Armwrestling Rules: A Complete Guide to Fouls and Violations

Many armwrestlers train for years, then lose their first official match to a simple foul. The reason is not a lack of strength; it is not knowing the rules. In this guide we walk through the official armwrestling rules based on World Armwrestling Federation (WAF) regulations: from the starting position and referee commands to the list of fouls and how a match is lost.

The standard starting position: what is checked before “Go”?

The referee will not start the match until all six conditions below are met:

1. The grip

Palm to palm, gripping at the base of the thumb, and the thumb knuckle must be visible. If your thumb is hidden under your opponent’s hand, the grip is illegal. The hands must be level at the index fingers and the locked hands must sit in the center of the table.

2. Elbow on the pad

The elbow must rest fully on the elbow pad, with the forearm aligned toward the center of the table.

3. Shoulders parallel to the table

Keep the shoulders flat and parallel to the table, not rotated.

4. Free hand on the peg

Your other hand must hold the peg at the side of the table. Letting go during a match earns a warning first, and a foul if you gain an advantage from it.

5. Feet

At least one foot must touch the floor before the “Go” command. Wrapping a foot around the table leg or bracing it on your other foot is allowed.

6. Safety distances

There must be a hand’s width of space between each athlete’s shoulder and forearm, and also between the chin and the hand.

Referee commands

• Ready… Go! starts the match. Any movement before “Go” counts as a false start.
• Stop! ends the match. The referee raises the winner’s hand.
• Shoulder! is a warning for a dangerous shoulder position.

How is a win recorded?

The official definition of a pin is precise: any part of the natural line of the wrist to the fingertips touches the touch pad or goes below it. The whole hand does not need to lie flat; the wrist reaching the pad level is enough. There is no time limit unless the referee stops the match.

The list of fouls

False start

Any movement of the shoulder, arm, hand or fingers before the “Go” command.

Lifting the elbow off the pad

If the elbow lifts vertically off the pad, or slides outside the pad’s edges while moving on the back of the arm or forearm.

Slipping out

Lifting the fingers, making a fist, or pulling the fingers into the opponent’s hand. If slipping repeats, the referee uses a strap and the two hands are bound together.

Illegal grip

Moving your hand while the referee is adjusting the grip, or not being ready within the 30-second grip-setting window.

Dangerous position and pressure from behind

Shoulder crossing the center line, excessive pressure from behind, or the shoulder dropping below the elbow pad level. Beyond the penalty, this is the most common cause of serious armwrestling injuries.

Letting go of the peg

A warning first, and a foul if any advantage was gained.

The two-foul rule

The penalty system is stepped: two warnings equal one foul and two fouls lose that match. So an athlete can lose purely on fouls, without ever being pinned.

How to prepare for an official competition

Knowing the rules is step one; step two is training under the same conditions. Check the exact table dimensions in our standard armwrestling table guide, and if you are new to the sport, start with armwrestling for beginners. If you want a goal-driven plan for competition, you can get a custom training plan.

Source: official World Armwrestling Federation (WAF) regulations. Local competitions may differ in the details; get the rules of each event from its organizer before you compete.