What are the injury, blood, recovery and concussion rules during a match?
Rule- USA
- NFHS
- NFHS rules
- High school
- Grades 9-12
- Folkstyle wrestling
- 2026-27 season
- Coaches
| Time-out | Allowance |
|---|---|
| Injury time | Two injury time-outs per match, no more than 1:30 in total |
| Blood time | 5 minutes cumulative. If the bleeding isn't controlled in that time, the opponent wins by default. Cleanup after bleeding stops isn't counted. |
| Recovery time | 2 minutes if your wrestler is injured or (new for 2026-27) bleeding because of the opponent's illegal hold, unnecessary roughness, unsportsmanlike conduct or neutral-position false start. Not taken from injury or blood time. If your wrestler can't continue, they win by default. |
| HNC evaluation | Up to 5 minutes for a head, neck or cervical column injury, only if a physician or certified athletic trainer is present. A second HNC injury in the same match is a default. |
Concussion (8-2-4a): a wrestler showing signs, symptoms or behaviors consistent with a concussion (loss of consciousness, headache, dizziness, confusion, balance problems) must be immediately removed and may not return until cleared by an appropriate health care professional.
State laws and state association concussion protocols may add further return-to-play steps.
Added 21 Oct 2026