What is a guillotine in wrestling?

Why is the guillotine treated differently in wrestling and in other sports?

The same word names a choke in some combat sports. In school and college wrestling the rules book treats the hold as a pinning tool and sets conditions on when the hands may be locked. A parent who knows the term from another sport should not assume it means a choke here.

The rules book also prohibits choke holds directly, which keeps the two ideas separate.

What does the NCAA rule actually say?

Rule 5, Section 6, Article 5 is titled “Locked Hands — Guillotine.” It states that the offensive wrestler cannot lock hands around the head of the defensive wrestler when using the guillotine until the offensive wrestler meets a near fall criterion. The appendix includes an illustration labeled legal guillotine and adds that after a near fall criterion is met, hands can be locked around the opponent’s head or neck.

The near fall criteria are the same three used for scoring: a high bridge or both elbows, a shoulder or head touching the mat with the other shoulder at 45 degrees or less, or both shoulders within four inches of the mat.

How is it different from an illegal headlock?

The appendix labels locking arms around the head as an illegal headlock, with or without the leg applied. The guillotine exception depends on the near fall criterion being met first. Because the two pictures look similar from the stands, officials rely on the timing and on what the defender’s shoulders are doing.

The illegal-holds list also includes front headlocks without the arm and choke holds, so a guillotine-like grip can be penalized for several different reasons.

What about breathing and circulation?

The rules book says any hold with pressure exerted over the opponent’s mouth, nose, throat or neck that restricts breathing or circulation is illegal. A pinning hold that crosses that line is not saved by its name.

If an illegal hold causes an injury, the injury rules in the book apply to the infraction. Athletes should be taught to signal immediately if breathing is affected, and a coach should stop practice at once.

How does this connect to scoring and to review?

A guillotine leads to a near fall or fall when the position holds, or to no score. The name is not recorded. When reviewing video, mark whether the near fall criterion was met before the hands locked.

The criterion definitions are explained in the near-fall entry. Read near fall.

Smart Wrestler records the awarded near fall or fall and any penalty the table enters.