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Next event: NOLA Beach Brawl · October 24 · Coconut Beach, LA Event info
Two wrestlers lock up in a blue ring by the water

About us

We bring wrestling to the sand

USA Beach Wrestling is growing beach wrestling across the United States, from first-timers on the sand to athletes chasing a spot on Team USA.

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Who we are

Home of beach wrestling in the U.S.

We run events, keep score all season and help the best on the sand reach Team USA.
Events

Tournaments on the sand

Beach events across the country, from the Tour of America Series to the Beach Nationals.

Rankings

Every point counts

Placings earn ranking points in every weight class, so you can see where you stand all season.

Team USA

A path to the world stage

The 2026 Carolina Beach Nationals was the qualifying event for the U.S. U17 and U20 Beach World Teams.

Gear

Rep the sand

Official shorts, rashguards and hats, built for the sand.

The sport

Beach wrestling in numbers

Ring
7m
A circle of sand, 7 meters across.
Bout
3min
One period on your feet. No breaks.
To win
3pts
First to 3 points takes the bout.
Weight classes
8
Four for men and four for women in Senior and U20.
How it works

How to win a bout

One 3-minute period on your feet, in a 7 meter ring of sand. No mat, no shoes, no ground wrestling.
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+1

Down

Bring any part of your opponent's body to the sand, except the hands.

+1

Out

Push any part of your opponent's body out of the ring.

+3

Back

Expose your opponent's back to the sand during a takedown or throw. One of these wins the bout.

3pts

To win

First to 3 points wins. Level when time runs out? The last point scored decides it.

YouOpponent

Wrestle barefoot in shorts or a swimsuit, with no jewelry and long hair tied back. If nobody has scored after 1:30, the referee calls one wrestler passive, and that wrestler has 30 seconds to score or gives up a point. New in 2026: no knee on the sand when you attack. Source: UWW Beach Wrestling rules, March 2026.

What we run

Events, nationals and Team USA

Series

Tour of America Series

Our event series, proudly outfitted by Brute.

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National championship

Beach Nationals

USA Wrestling's national championship on the sand, first held in Florida in 2006. The 2026 edition was on August 15 in Huntington Beach, CA. The Carolina Beach Nationals in May picked the U.S. U17 and U20 World Teams.

2026 results

International

Team USA

U17 and U20 Beach World Championships, the Beach World Series and the Youth Olympic Games.

International calendar

Our story

How beach wrestling got here

Wrestling on sand goes back to Roman soldiers training on Mediterranean beaches. The modern sport is much younger.

WorldUSA

  1. 2004

    Rules

    One set of rules

    FILA, now United World Wrestling, writes the international rules that bring the many styles of wrestling on sand together.

  2. 2006

    Firsts

    First world championships and first U.S. Nationals

    The first Beach Wrestling World Championships are held in Antalya, Turkey. The same year, the first U.S. Beach Nationals are held in Florida.

  3. 2018

    World Series

    A world tour for the sand

    United World Wrestling launches the Beach Wrestling World Series. The first stop is in Turkey in October.

    5World Series stops a year today

  4. 2019

    Multi-sport

    World Beach Games

    Beach wrestling is on the program at the first ANOC World Beach Games in Doha, Qatar.

  5. 2023

    First gold

    First U.S. Senior gold

    Eliana Bommarito wins the +70 kg title at the World Series stop in Constanta, Romania. It is the first gold for a U.S. Senior at a UWW beach event.

  6. 2024

    Nationals

    The Nationals go west

    After 18 years on the East Coast, the U.S. Beach Nationals move to Huntington Beach, CA.

    250+wrestlers from nearly 25 states

  7. 2026

    Youth Olympic Games

    Beach wrestling at the Youth Olympics

    Beach wrestling is the only wrestling style at the Youth Olympic Games. At home, Brute becomes title sponsor of the Tour of America.

    Nov 7-8Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal

Tour of America

Where we wrestle

Tour of America stops run from coast to coast. At every stop, athletes of all ages earn points toward the Tour of America rankings.
Stops
16
States
15
Tour stopState with a stop
  1. Summer Beach Throw DownIlwaco, WANew
  2. NorCal ChampionshipsPacifica, CA
  3. U.S. Beach NationalsHuntington Beach, CA
  4. Fargo BeachFargo, ND
  5. Texas Beach Wrestling Open ChampionshipsCorpus Christi, TX
  6. Midwest Beach NationalsLake of the Ozarks, MO
  7. Glory in the SandDavenport, IANew
  8. NOLA Beach BrawlCoconut Beach, LA
  9. Chicago Day at the BeachChicago, IL
  10. Nashville, TN
  11. Kentucky State Open and State DualsLouisville, KY
  12. Toledo, OHNew
  13. Carolina Beach NationalsCarolina Beach, NC
  14. Summer eventsGeorgiaNew
  15. New YorkNew
  16. MassachusettsNew

Stops announced for the 2026 season by USA Beach Wrestling. More are added during the year.

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Who it's for

From 4 to 80

Beach wrestling needs little gear, bouts are fast, and anyone can enter. At the 2026 Carolina Beach Nationals, wrestlers from age 4 to 80 signed up.
We're seeing more athletes, better matches, and more opportunities to compete at a high level.
Mike ClarkGold, 35+ 80 kg, 2026 Open Masters Games in Abu Dhabi

4Youngest

  1. Youth6U to Junior

    Kids wrestle in age-group brackets, so they face wrestlers their own age.

  2. U15, U17, U20International age groups

    Teens wrestle the UWW weight classes. U15 joined the Carolina Beach Nationals in 2026.

  3. Senior20 and older

    Beach wrestling sharpens your stand-up wrestling and makes useful training for football, BJJ and MMA.

  4. MastersA to F

    Quick, low-impact matches with friends at the beach. U.S. Masters won gold and silver at the 2026 Open Masters Games.

80Oldest

Looking ahead

Beach wrestling is now entering a decisive year on its path toward recognition as an Olympic-style discipline.
Oyan NazarianiUWW Beach Committee member, in a guest post for USA Beach Wrestling, January 2026
Read the post

Partners

Put your name on the sand

Brands, clubs and venues: work with us to put more athletes on the beach.

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