Wrestling headgear is protection that a person wears over the ears and chin during

wrestling Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...

matches.

Description

The main purpose of headgear is to protect the ears of the wrestler, not really the head as the name implies. Thus, wrestling headgear equipment are also simply called ear guards or ear protectors. The headgear often covers the ears of the wearer, has two straps that go behind the head, two that go over the front and top part of the head, and one strap that goes under the chin (in some cases the strap will go on the chin). Headgear is often made of durable plastic,

velcro Velcro, officially known as Velcro IP Holdings LLC and trading as Velcro Companies, is a British privately held company, founded by Swiss electrical engineer George de Mestral in the 1950s. It is the original manufacturer of hook-and-loop fasten ...

, and button snaps.

Reason

Wrestling headgear is made to protect the wearer from long term injury. The constant bashing and beating on a wrestler's ears that comes from not wearing headgear can cause blood vessels in the ears to burst. These types of injuries do not cause any external bleeding; however incredibly painful sacs of blood will start to develop in the ears often resulting in permanent disfiguration of the ears. This condition is known as

cauliflower ear Cauliflower ear is an irreversible condition that occurs when the external portion of the ear is hit and develops a blood clot or other collection of fluid under the perichondrium. This separates the cartilage from the overlying perichondrium tha ...

. Treatment of cauliflower ear requires the wrestler see a doctor who will then drain the blood out of the ear via a needle. A wrestler may need to see a plastic surgeon to repair and/or treat a Cauliflower ear.

Mandatory or optional use

Headgear is required to be worn in high school and college wrestling in the United States. In Canada, and in international competition ( freestyle and

Greco-Roman The Greco-Roman civilization (; also Greco-Roman culture; spelled Graeco-Roman in the Commonwealth), as understood by modern scholars and writers, includes the geographical regions and countries that culturally—and so historically—were di ...

), headgear is allowed but not required. In some cases, if a wrestler has face problems, like a history of broken noses or wrestles with stitches on the face, he or she may also have the option of wearing a face mask attached to the headgear. In the USA, a wrestler must have a note from a doctor saying the face mask is required. Since an opposing coach is able to ask for this documentation before each match, it is important for athletes to carry it with them regularly. In the past in the Senior Level, Olympics, and World Championships, a wrestler could protest and their opponent would have to remove their headgear. This is no longer the case and a wrestler is allowed to wear a headgear even if their opponent protests.

References

Amateur wrestling Protective gear Martial arts equipment Headgear Sportswear Wrestling culture {{Wrestling-stub

Description

Reason

Mandatory or optional use

See also

References