The pile-up is a tag-team move/hold, in which two or more girls pile up on top of a stronger opponent to keep her down for the 3-count and to earn the pin. While illegal according to standard rules, the pile up is used often in various pro-style women’s matches where the rules allow it. I’ve seen girls pile up to gain the pin in lucha libre matches, and in handicap matches (where one strong woman takes on two or more weaker and lighter girls). By piling up the attackers combine their weight to give the defender all she can handle. Successful pile ups do lead to pins most of the time.

Another circumstance in which you’ll see pile ups in women’s wrestling is when the winners of a tag team match pile their fallen opponents on top of each other to humiliate them and to display them in a victory pose.

Often times, the losers are piled up in a compromising position (like a 69) to add to their humiliation.

End of the match pile-ups are usually performed after matches in which one side has been completely obliterated by the other. After a double pin or double submission, a pile up may well be in the books for you, just to add insult to injury.

Possible escape: If you’re a victim of a pile up pinning maneuver, you’d better do your best to squirm your way out of it, although if your opponents manage to get on top of you while your shoulders are down, you’re probably not going to be able to do anything about it. If you’re being piled up to be humiliated: make sure you never lose by that kind of a margin.

Rating: the pile up pin may be illegal in most cases, but when rules allow for it, it is extremely efficient.