SFT

1. Standard
a] The standard wrestling match (or 'one fall match') involves two wrestlers attempting to win the match through either pinfall or submission while not getting disqualified, or "counted out"—caught outside of the ring for a referee's count of 10 or 20, depending on the companies' rules.

b] In matches where championships are being contested, the champion typically (but not always) retains the title in the event of a disqualification or countout finish, no matter which competitor was disqualified or counted out in what is known as the "champion's advantage". Commentators and bookers generally explain it as saying the challenger "must beat" the champion. Playing into this, some storylines have heel champions protect their titles by intentionally losing in such ways.

c] Some of the most common variations on the singles match restrict the possible means for Defeat: only pinfalls are permitted in a Pin only or Pinfall match, only submissions in a Submission match, etc. Another variation is a Time Limit match in which a match is contested until a time limit is reached or a wrestler achieves victory; in the event of the former, a separate method (audience reaction, "judges", or even a rematch) is used to determine the winner. Time Limit matches were invented during the vaudeville days of professional wrestling as a way to stop matches that lasted well into hours. A Battle of Respect is often held in tribute to another wrestler, where all means of victory are removed (that is, wrestlers simply wrestle each other for a fixed amount of time, without victory taken into consideration).

2. Standard Tag Team
a] Just like a standard match except you have 2 wrestlers on a team. 1 wrestler from each tag team starts the match and they must tag in their partner. There are countouts and disqualifications. Win via pinfall or submission.

b] Variations are 6 man tag team matches or tornado tag team matches where all participants are battling at the same time, whether in or out of the ring.

5. Empty Arena
a] An Empty Arena match is a hardcore match between two or more wrestlers which takes place in an arena void of fans. The only people present are the competitors, referee, and cameramen. The match is broadcast, or videotaped and played later. Empty arena matches are rare, and usually accompany other, filled-arena matches, due to the cost of renting an arena and not selling tickets.

6. Falls Count Anywhere
a] A Falls Count Anywhere match is a match where only pinfalls can take place in any location, negating the standard rule that they must take place inside the ring and between the ropes. As such, this also eliminates the usual "countout" rule. As the match may take place in various parts of the arena, the "Falls Count Anywhere" provision is almost always accompanied with a "No Disqualification" stipulation to make the match a hardcore match, so as to allow wrestlers the convenience to use any objects they may find wherever they wrestle.

b] A variation of the rules state that once a pinfall takes place, the pinned wrestler will lose the match if he is unable to return to the ring within a specific amount of time—usually a referee's count of 10 or 30. If the pinned wrestler makes it to the ring in this time, the match continues. Under these rules, all pinfalls must take place outside of the ring, technically making the match no longer falls count anywhere. Occasionally, this stipulation is listed as having a specific territory in which falls count, (e.g. the state, county, or general location the match is in)

c] A new variation on the stipulation, Submissions Count Anywhere, which is similar to the Falls Count Anywhere match but in this you must win by submission.

7. Flag
a] The Flag match is essentially the professional wrestling version of capture the flag. For the match two flags are placed on opposite turnbuckles, each representing a specific wrestler or team of wrestlers, and the object of the match is to retrieve the opponent's flag and raise it while defending the flag in the wrestler's corner

b] An anthem match is a variant of a Flag match with the added stipulation that the national anthem of the winning wrestler's or team's home country will be played in the arena after the match

8. Handicap
a] A Handicap match is any match where one wrestler or team of wrestlers face off against a team of wrestlers with numerical superiority such as two against one, or three against two. In some two-on-one handicap matches the team with superior numbers act under tag team rules, with one person in the ring at a time. In others, such as tornado matches, all competitors are in the ring at the same time.

