What are the rules of Senegalese wrestling and other wrestling styles?

It can be found in various forms on every continent. In Senegal, no other sport, aside from football, generates as much passion. 

When discussing Senegalese wrestling, we mainly refer to wrestling with strikes, which means that using fists to unbalance and throw the opponent is allowed. A fall on the back, stomach, side, buttocks, head, or four points of contact on the ground, other than the feet, results in defeat. If no winner is determined after the 20 minutes of regulation time, the wrestler with the fewest warnings from the referee is declared the winner. A warning can be given, for example, for refusing to engage or deliberately stepping out of the circle.   In case of a tie, a 5-minute extension of combat is organized.  

But Senegalese wrestling is much more than just a sport, as when wrestling in Senegal, one prepares both physically and spiritually.  Even before the fight begins, wrestlers perform a series of gestures, dances, accompanied by songs and percussion. Marabouts, or spiritual guides, are even allowed by the regulations of the Senegalese wrestling federation to accompany them into the arena to ward off negative forces.  

At the Youth Olympic Games to be held in Dakar from October 31 to November 13, 2026, Senegalese wrestling will not be on the program, but beach wrestling will be included. 

This is the most recent discipline of United World Wrestling, the organization that oversees international wrestling competitions. Officially founded in 2004, beach wrestling will make its Olympic debut at the Youth Games in Dakar.    

In international competitions, such as the Olympics, it would be too complex and especially endless to create an event for every style of wrestling. Therefore, it is necessary to find common ground, select the most popular styles, and agree on common rules. At the Olympics, Greco-Roman wrestling and freestyle wrestling are regularly featured, and this year, at the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, beach wrestling has been chosen. 

No need to be a detective here; as the name suggests, “beach wrestling” is practiced on the sand! Just like Senegalese wrestling. The difference lies in the fact that fists are not allowed here, and the matches are shorter, lasting only 3 minutes. To win, a wrestler must score 3 points. If a wrestler manages to throw their opponent onto their back, the match stops, and that’s victory!