A near-fall or near fall is an occurrence in either professional wrestling or collegiate wrestling. It can refer to: ...
Having had an opponent's back exposed long enough to get back points.
If a wrestler exposes the opponent's shoulders four inches or less above the mat or has one of the opponent's shoulders on the mat and the other at an angle of less than 45 degrees to the mat, it is a near fall, worth two technical points.
When a wrestler almost pins his opponent for a count of three, but the opponent kicks out at the last moment.