How to Do a Spladle in Wrestling

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Last Updated: March 12, 2020 References

The spladle is a defensive technique used in competitive freestyle wrestling. Commonly employed as a counter to a single-leg takedown, the maneuver involves trapping and splitting the opponent’s legs to effectively neutralize their offense. When pulled off correctly, the spladle can be virtually impossible to escape. Even if it doesn’t result in an immediate victory, it is sure to psych your opponent out and sap their energy, which could lead to a decisive turning point in the match.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Trapping Your Opponent's Legs

1
Drop your weight to prevent the takedown. The spladle is most often used as a defensive counter to the single leg takedown. As your opponent shoots in, bend your knees and sink your bodyweight. Lean your torso down over their back to put yourself in position to trap their leg.
- Establishing a lower center of gravity will make it much harder for them to force you backwards and give you the time you need to set up the spladle.
- Don’t kick your legs back too far in the sprawl. You need to stay close to your opponent’s legs in order to trap them. ^{[1]
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2
Thread your arm behind your opponent’s opposite leg. Take a half step back and to the side with your free leg so that you’re turned at a slight angle. Reach across the opponent’s back with your controlling hand (the one that’s on the same side as the leg targeted for the takedown) and snake it under their far-side leg. Your bicep should be resting on the inside of their thigh. ^{[2]
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- For example, if your opponent shoots for your right leg, you’ll reach with your right arm.
- Grip the front of their shin to make sure you don’t lose control of the leg in the struggle.
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3
Lock your hands. Bring your free hand around to meet your controlling hand on the backside of the opponent’s calf. Clasp your palms together tightly with your thumbs overlapping. Once you’ve got your grip secured, don’t let go. ^{[3]
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- Try to pull your opponent’s leg toward you. The closer it is to your body, the easier it will be to control.
- Don’t lace your fingers. Despite how it may feel, this is a weaker grip. It will also make it harder to adjust your hand positioning if needed.
4
Step behind your opponent’s same-side leg. Brace yourself on your support leg and slide the other between your opponent's legs. Once your foot is behind theirs, plant it firmly on the mat. This movement should be performed quickly to avoid losing your balance. ^{[4]
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- Following the example given above, you’ll be placing your right leg behind your opponent’s left leg.
- Make sure you’re keeping your center of mass square and low. If your targeted leg is off the mat, you won’t be able to get it into the correct position.
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Rolling into the Hold

1
Fall backward to initiate the roll. Drop your weight while simultaneously folding your free leg underneath you. Lean sharply to the side as your hip makes contact with the mat. Your opponent should roll all the way across your body and come down on their lower back, with their head tucked to your abdomen. ^{[5]
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- Keep a firm grip on both of your opponent’s legs throughout the roll. Otherwise, they may slip out.
- The roll is arguably the most technically difficult part of the spladle. It may take you a few tries before you start to get the hang of it.
2
Pry the opponent’s legs apart. Once you’ve got them on the mat, hug the far-side leg tight to your chest. At the same time, extend your lower body to push your opponent’s same-side leg away. This split position is what’s referred to as the “spladle.” The more separation you create, the less of a base they’ll have from which to attempt a kick-out.
- The key to the spladle is not just trapping the legs, but keeping them apart.
3
Use your free leg to pin down your opponent’s same-side leg. If your positioning allows, bring your other leg down over the top of your opponent’s so that it’s alongside your controlling leg. You’ll now have the full weight of your lower body pressing down on the trapped leg, which means they’re not going anywhere. ^{[6]
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- With their legs taken out of the equation, your opponent will only have their arms free. Furthermore, they won't be in an effective position to break the hold, since you'll be behind them.
- You may not always be able to lock in both legs, but when you do, your spladle will become virtually impossible to squirm out of.
4
Grab the opponent’s heel with your free hand. Readjust your grip on your opponent’s opposite leg so that you’re immobilizing it with your right hand. Then, wrap the fingers of your left hand around the back of their Achilles from the opposite direction. This will keep them from being able to sneak their leg out on either side. ^{[7]
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- Taking as high a hand position as possible gives you more leverage over your opponent’s leg, making it effortless to control.
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Making the Spladle More Effective

1
Plant both feet on the mat. Once you’ve successfully completed the spladle, it’s important to keep your feet anchored to the ground beneath you. This is how you create and maintain stability in the hold. Your weight should be evenly distributed over your entire foot, not just the ball or heel. ^{[8]
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- If you’re having trouble staying rooted, it may help to lift your butt just slightly. Doing so will transfer more weight to your lower legs.
2
Keep your shoulders off the mat. Rather than lying flat on your back, which puts you in danger of being your pinned yourself, turn into your opponent and scoot your hips back so that your weight is over your side. From here, you’ll be able to hold the spladle all day without fear of the counter accidentally backfiring on you. ^{[9]
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- Shifting to your side will also put you in a more expedient position to turn the hold into a pin.
- Be careful—occasionally, a judge will call a pin on the wrestler performing the spladle if their shoulders touched the mat first.
3
Transition to a pinning combination. With a few slight adjustments, the spladle can also be used to score a pin. This can be accomplished by thrusting your hips forward to force your opponent’s shoulders down closer to the mat while rolling your weight on top of them. Even if you’re unable to finish the match this way, you still stand to rack up points for a near fall. ^{[10]
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- Don’t fight for the pin if it means giving up control of your opponent’s legs. Be patient and continue to leverage your position. Eventually, you’ll either be awarded the pin or the referee will call for a restart.
- Keep in mind that both shoulders need to be down in order for the pin to count.
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Tips

Remember: practice makes perfect. Make sure you’ve mastered the spladle in training before you attempt to pull it out during competition.

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Depending on who’s doing the scoring, a well-executed spladle could land you two points for a takedown and an additional two points for a successful reversal. This gives it the potential to be a match-winning maneuver.

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The spladle is a good technique to have in your repertoire as a wrestler, but it can also be useful for jiu-jitsu, mixed martial arts, and other submission-based grappling disciplines, as well.

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Warnings

Because of the way it contorts the opponent’s body, it’s possible for the spladle to cause injury. If at any point your opponent verbally submits or appears to be injured, be sure to relinquish the hold right away.

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How to Do a Spladle in Wrestling

Steps

Trapping Your Opponent's Legs

Rolling into the Hold

Making the Spladle More Effective

Expert Q&A

Tips

Warnings

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References

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