When the defensive wrestler is held by his opponent with his two shoulders against the mat for a sufficient time to allow the referee to observe the total control of the fall, the resulting manoeuvre is considered to be a fall. For a fall at the edge of the mat to be recognised, the competitor's shoulders must be completely in the orange zone and the head must not touch the protection area. A fall in the protection area is not valid.

If the wrestler is pinned on both shoulders as a consequence of a rule infringement or an illegal hold for which he is responsible, the fall will be considered valid for his opponent.

The fall observed by the referee will be valid if confirmed by the mat chairman. If the referee does not indicate the fall, and if the fall is valid, it may be announced with the consent of the judge and mat chairman.

Consequently, to be observed and recognised, the fall must be clearly maintained. The two shoulders of the wrestler in question must be simultaneously touching the mat during the short period of stoppage specified in the first paragraph, even in the case of a standing rear body lock and lift. In all cases, the referee will strike the mat only after he has obtained confirmation from the judge or, failing this, from the mat chairman. The referee will then blow his whistle in order to end the bout.

It will not be possible to request any challenge in case of a fall, being understood that the fall must be validated by the mat chairman following the judge or the referee's decision.