Turkish Oil Wrestling

Overview

Yağlı güreş, Turkish oil wrestling, is contested by pehlivans wearing a leather kispet (breeches) and covered in oil. This page follows the Turkish Traditional Wrestling Federation's (TGGF) Yağlı Güreş Müsabaka Talimatı (Oil Wrestling Competition Instruction), the rulebook for the Historic Kırkpınar competition and the Turkish Oil Wrestling League.

The rulebook is in Turkish. This page is a translation prepared for this site, and the Turkish text governs where they differ. Checked against the TGGF Yağlı Güreş Müsabaka Talimatı, the consolidated text including amendments up to 7 July 2025. Article numbers (Madde) below refer to it.

1. How a wrestler loses

A wrestler is beaten when their navel faces the sky. Shoulders touching the ground (a pin) isn't required (Article 27.1). The rulebook lists these positions as a loss:

• sitting with the feet apart and propping back on both hands, with the elbows bent backwards past 90 degrees
• sitting, propping on one hand and turning on the spot to prop on the other
• both elbows touching the ground
• one elbow down while the other hand props on the ground
• the back touching the ground through the opponent's move, on the ground or standing
• being carried: the opponent lifts them onto the shoulders, stands up without sagging sideways or backwards and walks three steps or turns 360 degrees
• being beaten by a gerdanlama (a neck hold) after the opponent puts a foot in front of them (Article 27.2–27.8)

Who reaches the losing position first loses. A wrestler who dives in and finishes on their back first is beaten even if they then throw the opponent over (Article 27.11–27.12).

2. Time and the scoring period

• Bouts are split into classes (boy) by age and weight. Main-period time runs from 10 minutes for the youngest to 15, 20, 25 and 30 minutes, with 30 minutes for the başaltı and baş (head) classes (Article 19.1).
• If no one has lost when the main period ends, the announcer (cazgır) calls time, a whistle stops the bout, and it goes to a scoring period (puanlama) with no time limit. The wrestler who scores a point is declared the winner (Articles 20.7, 20.17).
• A point (Article 24) is given for getting behind an opponent with complete control on three of five points (two hands, two knees, head); sitting behind them on their hips (no three-point rule); or, after a dive, the opponent's hip on the ground with one elbow touching, or the attacker placing a foot behind the opponent.
• A wrestler who flees the area without resisting gets a warning, and the opponent gets a point.
• The Federation can change or abolish the time limits for particular competitions (Article 24.5).

3. Passivity and stoppages

• Three warnings for passive wrestling means you lose, and warnings carry into the scoring period. If both wrestlers are passive, both are disqualified after three warnings (Articles 20.12, 20.14, 20.16).
• A wrestler who pins an opponent down and doesn't attack for 2 minutes is stood up (Article 23.5).
• Leave to go to the oil, water or cloth can last up to 2 minutes and is allowed at most twice a bout. Doing it to stall or rest earns a yellow card (Article 23.3–23.4).
• Injury time is up to 5 minutes (2 in the scoring period), or the wrestler is declared beaten (Article 23.6).
• A torn kispet: if the wrestler's private parts are exposed, they lose. If not, it is changed within 10 minutes and the bout continues (Articles 20.11, 27.9).

4. Cards

• Yellow card for persisting after the referee's warning with, among others, bending wrists or ankles, putting fingers in the opponent's eyes, ears, nose or mouth, trying to pull the opponent's kispet off with hand or foot, or arguing with or ignoring the referee (Article 26.4). Two yellow cards means a red card, removal from the bout and a one-week ban.
• Red card straight away for hitting with head, elbow or fist, slapping, biting, deliberately hitting or kicking, slamming a lifted opponent's head to the ground, or not wrestling seriously (Article 26.6).
• A wrestler must come to the ring within 15 minutes of being called: a warning in the first 5 minutes, a yellow card at 10, and a red card and disqualification at 15 (Article 26.5).

Commonly argued

• No pin is needed. The navel facing the sky is enough (Article 27.1).
• The first to go down loses even if they then throw the opponent (27.11).
• Time doesn't end a bout. It goes to a scoring period until someone scores.
• The oil isn't optional: all classes, including the youngest, are oiled (Article 28.6).
• Times can be changed. Officials may re-set the bout time in some competitions (Article 20.3).