10 Tips for Table Help at Wrestling Tournaments

Posted February 7, 2025 by Prairie Wife -

Being asked to be table help at wrestling tournaments for the first time can be terrifying!

You’re in charge of scoring, timing, and recording the final result of matches…that’s a lot of pressure. And depending on the size of the tournament, you could be doing this for 8 hours and over a hundred matches. Add to that mix trying to watch your children wrestle, communicating with refs of varying degrees of experience, and wrangling grouchy parents, kids, and coaches…and you can see why it’s not something many people are willing to do.

BUT it’s the best way for people new to the sport to learn more about wrestling. It also allows you to become familiar with the wrestling community around you, AND it’s way more fun than sitting in the stands.

Before I keep going I want to add that there are a wide variety of terms used for “table help” depending on where you live. Some people call it “running tables,” being a “table worker,” or simply “the scorer,” but they all mean the same thing. I refer to it as “table help” so for the purpose of this article that’s the term we will be using.

I began being the table help at wrestling tournaments about 8, maybe 9 years ago when I had been a wrestling mom for 2 years. I still had no clue what was actually happening on the mat. I was just getting the hang of how to wrangle my crazy crew at wrestling tournaments without going home and crying from exhaustion. Wrestling clubs have to have a certain number of volunteers and help at tournaments, and I was voluntold to go to the clinic and learn how to run tables.

I was terrified, but thankfully, a great group of fellow wrestling moms took me under their wings and patiently taught me all I needed to know. At this point, I have been table help at probably over 100 tournaments, including national tournaments in Iowa and multiple High School and USA State Tournaments.

I have hit the wrong button and done so many things wrong over the years that I can fix pretty much any mistake that can be made when running tables, which is pretty helpful!

I encourage you to read my 10 tips even if you aren’t table help! If you are a parent or coach, the tips below will also help you and may prevent you from getting frustrated or overwhelmed at the next tournament you attend.

10 Tips for Table Help at Wrestling Tournaments

You Are An Official: As table help, you are considered an official at the tournament. That means you can ask coaches to move out of the way, and you can step up and support your ref when an unruly parent gets out of hand. You can tell children and adults what to do when they’re in your area (like get away from the cords and kneel down), and if someone is being rude and disrespectful to you, your ref, or the children wrestling, you have the option to remove them from the tournament. I have yet to have someone removed, but I HAVE used my words and physically stood between two people to protect my refs and control the behavior of parents and coaches. NOTE: Don’t abuse your power.
Wrestlers Must Say Their Names When They Check-In: Wrestlers must begin each match by standing in front of the table and saying their first and last names. Not the coaches, not the parents, THE WRESTLERS. I understand this is hard for some kids, but communicating clearly with adults is one of the great things kids learn how to do when wrestling.
Ask The Wrestlers To Point To Their Coaches: Tournaments are chaos, and if you add little kids from big clubs with many coaches into that mix, it’s a recipe for disaster. I ask every wrestler, even the older ones, to point to their coach when they check in. There are two reasons for this. First, that way, we know there is a coach there (you’d be amazed how many times the kids start wrestling and a frantic parent starts yelling a minute in “she has no coach”). Second, that way the wrestlers know who to look at when they need help during the match.
Be Thoughtful When Assigning Colors: When you’re table help for a Folkstyle tournament, you can change the colors assigned to the wrestlers. This may seem like a small detail, but it’s essential for the ref and your ability to score! Try to use their singlet colors, and then look and see if the color of their headgear or shoes can be helpful. When in doubt, ask the ref to pick.
The Down Arrow Stops And Starts The Timer: At first, you should have someone at the table with you running the timer and calling out scores. But, there will come a day when you find yourself all alone at the table. Use your right hand to run the mouse, and your left to stop and start the timer by hitting the down arrow on your keyboard. It makes it so much easier than using the mouse to do both.
Make Eye Contact With The Ref Before The Match/Period Begins: I always like to introduce myself to the refs I’ll be working with, and when I do, I ask them to make eye contact with me and wait for my head nod before they blow the whistle. They may think it’s okay to begin…While I have the wrong match pulled up, I am sidetracked by a parent asking a question, or I’m zoned out. That eye contact and head nod is how we let each other know we’re focused and ready to go.
Call Out The Scores: Admittedly, this makes you feel a bit silly at first, especially when someone is helping with the timer, and you’re chanting the scores simultaneously. But when a match gets crazy (I’m looking at you, my little 6U wrestlers), it’s a lifesaver to be able to stay staring at the computer and click on the scores. I recommend saying it like this: “green, takedown, 3” because it makes it easier for the table help to find the right spot on the screen.
Send Towel Tappers Out At 13 Seconds: Towel tappers are the helpers who run out and put their hands on the ref’s back to help them know when the period ends without taking their eyes off the wrestlers. Introduce yourself to your towel tapper and explain your expectations. Sit in front of the table, no messing around with friends, and run out when the clock says 13 seconds left. This gives them enough time to get to the ref before 10 seconds. Remind them to gently place their hand on the refs back at 10 seconds, count out loud from 4 seconds down to 0, and gently tap the ref with the towel at 0.
When In Doubt Check With The Ref: Running tables can be chaotic, and you’ll have many times where you make a mistake. Please don’t put a score into the computer until a ref calls it. I don’t care what the coaches and parents are yelling. And if you’re not sure if you have it right, make eye contact with the ref at the end of a period, point to the scoreboard, and have them walk over to make sure it’s right. You’re a team; take advantage of the help you have there!
Make Sure The Winner Checks In: At the end of every match, the wrestlers shake hands with their opponent, stand in the center of the mat while the winner’s arm is raised, and then shake the opposing coach’s hand. Before the winner goes to their coach to discuss the match, they must stop at the table and say their name and that they won. Please do not save the score until they do this. This has often saved me from making a big mistake (like I was scoring the wrong color/kid the entire time). Also, it goes back to kids learning to talk to adults. I also like to get a fist bump or high five and tell them good work!

As I wrote this article, I came up with about a dozen more things that have been helpful to me over the years as I’ve been table help at wrestling tournaments. But, I felt like the 10 tips above are the most beneficial to new table help!

I want to emphasize that you are not a slave when you’re helping at tables. If you need a bathroom break, time for lunch, or need to leave to watch your child wrestle, PLEASE let the head table know. You can message them on the computer or have your towel tapper run up and let them know. Just make sure you give them plenty of notice!

Questions? Concerns? Thoughts about a tip I missed?

Let me know in the comments!

More articles on wrestling:

11 Things Every New Wrestling Family Needs To Know

10 Ways You Can Support Your Female Wrestler

9 Things My Family Has Learned From Wrestling

It Wasn’t Supposed To Be Me

Will the University of Wyoming Ever Have a Women’s Wrestling Team?