Wrestling singlet - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

A wrestling singlet is a one-piece, tight-fitting, colored uniform, usually made of spandex

Spandex

Spandex or elastane is a synthetic fibre known for its exceptional elasticity. It is strong, but less durable than natural Latex, its major non-synthetic competitor. It is a polyurethane-polyurea copolymer that was co-invented in 1959 by chemists C. L. Sandquist and Joseph Shivers at DuPont's...

, lycra, or nylon

Nylon

Nylon is a generic designation for a family of synthetic polymers known generically as polyamides, first produced on February 28, 1935, by Wallace Carothers at DuPont's research facility at the DuPont Experimental Station...

, used in amateur wrestling

Amateur wrestling

Amateur wrestling is the most widespread form of sport wrestling. There are two international wrestling styles performed in the Olympic Games under the supervision of FILA : Greco-Roman and freestyle. Freestyle is possibly derived from the English Lancashire style...

. The uniform is tight fitting so as not to get grasped accidentally by one's opponent, and allows the referee to see each wrestler's body clearly when awarding points or a pin

Pin (amateur wrestling)

A pin, or fall, is a victory condition in various forms of wrestling that is met by holding an opponent's shoulders or scapulae on the wrestling mat for a prescribed period of time. This article deals with the pin as it is defined in amateur wrestling.In amateur wrestling, a pin ends the match...

. Unlike judo

Judo

is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...

, it is illegal to grasp an opponent's clothing in all styles of amateur wrestling.

Look of a singlet

In most high school

High school

High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....

and college

College

A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...

wrestling

Collegiate wrestling

Collegiate wrestling, sometimes known in the United States as Folkstyle wrestling, is a style of amateur wrestling practised at the collegiate and university level in the United States. Collegiate wrestling emerged from the folk wrestling styles practised in the early history of the United States...

matches, the competitors wear singlets in their team colors. To designate a competitor's color for scoring purposes a red or green anklet is also worn.

Outside school competition (e.g., in international wrestling: freestyle

Freestyle wrestling

Freestyle wrestling is a style of amateur wrestling that is practised throughout the world. Along with Greco-Roman, it is one of the two styles of wrestling contested in the Olympic games. It is, along with track and field, one of the oldest organized sports in history...

and Greco-Roman

Greco-Roman wrestling

Greco-Roman wrestling is a style of wrestling that is practised worldwide. It was contested at the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 and has been included in every edition of the summer Olympics held since 1908. Two wrestlers are scored for their performance in three two-minute periods, which can...

) wrestlers bring a red and a blue singlet (or reversible singlet) and are told before the match which color to wear.

Singlets are also common among professional wrestlers

Professional wrestling

Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...

(such as Bret Hart

Bret Hart

Bret Hart is a Canadian on-screen personality, writer, actor and Semi-retired professional wrestler. Like others in the Hart wrestling family, Hart has an amateur wrestling background, including wrestling at Ernest Manning High School and Mount Royal College...

, Kurt Angle

Kurt Angle

Kurt Steven Angle is an American professional wrestler, amateur wrestler, and 1996 Olympic gold medalist. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he is recognized as a 15-time World Heavyweight Champion...

, and Rob Van Dam

Rob Van Dam

Robert Alexander "Rob" Szatkowski , better known by his ring name Rob Van Dam , is an American professional wrestler and actor who is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....

). Many of these are much more stylized than those worn by amateurs, although the use of singlets in professional wrestling has declined in the last two decades.

Other clothing

The singlet didn't become common in college wrestling until the late 1960s and early 1970s, in fact, it had been banned by the NCAA for years. Shirtless uniforms, including trunks and tight were common until the NCAA banned shirtless wrestling in the mid-1960s.

A new style of singlet, known as a double or doublet, has recently emerged in college wrestling that covers more of the upper body. Made of the same Lycra material, this singlet has more of a t-shirt

T-shirt

A T-shirt is a style of shirt. A T-shirt is buttonless and collarless, with short sleeves and frequently a round neck line....

covering than the traditional thin-strap singlet more commonly worn. This type of singlet is usually worn with accompanying tight-fitting shorts. This style of singlet is currently only allowed on the college level, although there is report that some high school wrestlers use this singlet style in practice sessions.

There is also now a movement to get shirtless uniforms approved again. Advocates are even being encouraged to petition governing bodies to approve alternative uniforms consisting of trunks or shorts, with an optional rash guard

Rash guard

A rash guard, also known as rash vest or rashie, is a type of water wear, an athletic shirt made of spandex and nylon or polyester. The name rash guard reflects the fact that the shirt protects the wearer against rashes caused by abrasion. These shirts can be worn by themselves, or under a wetsuit...

.
Only with special permission are wrestlers allowed to wear a t-shirt under their singlet, most commonly for sanitary reasons involving excessive acne

Acne

Acne is a general term used for acneiform eruptions. It is usually used as a synonym for acne vulgaris, but may also refer to:*Acne aestivalis*Acne conglobata*Acne cosmetica*Acne fulminans*Acne keloidalis nuchae*Acne mechanica...

on the chest or back.

Singlet cuts

There are three different traditional "cuts" to wrestling singlets: the high cut, the fila cut, and the low cut. The high cut covers most of the chest and reaches up to the under-arms on the side. The fila cut is like the high cut but does not rise up as high beneath the arms. The low cut singlet is a revealing singlet, that allows greater range of mobility, keeps its wearer cooler, tends to be more comfortable when not on the mat (wrestlers tend to wear their singlets under their clothes nearly all day in some circumstances). The low cut reaches down to the middle abdomen in the front, reaches down to the hips on the sides, and features a single strap that runs up the back that is very thin. Low cut singlets can no longer be worn at the Olympics or World Championships. A high cut or Fila cut singlet is required for this level. Generally, low cut singlets are not legal for high school wrestling in the United States and likely will not be legal for off season wrestling in the near future.

Wearing

Underneath the singlet, wrestlers traditionally wear a jockstrap

Jockstrap

A jockstrap is an undergarment designed for supporting the male genitalia during sports or other vigorous physical activity...

, regular briefs

Briefs

Briefs are a type of short, tight underwear and swimwear, as opposed to styles where the material extends down the legs.In the case of men's underwear, briefs, unlike boxer shorts, hold the wearer's genitals in a relatively fixed position, which make briefs a popular underwear choice for men who...

, absorbent undergarment liners, compression shorts

Compression shorts

Compression shorts are undergarments usually worn by athletes. They are form-fitting garments and when worn cover the athlete's waist to mid or lower thigh. These garments are often made from a spandex-type material, similar to cycling shorts....

, or tights

Tights

Tights are a kind of cloth leg garment, most often sheathing the body from about the waist to the feet with a more or less tight fit, hence the name....

Look of a singlet

Other clothing

Singlet cuts

Wearing

See also