10. Lumber Jack
a] A Lumberjack match is a standard match with the exception that the ring is surrounded by a group of wrestlers not directly involved in it. These wrestlers, known collectively as lumberjacks—or sometimes lumberjills when they're female—are there to prevent the wrestlers in the match from fleeing the ring. The groups of lumberjacks are typically split up into groups of faces and heels who occupy opposing sides around the ring. Usually, the "opposing" lumberjacks (that is, face lumberjacks if the wrestler is a heel, and vice versa) swarm the wrestlers if they leave the ring and force them back in it. Occasional interference from the lumberjacks is not uncommon, nor is an all-out brawl on the outside involving most of the lumberjacks. Early lumberjack matches even featured the lumberjacks wearing stereotypical lumberjack clothing in keeping with the lumberjack theme, though this is generally no longer done.

b] Variation of this match include the "Canadian" Lumberjack match, in which the lumberjacks are equipped with leather straps, the "Extreme" Lumberjack match, competed under Extreme Rules, and the TNA's "Fan's Revenge" Lumberjack match, during which fans equipped with straps act as lumberjacks and are encouraged to whip wrestlers.

11. (Move)
a] A [move] match is a match where the first wrestler to perform a specific move is the winner.[11] The move is usually a signature move of both wrestlers involved, in which case a stipulation can be added that the loser is no longer allowed to use the move—or on the case of large wrestlers a generic move (e.g. bodyslam) that is notoriously hard to perform on both wrestlers. The match usually takes the name of the target move (e.g. Chokeslam challenge, Bodyslam match) or is more generalized to "Finisher Match" if both wrestlers are trying to perform their finisher to win.

12. Scaffold
a] A Scaffold match takes place, in whole or in part, on a piece of scaffolding erected above the ring. The match can end in one of two ways; either with the losing wrestler falling off of the scaffold to the ring below, or with a wrestler retrieving a flag from the opposite side of the scaffold and return it to his own.[13] Scaffold matches have a legitimate air of danger about them, as the bump from such a height is hard to protect against and objects such as chipboard tables are placed in the ring to attempt to cushion the fall.

b] Elevation X, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's variation of the scaffold match, has two scaffolds placed above the ring intersecting to form an "X", with the only way to lose being to fall from the structure

13. Special Referee
a] Any time a usual referee is replaced with someone unusual for a specific reason, it is referred to as a Special Referee or Special Guest Referee match. The special referee is often a celebrity, a manager, or another wrestler—with the latter sometimes showing a bias for or against a competitor.

b] A Special Outside Referee, also known as Special Enforcer or Special Guest Enforcer; is someone charged with the task of keeping interference out of the match

14. Bra and Panties
a] A bra and panties match is so named because it takes place between any amount of female competitors with the winner being the first to strip her opponent down to her undergarments. An evening gown match ends the same way, but instead of the women starting out the match in regular clothing or ring attire they begin in evening gowns.

16. Barbed Wire Steel Cage
a] A barbed wire steel cage match is one of any number of matches that uses strands of barbed wire in some capacity. Simply using barbed wire in an otherwise regular hardcore match does not make the match a barbed wire match; the barbed wire must be part of the match's design. A No Rope Barbed Wire Deathmatch is when the regular ring ropes are removed from the ring and the barbed wire is strung up in their place

19. First Blood
a] A First Blood match is a no-disqualification match where in order to win a wrestler has to make his opponent bleed. Or, rather, depending on the nuances of the promotion and the angle surrounding the match, the first person to bleed loses, regardless of source. In a variation called Sadistic Madness the opponent must be bleeding before a wrestler can legally pin them

20. Last Man Standing
a] The Last Man Standing match is a hardcore-style match where the only way to win is by knockout. That is, a wrestler will lose the match if they are unable to answer a ten-count after being downed, similar to the knockout ruling of a boxing match. In order to avoid losing, the downed wrestler must be on his or her feet by the count of 10. A similar type of match is the Texas Death match, where a wrestler must be pinned or forced to submit before the referee will begin the ten-count

22. No Disqualification
a] A No Disqualification match, also known as a No Holds Barred match,[40] or sometimes as a Raven's Rules match, is a match where neither wrestler can be disqualified, allowing for weapons and outside interference. The key differences between a No Disqualification match and a standard hardcore match are that falls must be made in the ring, there is less emphasis on the use of weapons, and often the Count-Out rule is still in effect for No Disqualification matches

26. Retirement
a] A Retirement match is any match where, should a wrestler lose, they are forced out of the company. The "retirement" stipulation can be applied to just one wrestler or both wrestlers in a match can be wrestling for their careers. Further still is a more legitimate retirement match, the last match of a (usually "legendary") wrestler's career. In this case it's designed to be a last hurrah, showcasing the wrestler's talent one last time for their fans.

