Wrestling drills for 11, 12, 13 and 14 year olds (12U and 14U)
What 11 to 14 year olds can practice at home: drills the app opens at this age, games to make them fun, and USA Wrestling's 12U and 14U divisions, how long their matches are, and the skin checks that keep the mat safe.
By Coach Evan Waechtler Youth coach (U11, Cache Valley, Utah) and founder of SSTracker Updated October 30, 2026
USA Wrestling places children by birth year in two-year divisions (8U, 10U, 12U, 14U), so a division holds children of two or three ages in a season.
At 11 to 14
The age at a glance
- Divisions
- USA Wrestling's 12U and 14U divisions, by birth year: for the 2027 season, 12U is born 2015-2016 and 14U is born 2013-2014.
- Matches
- Folkstyle championship matches at 12U and 14U are a one-minute period and two 1:30 periods, consolation matches three one-minute periods; freestyle and Greco-Roman are two two-minute periods with 30 seconds of rest.
- Skin checks
- Check skin routinely, not only before tournaments; a wrestler with a suspicious spot sees a doctor and stays off the mat until cleared.
- At home
- SSTracker keeps one home session for this age within 45 minutes and plans at most 4 days a week. Practice at home adds to team practice, so on a busy week use fewer home days.
28 drills
Drills for 11 to 14 year olds
Every drill here is one the app opens for 11 to 14 year olds, at the level for the age. Each page has the steps, a diagram where the setup can be drawn, three ways to make it a game and a practice log to print.
Conditioning
Escapes & Reversals
Stance & Motion
Pinning
Riding & Control
A week to start with
A free week of wrestling at home
- 1Escapes & Reversals at home20 min
- 2Riding & Control at home20 min
- 3Conditioning: Stance Motion Intervals15 min
Questions parents ask
Wrestling for 11 to 14 year olds: questions and answers
How long is a wrestling match for 11 to 14 year olds?
Folkstyle championship matches at 12U and 14U are a one-minute period and two 1:30 periods, consolation matches three one-minute periods; freestyle and Greco-Roman are two two-minute periods with 30 seconds of rest.
What age group do 11 to 14 year olds wrestle in?
USA Wrestling's 12U and 14U divisions, by birth year: for the 2027 season, 12U is born 2015-2016 and 14U is born 2013-2014.
How do you keep 11 to 14 year olds safe from skin infections?
Check skin routinely, not only before tournaments; a wrestler with a suspicious spot sees a doctor and stays off the mat until cleared.
How long should 11 to 14 year olds practice wrestling at home?
SSTracker keeps one home session for this age within 45 minutes and plans at most 4 days a week. Practice at home adds to team practice, so on a busy week use fewer home days.
Free for families and teams
Save this plan to your child or team, free
Sign up and the free wrestling week for 11 to 14 year olds opens in your child's planner, kept to healthy limits for the age, with progress your child sees against their own start. Coaches can send the same drills to the whole team as homework.
14 days free for a family, no card · Running a team is always free
Does your child's coach know about this?
An email from you to the coach, with the words ready. Nothing is tracked and nobody is rewarded.