Awrestling singlet (or simplysinglet) is a one-piece,tight-fitting uniform, usually made ofspandex (elastane) ornylon, used inwrestling. The uniform is tight-fitting so as not to be grasped accidentally by one's opponent, and it allows the referee to see each wrestler's body clearly when awarding points or apin. Unlikejudo, it is illegal to grasp an opponent's clothing in all styles of amateur wrestling.[1]
In mosthigh school andcollegewrestling matches, the competitors wear singlets in their team colors. To designate a competitor's color for scoring purposes an anklet may also be worn.[2]
In international wrestling (freestyle andGreco-Roman), wrestlers bring a red and a blue singlet (or reversible singlet) and are told before the match which color to wear.[3]
Historically,professional wrestlers traditionally wore trunks and boots but singlets are also common among wrestlers, who usually (although not always) had an amateur background, such asBret Hart,Kurt Angle andShelton Benjamin.[4] 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.[5]
The singlet became common in college wrestling in the late 1960s and early 1970s; in fact, it had been banned by theNCAA for years. Shirtless uniforms, including trunks and tights, were common until the NCAA banned shirtless wrestling in the mid-1960s.[6]
A new style of singlet, known as adouble ordoublet, that covers more of the upper body has recently emerged in college wrestling. Made of the same spandex material, it is sleeve-like rather than the traditional thin-strap, open-chested singlet more commonly worn. This type of singlet is usually worn with accompanying tight-fitting shorts, and it is used as an alternative to the singlet for those who are uncomfortable with wearing singlets for modesty or aesthetic reasons.[7] It is currently only allowed on the college level, although there is report that some high school wrestlers use the style in practice sessions.[8]
Only with special permission are wrestlers allowed to wear T-shirts under their singlets, most commonly for sanitary reasons involving excessiveacne on the chest or back.[9]
There are three different traditionalcuts to wrestling singlets: the high, theFILA, and the low.