27. Backstage Brawl
a] A Backstage Brawl is a multi-competitor match held in a backstage. During the match wrestlers are encouraged to use anything backstage while fighting, and the "last man standing" is declared winner. Wrestlers can be eliminated from the match both by the standard pinfall and submission method of victory or by simply becoming too bloody to continue the match.[54] A one on one Backstage Brawl is basically a no disqualification match held in a backstage or a backstage setup.

29. Parking Lot Brawl
a] Two types of matches take place in parking lots, the Parking Lot Brawl and the Iron Circle match. They're essentially the same thing, two wrestlers fighting in a parking lot, the major difference being the Iron Circle match takes place in the middle of a multitude of cars parked in a circle with their headlights on, while the Parking Lot Brawl tends to be in a sparser location.

30. Casket
a] Some matches have a casket near the ring, with the object of the match being to trap the opposing wrestler in it.[59] Originally, the winner would have to score a pinfall, and then trap the opponent in the casket.

b] These matches are often fought using hardcore rules, or at the very least rules that allow wrestlers to do more without being disqualified. In team matches, an entire team typically has to be placed in the casket to lose. In some cases, the restrained wrestler must be taken past a certain point ringside in order for a victory

31. Weapons
a] Though the use of foreign objects is illegal under the standard rules of professional wrestling, some match types have been devised to allow in specific objects under certain conditions. The object in question is usually related to one or both of the wrestlers gimmicks or was in some way instrumental in the angle that led to the match taking place. In either case, the matches generally take the name of the weapon being used ("Singapore Cane match", "Nightstick match").

33. King of the Mountain
a] The King of the Mountain match is described as a "reverse ladder match". Instead of retrieving an object hanging above the ring, the winner is the first person to use a ladder to hang a championship belt above the ring—after having scored a pinfall or submission (pinfalls count anywhere) to earn the right to try. A wrestler who has been pinned or forced to submit must spend two minutes in a penalty box

35. Object on a Pole
a] The [Object] on a Pole match—whose name is usually derived from the object being hung; i.e. "Brass knuckles on a Pole", "Steel Chair on a Pole", "Singapore Cane on a Pole"—is the spiritual forebear of the ladder match. In this case an object is placed on a pole that extends from one of the four turnbuckles on the ring with the wrestlers battling to reach it first. Unlike the ladder match, however, reaching the object doesn't usually end the match; it simply allows that wrestler to use it as a weapon.[65] This is not a no-disqualification match; the weapon on the pole is merely an exception to the disqualification rule

36. Strap
a] A Strap match, known by many names and done with many slight variations, is any match where the competitors are placed on the opposite ends of a restraint to keep them in close physical proximity. By definition the strap—and anything tied to it—are considered legal and in play weapons. The most common rule for victory is for one wrestler to have to go around the ring, touching all four corners in order and without stopping, although they can also end in pinfalls. Because of the strap's legality, and subsequent use as a choking device, submissions are generally not allowed

b] The Strap match is one of the most varied forms of professional wrestling match type, both in name and implements used, with the name used generally coming from the implement used and one or both of the participants gimmicks (i.e. Russian Chain match, Indian Strap match, Samoan strap match). Common restraints include a belt, bullrope (length of rope with a cow bell in the center), steel chains, one to two foot "leash", or leather strap. In the dog collar variation, the wrestlers are connected at the neck by dog collars

