NCAA Wrestling: What is locked hands rule?

Mar 23, 2013; Des Moines, IA, USA; A general view during the NCAA wrestling Division I championship at Wells Fargo Arena. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 23, 2013; Des Moines, IA, USA; A general view during the NCAA wrestling Division I championship at Wells Fargo Arena. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports /
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On Saturday night during the 2015 NCAA Wrestling Championships, Pittsburgh’s Tyler Wilps fell victim to the “locked hands rule”in the 174-pound final against Matthew Brown of Penn State. 


The 174-pound final at the 2015 NCAA Wrestling Championships between Tyler Wilps and Matthew Brown ended in controversial fashion because of the “locked hands rule.”

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It was an unfortunate end to what was an otherwise thrilling final.

Was what Tyler Wilps did at the end of the match the locked hands rule or was he robbed from winning the national title? The opinions varied.

So, what exactly is the locked hands rule in wrestling?

The rule reads:

"If you are down on the mat in control of your opponent, you cannot lock or overlap your hands, fingers or arms around your opponent’s body or both legs unless you have met criteria for a near pin of your opponent, or your opponent stands up and has all his/her weight on two feet, or you have lifted the opponent off the mat."

Was what Tyler Wilps did the “locked hands rule” and should it have cost him a national title?

Check out the final sequence of the match with Matthew Brown below and let us know your thoughts in the comments section.

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