What Is Wrestball? The Rules, Scoring and Formats of the Basketball-Wrestling Hybrid, Explained
The rules, explained — from the official Wrestball rulebook
Wrestball is a full-contact sport that scores like basketball and fights like wrestling: no dribbling, legal takedowns for the ball, suplexes worth points and a wrestling battle before every period. Here are the actual rules, from the rulebook.
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- ✓Score like basketball: a hoop, four court zones worth 1–3 points, dunks worth 2, free throws worth 1–3.
- ✓Fight like wrestling: takedowns are legal in the battle for possession — no dribbling, ever.
- ✓Wrestling scores directly: a centre-circle battle before periods two and three (2 points) and one amplitude throw per period (2 points).
- ✓Pace is enforced: a 20-second attack clock; ties go to a 5-minute extra period, then a golden period to the first score.
- ✓Two formats: 5-on-5 full court, or 3-on-3 half court — the version built for clips.
Wrestball is a full-contact team sport that combines basketball and wrestling. Teams score by throwing a ball through a hoop, but there is no dribbling, and wrestling moves are legal when battling for possession. Points come from shots — the court has four scoring zones worth 1 to 3 points, and a dunk scores 2 — and from wrestling: a centre-circle wrestling battle before the second and third periods earns the winner's team 2 points, and once per period a designated wrestler can attempt an amplitude throw (a suplex) worth 2 points if completed. A 20-second attack clock keeps play moving. It is played 5-on-5 full court or 3-on-3 half court.
Most first descriptions of Wrestball stop at "basketball meets wrestling." That's the pitch, not the rules. The rulebook is more specific — and more interesting — than the slogan, so here it is, straight.
The objective Like basketball, you win by scoring more points, and the primary way to score is throwing the ball through a hoop. Unlike basketball, there is no dribbling. The ball moves by passing and by bodies moving, and possession isn't protected by a rule — it's contested. Wrestling moves are legal when battling for the ball. The result is a sport where every play begins as a one-on-one fight for control and only then becomes a team play toward the hoop.
How points are scored By shooting. The court is divided into four scoring zones, each worth a different number of points from 1 to 3. A dunk — putting the ball into the ring from above — scores 2. Free throws are also worth 1, 2 or 3 points.
By wrestling. This is what separates the sport from a rough basketball game: wrestling puts points on the board directly. - Before the second and third periods, each team places one player who was on court at the end of the previous period into the centre circle for a wrestling battle. The winner earns 2 points for the team. - Once per period, the player designated as the wrestler may attempt an amplitude throw — a suplex, lifting the opponent fully off the ground above the waist and arcing them onto the mat. Opponents may counterattack in that moment. A completed throw scores 2.
Pace and overtime A 20-second time limit on the attack forces teams to shoot. If a game is tied at the end of regular time, a 5-minute extra period is played; if it's still tied, a golden period follows until the first score.
The formats Wrestball is played 5-on-5 on a full court, or 3-on-3 on a half court. The half-court version, with fewer bodies and constant possession battles, is the one designed for short-form video — every possession is a takedown ending in a shot.
Who made it The sport was founded by Mairbek Khostikoev, with Honore Magon as co-founder and president of the International Wrestball League. The company, Wrestball Inc., is based in Delaware, and the sport made its US television debut on ESPN in August 2025 before announcing its first national tournament — the USA Wrestball Cup 2026.
Why fight fans get it instantly Strip the hoop away and Wrestball's core is a positional fight for control — the same skill that decides possession in the cage and that wrestling systems have refined for generations. If you understand why a takedown wins an MMA round, you already understand why it wins a Wrestball possession. Which raises the obvious question: what does it take to train for it?
Basketball asks who can put the ball in the hoop. Wrestball asks who can keep the ball at all.
Sources: the official Wrestball rulebook (wrestball.com/rules) and UPI's coverage of the Cup announcement. Business angle: Wrestball's USA expansion.
FAQ
What is Wrestball in one sentence?+
A full-contact hybrid of basketball and wrestling: you score at a hoop, there's no dribbling, and wrestling moves are legal when fighting for the ball — with points awarded for shots and for wrestling techniques.
How do you score in Wrestball?+
Four ways. Shots from four court zones worth 1 to 3 points; a dunk worth 2; free throws worth 1, 2 or 3; and wrestling — winning the centre-circle battle before the second or third period (2 points) or completing an amplitude throw, a suplex, once per period (2 points).
Is dribbling allowed in Wrestball?+
No. There is no dribbling — the ball moves by passing and movement, and possession is contested with wrestling. A 20-second attack clock limits how long a team can hold the ball before shooting.
What is an amplitude throw in Wrestball?+
A suplex: a player lifts an opponent completely off the ground, above the waist, and arcs them onto the mat. The designated wrestler may attempt one per period, opponents may counterattack, and a completed throw is worth 2 points.
What happens if a Wrestball game is tied?+
A 5-minute extra period is played. If it's still tied, a golden period follows and the first team to score wins.
How many players are on a Wrestball team?+
It depends on the format: 5-on-5 on a full court, or 3-on-3 on a half court.
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