Backyard wrestling

Backyard wrestling (BYW), also referred to as yarding or backyarding, is a controversial, underground hobby and sport involving predominantly 12-30-year-old males in usually untrained practices of professional-style wrestling, typically in a low budget environment. Although not legitimized, backyard wrestling federations are often created and consumptive of time and finance to maintain like any organization. Most people that take part in the practice are those merely emulating their inspirations from modern day wrestling, though a small percentage have experience from enrolling in wrestling school or from referring to how-to guides on the web.

For years, backyard wrestling has been a subject of opposition to pro wrestling personnel. Its peak years of high popularity were from 1996-2001, during the boom period of professional wrestling notorious as The Attitude Era, a time where high risk stunts were a prevalent influence on the wrestling fan base, most notably those performed by wrestling legend Mick Foley. Back in the late 1980s to early 1990s, backyard wrestling was often a good-natured topic which appealed to media for coverage until it periodically turned reckless and ultra-violent, worrying parents and wrestling companies. In response, WWE began airing advertisements, stressing the dangers and deterring their fans from duplicating the actions seen in their ring.