37. Table
a] A Tables match is a match in which to win a wrestler must put their opponent through a table—that is, a wrestler must use some offensive maneuver on their opponent that causes them to contact and break the table

b] Tables matches can be contested with tag teams, under both elimination and one "fall" rules. A more "extreme" version, the Flaming Table match requires the tables be set aflame before an opponent is put through it for it to count towards a win. Another variation is the two out of three tables match. There is also another type called the three table showdown which can only be won when one wrestler puts his opponent through three tables but it does not have to be at the same time

39. Cage
a] Cages are one of the oldest form of enclosures used in professional wrestling and one of the most violent matches. According to some historians, the first "cage match" of any kind took place on June 25, 1937 in Atlanta, Georgia. This match took place in a ring surrounded by chicken wire, in order to keep the athletes inside and any potential interference out of the action. They have evolved a great deal over time, changing from chicken wire to steel bars to chain-link fencing (the latter is now the standard, due to it being cheaper to manufacture, lighter to transport, and more flexible and thus safer for the wrestlers).

b] A steel cage match is a match fought within a cage formed by placing sheets of mesh metal around, in, or against the edges of the wrestling ring. The way to win a steel cage match are as followed; either pinfall, submission, or by escaping the cage (over the top or through the door) and having both feet touch the arena floor

40. Hell in a Cell
a] The Hell in a Cell match type is a match where the ring is surrounded by a steel chain link fence cage structure, with a roof. In this type of match there are no countouts and no disqualifications. The only way to win this match is by pinfall or submission. This match type is seen on rare occasions since it is famous for its brutality and potential to end careers. This match is usually seen in World Wrestling Entertainment. The cage door is closed and lock with a chain and a padlock during this type of match, but there are Hell in a Cell matches on record where superstars have fought outside the cage, and on one occasion a superstar was pinned outside the cage. Starting in 2010, WWE holds a PPV in the month of October named "Hell in a Cell" which features this match as it main attractions.

44. Elimination Chamber
a] The Elimination Chamber is a large, circular steel cage which surrounds the ring entirely, including creating a grated floor area on the apron. Inside the cage, at each turnbuckle, is a clear "pod" where four of the six competitors in the match must wait to be released to join the two who start at the opening bell. As the name implies, wrestlers are eliminated one-by-one until only one remains. An Extreme Elimination Chamber is where a weapon was given to each wrestler waiting in a pod. The metal is black and the chambers are made of 'bulletproof' glass. The chamber is 36 feet (11 m) in diameter and is composed of 16 tons of steel and 2 miles (3.2 km) of chain.

46. Punjabi Prison
a] The Punjabi Prison match, named after the Punjab region that The Great Khali (the match's 'founder') is billed from, consists of two large bamboo cages. The first being four sided and standing 16 feet (4.8 m) tall, while the second has eight sides and stands 20 feet (6 m) surrounding the first

b] The inner cage has a four foot (1.2 m) by four foot door on each of its sides, with a referee standing by to open them at a wrestler's request. Each door may only be opened once and is only allowed to remain open for sixty seconds, after which it is padlocked. Should all four doors end up locked before the wrestlers escapes, they are forced to climb out over the top, where the bamboo is fashioned into spikes. Between the two cages are sometimes placed two tables, upon which are weapons (both "medieval" and "bamboo" variations of standard wrestling weapons). Once a wrestler has escaped the first cage, they must climb over and out of the second cage, with the first wrestler having both of their feet touch the arena floor being declared the winner

47. War Games
a] Sometimes suffixed with the tagline "The Match Beyond", the War Games match features two rings surrounded by an enclosed steel cage (with a roof) with two teams (or sometimes three) facing one another. One man from each team starts out with another from either team at random entering the cage via a timed interval. The winning team must get a member of another team to submit after all members of each team are in the cage

48. Xscape
a] The Xscape match is featured annually at the Lockdown all-steel-cage pay-per-view in April. This variation of the Lockdown Match has 4–6 competitors and is a two stage process. The first stage is a standard pin/submission elimination contest, with eliminated wrestlers leaving the cage through the door until there are only two wrestlers left. The last two competitors then face off; the only way to win at this stage is to climb out of the cage all the way to the floor.