March 20, 2025 | Cowboy Wrestling

At the NCAA Championships, a wrestler accumulates points for his team through three different avenues. Here is a closer look at those point opportunities: 

Advancement Points

• One team point is awarded for each match won in the championship bracket and half a point in the consolation bracket.
• For those who receive a bye, one point is awarded in the championship bracket and half a point in the consolation bracket if that wrestler wins in the next immediate round.
• Advancement points are not awarded in the placement matches.

• Placement PointsTeam points are awarded for a wrestler earning an All-America finish. The final team scoring for each individual placement:
• 16 team points for first
• 12 team points for second
• 10 team points for third
• 9 team points for fourth
• 7 team points for fifth
• 6 team points for sixth
• 4 team points for seventh
• 3 team points for eighth
• Team points are awarded as soon as they are secured. For example, a wrestler in the finals will have the 12 points for second place already included in the team score. If he wins, then he would earn four more team points for the first-place finish plus 1, 1.5 or 2.0 points if he were to win with bonus points.

• Bonus PointsIn addition to advancement and placement points, wrestlers also earn extra team points through individual bonus-point efforts. The team scoring for each type of match result:
• Two team points for a fall, forfeit, default, disqualification and flagrant misconduct
• One and a half team points for a technical fall
• One team point for a major decision
• No extra team points for a decision

 The NCAA Championships are set for March 20-22 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. Every second of the action can be seen through ESPN’s family of networks.