Age categories
The age categories are as follows:
| Catagory | Age | |
| Schoolboys | 14-15 years (from 13 with medical and parental certificate) |
| Cadets | 16-17 years (from 15 with medical and parental certificate) |
| Juniors | 18-20 years (from 17 with medical and parental certificate) |
| Seniors U 23 | 19-23 years (from 18 with medical and parental certificate) |
| Seniors | 20 years and older |
| Veterans | older than 35 years |
Wrestlers in the junior age category are allowed to participate in the competitions for seniors. However, wrestlers aged 18 in the year concerned must provide a medical certificate and parental authorisation. Wrestlers aged 17 in the year in question may not participate in senior competitions.
Age will be verified at all Championships and competitions during the accreditation.
For the Senior Under 23 years old Championships, the Senior rules and weight categories are used.
An honour certificate for each participant will be issued by the President of the National Federation attesting to the age of the wrestler; this certificate must be drawn up in accordance with the model supplied by UWW, on the National Federation's letterhead.
A wrestler may participate in a competition only under the nationality appearing on his licence. If, at any time, it is determined by UWW that the statement was false and that fraud occurred, the disciplinary measures provided for to this end will be immediately applied against the National Federation, the wrestler and the person whose signature appears on the fraudulent certificate.
Wrestlers who wish to change their nationality must refer to the procedure described in the International Regulations for the change of nationality. Wrestlers can change their nationality only once. Once the procedure for the change of nationality is completed they are not entitled to compete for their former country anymore or for any other country in a UWW official competition.
Each licenced wrestler who participates in a competition automatically agrees to UWW to use his filmed or photographed image for the promotion of the competition or of competitions to come. If a wrestler refuses to agree to these conditions, he will have to make this clear at the entry stage and, may therefore be excluded from the competition.
Weight categories
The weight categories for Men's Freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling are as follows (in kilograms):
| SENIORS | SENIORS | SENIORS | SENIORS | |
| (Freestyle) | (Greco Roman) | (Freestyle Olympic categories*) | (Greco Roman Olympic categories*) |
| 1. 57 | 1. 59 | 1. 57 | 1. 59 |
| 2. 61 | 2. 66 | 2. 65 | 2. 66 |
| 3. 65 | 3. 71 | 3. 74 | 3. 75 |
| 4. 70 | 4. 75 | 4. 86 | 4. 85 |
| 5. 74 | 5. 80 | 5. 97 | 5. 98 |
| 6. 86 | 6. 85 | 6. 125 | 6. 130 |
| 7. 97 | 7. 98 |
| 8. 125 | 8. 130 |
* Including Olympic Games Qualifying tournaments
| SCHOOLBOYS | CADETS | JUNIORS | |
| 1. 29-32 kg | 1. 39-42 kg | 1. 46-50 kg |
| 2. 35 kg | 2. 46 kg | 2. 55 kg |
| 3. 38 kg | 3. 50 kg | 3. 60 kg |
| 4. 42 kg | 4. 54 kg | 4. 66 kg |
| 5. 47 kg | 5. 58 kg | 5. 74 kg |
| 6. 53 kg | 6. 63 kg | 6. 84 kg |
| 7. 59 kg | 7. 69 kg | 7. 96 kg |
| 8. 66 kg | 8. 76 kg | 8. 96-120 kg |
| 9. 73 kg | 9. 85 kg |
| 10. 73-85 kg | 10. 85-100 kg |
The weight categories for Women's Wrestling are as follows (in kilograms):
| SENIORS | SENIORS | |
| (Women's Wrestling) | (Women's Wrestling - Olympic categories*) |
| 1. 48 | 1. 48 |
| 2. 53 | 2. 53 |
| 3. 55 | 3. 58 |
| 4. 58 | 4. 63 |
| 5. 60 | 5. 69 |
| 6. 63 | 6. 75 |
| 7. 69 |
| 8. 75 |
* Including Olympic Qualifying tournaments
| SCHOOLGIRLS | CADETS | JUNIORS | |
| 1. 28-30 kg | 1. 36-38 kg | 1. 40-44 kg |
| 2. 32kg | 2. 40kg | 2. 48kg |
| 3. 34kg | 3. 43kg | 3. 51kg |
| 4. 37kg | 4. 46kg | 4. 55kg |
| 5. 40kg | 5. 49kg | 5. 59kg |
| 6. 44kg | 6. 52kg | 6. 63kg |
| 7. 48kg | 7. 56kg | 7. 67kg |
| 8. 52kg | 8. 60kg | 8. 67-72 kg |
| 9. 57kg | 9. 65kg |
| 10. 57-62 kg | 10. 65-70 kg |
Each contestant deemed to be taking part of his/her own free will, and responsible for himself/herself, shall be allowed to compete in only one weight category: the one corresponding to his weight at the time of the official weigh-in. For categories in the senior age group, competitors may opt for the next higher category than their body weight, except for the heavy weight category, for which contestants must weigh over 97kg for Men's Freestyle, 98 kg for Greco Roman and over 69kg for Women's Wrestling.
Competitions International competitions for the various age categories are as follows:
| Category | Age | |
| Schoolboys 14-15 years | International competitions | (bilateral and regional) |
| Cadets 16-17 years | International competitions |
| " | Continental Championships | (each year) |
| " | World Championships |
| Juniors 18-20 years | International competitions |
| " | Continental Championships | (each year) |
| Seniors U23 | World Championships | (each year) |
| (19-23 years) | Continental Championship | (each year) |
| Seniors 20 and older | International competitions |
| " | Continental Championships | (each year) |
| " | Nations' Continental Cups | (each year) |
| " | World Championships | (each year, except Olympic year) |
| " | World Cups | (each year) |
| " | Golden Grand Prix | (each year) |
| " | Challenge match | (upon request) |
| " | Super Stars matches | (upon request) |
| " | Olympic Games | (every four years) |
| Veterans 35 and older | Competitions according to the programme | (each year) |
| Categories, and specific regulations |