it is used while scoring?
The rules book lists specific situations in which a score is not allowed to stand if an infraction occurs: applying a figure-four scissors around the head from neutral during a successful takedown, and around both legs or the body from the offensive position during a successful reversal or escape. In those cases the referee deals with the infraction during the scoring situation.
Because the hold changes what the scoring action is worth, the table should wait for the referee’s signal before entering anything.
Why do coaches teach the legal and illegal versions together?
The same leg motion becomes legal or illegal depending on where it is applied. A wrestler who learns the head version from the top may carry the habit into a neutral exchange, where it is penalized.
Officials also judge draping head scissors as legal when pressure against the head or neck is minimal, which shows how much the call depends on position and pressure.
How should families describe a figure-four call?
Say who applied it, where on the opponent, and from which position. Then say what the referee did: stopped the match, penalized, or allowed the hold.
Smart Wrestler records the penalty the table enters, with its period. The hold’s name is not a scoring field.
Frequently asked questions
Is the figure-four legal in folkstyle?
Only the head version from the offensive position is shown as legal in the NCAA appendix.
What makes a scissors a figure-four?
A foot placed directly behind the knee, where the knee bends.
Is a figure-four around the body legal?
No. The rules book lists it as illegal.
Can a figure-four cancel a takedown?
A figure-four head scissors during a successful takedown from neutral is a listed infraction.
Sources
Sources checked 2026-10-20.
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