What is a Granby roll in wrestling?

Is the Granby roll an official scoring term?

No. A terminology glossary lists it as a bottom escape or reversal where you roll over a shoulder to free yourself. Neither the rules book nor the curriculum outlines used here name it. The table never writes “Granby”; it writes the escape, reversal or near fall that follows.

Because the name is informal, a coach in another club may use it for a related roll or for a slightly different footwork pattern. Ask what the athlete is being asked to do before copying the clip.

Which starting position does it come from?

Folkstyle matches restart from the referee’s position. The defensive wrestler takes a stationary position at the center of the mat with both hands and knees down, knees even with and behind the rear starting line, heels of the hands in front of the forward line and elbows off the mat. The offensive wrestler starts beside them in the prescribed offensive position.

Rolls like this one begin after the whistle, once the offensive wrestler has started to ride. The starting position rules explain why a bottom wrestler cannot move before the whistle.

How do escape and reversal differ when the roll succeeds?

The values are those of the NCAA men’s book; high school and international rule sets use their own, so confirm them for the event. What decides between the two is whether the former defender ends in control.

What happens if the roll exposes the defender’s back?

A rolling defender can pass through a position in which a shoulder is near the mat. The rules book says that when a defensive wrestler places themself in near-fall criterion during attempted escapes or reversals, a near fall is not scored unless the offensive wrestler has secured control and held the defender in the criterion for at least two seconds.

That provision is why a successful roll usually produces no near fall for the opponent, while a roll that stalls on the shoulders may.

How should a parent record a Granby for later review?

1. Note the period and time when the bottom wrestler first moved.
2. Write down what the official awarded: escape, reversal, near fall or nothing.
3. Add a short description of the shoulder and foot movement for the coach.

In Smart Wrestler the table enters the awarded action only. The roll’s name stays in your own notes.

For the result side of the roll, read escape. Read escape.