In professional wrestling, a pin is a move where a wrestler holds an opponent's shoulders to the mat in an attempt to score a fall. A pinfall is a common victory condition, where the attacker pins an opponent and the referee makes a three count before the opponent gets released from the pin.
Background
The origin of the pinfall is the pin from amateur wrestling, whereby pinning an opponent to the mat will result in an automatic victory despite any points scored. However, while an amateur wrestling pin need be only one or two seconds, the count in professional wrestling is based on the referee's arm gestures, regardless of how much actual time elapses, and is to three slaps of the mat.
The count is broken (usually by a near-fall) if the opponent manages to raise one or both of their shoulders off the mat, commonly by kicking out (throwing their legs up to cause their shoulders to rise from the mat). In some positions, a wrestler may bridge (arching their back so that only their feet and the top of their head are touching the ground) to put more of their weight on the pinned opponent or to prop themselves up from being pinned.
Sometimes, an attacking wrestler may hook the opponent's tights for extra leverage. Another popular illegal tactic of heel wrestlers is to attempt a pin close to the ring ropes so they can prop their legs (or on rare occasions, arms) up on the ropes to gain additional leverage, putting more weight on the opponent. On the other hand, a pinfall attempt cannot occur in the first place when one rolls out of the ring if falls do not count anywhere, or if the opponent lies on their stomach upon impact, so it would take extra effort to roll the opponent over, even when they are knocked out cold, due to the body being effectively a dead weight.
If a wrestler's shoulders are flat on the mat, even while locked in a submission hold like a figure-four leglock, it can legally be counted as a pinfall. This rule exists solely because pinfalls and submissions are separate win conditions, and the referee must call a pin whenever both shoulders are down for a three-count, regardless of the situation. Even if a wrestler is applying or enduring a submission hold, the referee's job is to check shoulders first. If they're down, the match can end by pinfall before a tap-out occurs. Wrestlers applying submissions on the mat (like triangle chokes or armbars) sometimes unintentionally put their own shoulders down, risking being pinned while trying to force a tap. Some promotions use this rule to add drama—forcing wrestlers to balance between maintaining a painful hold and protecting themselves from being pinned.
A double pin fall occurs in professional wrestling when two competitors pin each other simultaneously—usually resulting in both wrestlers having their shoulders pressed against the mat while attempting to hold the other down. This rare sequence creates instant confusion in the ring, forcing the referee to make a split-second decision or triggering a unique ruling as a draw or no contest. If the referee counts to three for both wrestlers at the exact same time, the match is officially ruled a draw. To avoid an anticlimactic finish, authorities or referees frequently order the match to be restarted on the spot. In title matches, a double pin draw means the reigning champion successfully retains their belt. Double pins can happen is numerous ways such as in attempted reversal where both wrestlers trap each other in a schoolboy, inside cradle, or small package simultaneously, high-impact running maneuvers like simultaneous crossbodies or double clotheslines that leave both competitors collapsing, each with a single arm drapped on top of one another, or Rapid momentum changes during mat-wrestling sequences where weight distribution briefly pins both sets of shoulders to the canvas. Promotions use double pin finishes sparingly to protect the competitive standing of both wrestlers and allows a heated feud to continue without either star taking a clean, definitive loss, creating an opening for a rematch.
Pinning techniques Backslide
The attacking wrestler stands back-to-back with their opponent and hooks both of the opponent's arms. They then lean forward and drop to their knees, sliding the opponent down their back so that their shoulders are against the mat and their chin is against their chest. The attacker holds the opponent's arms down with their own arms for the pin. Jack Evans uses a modified bridging jackknife hold variation of this pin as one of his finishers called the Kamikaze Damashi.
Cover Also known as a lateral press, cross press, or simply as the basic pin. With an opponent lying face-up on the mat, the attacking wrestler lies face-down across the opponent's chest to hold them down. Sometimes, when both wrestlers are exhausted or badly hurt the attacking wrestler will cover with just an arm or lie down face up rather than face down. The term floatover (when in reference to a pin) refers to an attacking wrestler using the momentum of a throw or slam they are performing to propel themselves over the opponent into the lateral press position. A variation commonly used by The Undertaker sees the wrestler get on their knees behind the opponent's head and cross the opponent's arms across their chest, similar to a corpse. This is sometimes called a "Rest In Peace" pin, though there is no official name. Another variation that was used by Kane includes the wrestler also getting on their knees behind the opponent's head and bringing the opponent's arms out and usually holding them down by the wrists, forming the opponent's body in a cross shape. This pin does not have an official name either. If multiple people are stacked, the wrestler who is on top secures the cover for all wrestlers beneath them.
Cradle The attacking wrestler lies across the opponent's chest and hooks a leg with the arm on the opposite side (left leg with right arm or right leg with left arm). Holding the leg gives the attacker greater leverage and thus makes it harder for the opponent to kick out. Not to be confused with the inside cradle.
