| Term | Definition | |
| BASIC VOCABULARY | Every member of the refereeing body must be perfectly familiar with and apply the vocabulary set out below. This vocabulary constitutes the official means of communication between members. |
| SALUT | The wrestlers must greet each other. |
| START | The invitation to the wrestlers standing at opposite corners of the mat to step to the centre to be examined and shake hands. After this, they will return to their respective corners and await the referee's whistle calling on them to begin wrestling. |
| CONTACT | The referee calls upon the wrestler to place both his hands on the back of his opponent, who is underneath on the ground. Wrestlers in the standing postition must assume body-to-body contact. |
| OPEN | The wrestler must alter his position and adopt more open wrestling tactics. |
| DAWAI | The referee encourages the wrestlers to wrestle more actively. |
| ATTENTION | The referee warns the passive wrestler before requesting a caution for refusal to assume the correct par terre position. |
| ACTION | The wrestler must execute the hold that he has initiated. |
| HEAD UP | The wrestler must raise his head. This order is given by the referee in the case of repeated attacks by a wrestler who thrusts his head forward. |
| LEG | The wrestler has committed a leg error (Greco-Roman) |
| POSITION | Initial position of the wrestlers on the ground (or in ordered contact in Greco-Roman wrestling), before the referee blows his whistle. |
| A TERRE | The bout is resumed in the par terre position. |
| PLACE | By striking the mat with his hand and at the same time pronouncing the word place the referee reminds the wrestlers not to flee the mat. |
| DANGER | The danger position. |
| FAULT | An illegal hold or violation of the technical rules. |
| STOP | Stopping of the bout. |
| ZONE | This word must be announced in a loud voice if the wrestlers enter the red zone. |
| CONTINUE | The bout must be resumed upon this order by the referee. The referee also uses this word to have the wrestling continued if the wrestlers stop due to confusion and look at him as if they are asking for an explanation. |
| TIME OUT | When one of the wrestlers stops wrestling, intentionally or because of injury or any other reason, the referee will use this expression to ask the timekeeper to stop his watch. |
| CENTRE | The wrestlers must return to the centre of the mat and continue the bout there. |
| UP | The bout must be resumed in the standing position. |
| INTERVENTION | The judge, referee, or mat chairman call for intervention. |
| OUT | A hold applied outside the mat. |
| OK | The hold is valid (legal, correct). If the judge and mat chairman are sitting in a position that does not allow them to follow closely what is taking place on the opposite side, the referee must raise his arm to indicate whether the hold at the edge of the mat was executed within the boundaries of the mat or outside. |
| NON | This word is used to indicate that an action is not valid and is consequently void. |
| TOUCHE | This word is used to indicate that the wrestler is beaten by a fall. For a fall, the referee himself says touche, strikes the mat with his hand, and blows his whistle to indicate the end of the bout. |
| DECLARE BATTU | The decision made subsequent to a defeat by decision of the officiating team. |
| DEFEAT | The opponent is beaten. |
| DISQUALIFICATION | The disqualification is announced for unsportsmanlike conduct or brutality. |
| FIN | The end of the bout. |
| CHRONOMETRE | The timekeeper must stop or start the stopwatch on this order from the referee. |
| GONG | The sound of the gong marks the beginning and end of a bout. |
| REFEREE | The official conducting the bout on the mat. |
| JUDGE | The official who assists the referee and awards the points to the wrestlers during the bout. He is also required to note all the actions executed during the bout on his scoresheet. |
| MAT CHAIRMAN | The official responsible for a mat. He is obliged to break a tie vote between the referee and judge in case of a dispute. |
| JURY OF APPEAL | Group of refereeing experts appointed to control that the International Wrestling Rules are strictly applied in major competitions. |
| CONSULTATION | The mat chairman with the referee and judge before announcing a disqualification or decision on any matter on which there has been disagreement. |
| CHALLENGE | Action through which the coach is entitled, on behalf of the wrestler, to ask for the video review of a contested action by the officiating team. |
| CAUTION | The penalty issued by the referee to a wrestler for violation of the rules. |
| CLINIC | The referees' course. |
| PROTEST | The protest filed as a result of a decision, whatever it may be. |
| DOCTOR | The official doctor for the bout. |
| VICTORY | The referee declares the winner. |
| NO JUMP | Referee's comment to the bottom wrestler who jumps forward in order to prevent his opponent to initiate a hold. |
| ORDERED HOLD | Provision laid down in article 51. |
| SCORESHEET | Sheet on which the match results are entered. |
| ROUNDSHEET | Competition sheet on which the brackets appear. |