Crucifix An attacking wrestler hooks the arms of an opponent by grapevining their legs around one arm and their arms around the other. This positions the attacking wrestler horizontally across the back of the opponent and forces the opponent's arms out like a crucifixion. The attacking wrestler then lowers their bodyweight so that the opponent is brought down to the mat backwards and is forced onto their own shoulders in a pinning position, with their legs in the air.
A variation on the standard crucifix, the crucifix bomb or crucifix driver, sees an attacking wrestler violently force their bodyweight downwards to throw the opponent into the mat with greater impact. Leon Ruff uses a rolling version of this move called "Ruff landing".
Delfin Clutch The Delfin Clutch has an attacking wrestler crossing the arms of the opponent across their own chest while they're lying on their back on the mat. The attacking wrestler then kneels down on one knee on the opponent's arms, pinning the opponent's shoulders down to the mat. The attacking wrestler then grabs the opponent's legs, crosses them, and places them under one of their armpits, bending the opponent to a pinning predicament. Innovated by Super Delfin.
Gannosuke Clutch The Gannosuke Clutch has an attacking wrestler facing the opponent, grabbing their arm, twisting it into a modified hammerlock and then performing a front somersault while holding the trapped arm in place as well as legsweeping the opponent's near leg, rolling the opponent backwards while the attacking wrestler keeps the hammerlock applied while also holding the opponent's near leg down with their own leg. This move is also known as an arm trap somersault cradle. This was innovated and popularized by Mr. Gannosuke, who named it after himself.
Gedo Clutch The Gedo Clutch has an attacking wrestler sit kneeling on the back of an opponent who is lying face down and facing the same way. The attacking wrestler then grabs the opponent's arms and lifts them over their thighs, similar to a camel clutch. The attacker then grabs hold of the opponent's head and pushes it down and forward between their legs, while the wrestler leans forward onto their stomach, flipping the opponent over onto their shoulders, with the attacker's legs pinning the opponent down to the mat. This hold is technically known as a double leg nelson. It was innovated by Gedo and used by Taichi as Taichi-shiki Gedo Clutch.
Jackknife hold The hold has the opponent wrestler lying on their back. Standing at the feet of the opponent, the attacking wrestler then lifts the opponent's legs from behind the knees. Still gripping the opponent's legs, the attacking wrestler then flips forward, over the opponent, and plants their feet on the mat while bridging the back to add leverage.
A variation of the jackknife hold, known as the figure four pin, has the attacker placing the opponent's legs in a figure four position before executing the bridge.
European Clutch
The hold is an Inverted Jacknife Pin that is used with a double pumphandle arm wringer. It is a pinning variation that is usually used after an iconoclasm. Zack Sabre Jr. uses it as his finisher.
La magistral Also referred to as la casita or as bandito, this move's technical name is arm-wrench inside cradle pin, and it is performed with the opponent on their hands and knees. From this position, the attacking wrestler stands next to the opponent's hip, grabs one arm, and applies an armbar. The attacking wrestler then steps over the arm with their inside leg so that they facing away from the opponent. The attacking wrestler continues the turning motion and dives forward over the opponent, rolling onto their side. The barred arm acts as a lever, flipping the opponent over the attacker and onto their back. The attacker hooks one or both legs as the opponent goes over and holds for the pin.
Mousetrap A modified version of La Magistral, the attacking wrestler wrenches the opponent's arm to get behind the opponent. While holding the arm, the attacker steps through the opponent's inside leg and puts the wrenched arm between the attacker's and opponent's legs. The attacker falls forward, making the opponent flip onto their back and neck in a crucifix. This leaves the opponent's inside leg and both arm hooked in the pin. Orange Cassidy uses this as one of his finishers.
Oklahoma roll Not to be confused with the O'Connor roll, which is a roll-up. The attacking wrestler stands to the side of the opponent, who is on their hands and knees. The attacker hooks one arm around the opponent's neck and one between the legs, and rolls over the opponent. The attacker lands on their back or side, and the opponent is flipped so that their shoulders are pressed against the mat.
Prawn hold Similar to a rana, except that the attacking wrestler is standing, bent over the opponent with both legs hooked, pressing their weight down. A variation also exists with the attacking wrestler bridging while the count is on. This pin is typically the result of a powerbomb.
Rana
Also known as the double leg cradle (from the original Spanish rana, meaning "frog"), is the technical term for the pinning position which results from a sunset flip or a hurricanrana.
In the sunset flip version, the opponent is lying shoulders down on the mat, almost completely flat on their back, while the wrestler applying the pin sits below the legs of the opponent and uses their own legs to cover the opponent's shoulders or arms, then hooks both legs around the opponent's thighs to force their weight down to the mat.