Tag team In professional wrestling , a tag team consists of two or more wrestlers who are working together as a team . They usually wrestle against a like number of opponents , however in the occasional " handicap match " there may be an unequal number of competitors ( Andre the Giant was often pitted against two or more opponents ) . The term " " tag team " " has since become used in a metaphorical sense for a pair of partners who alternate in participation in an activity , and " " tag - teaming " " for the act of alternating with an ally , e . g . a couple tag - teaming in an argument with another person . According to the rules of pro wrestling , only one competitor per team is allowed in the ring at a time , and the only way that a wrestler can change places with a partner is for the competitor in the ring to " tag " him or touch him on some part of his body . The referee must also see a tag for it to be legal . Given the nature of pro wrestling , the " rules " are seldom adhered to and exist as part of kayfabe , the suspension of disbelief required for pro wrestling to work as entertainment . This means that often both members of teams , especially heel teams , are in the ring simultaneously with only one member of an ostensibly rule - abiding face team . A " bookend " tag team is a ( usually derogatory ) term for a tag team where the members look and / or dress alike ( e . g . , The Killer Bees , British Bulldogs , Hart Foundation et al . ) . Bookends are common in North America , Europe and Mexico , but not at all in Japan since promotion of wrestlers to singles championships is based ( in a large part ) on tag team results , as no secondary singles championships exist . A spot that occurs in practically every tag team match is the " hot tag " . One member of the face team would be in the ring taking a beating from one of his heel opponents . Occasionally , both wrestlers from the heel team would attack him , while his partner protests to the referee about this bending of the rules ( and therefore , unintentionally " distracting " the referee on behalf of the heels ) . Eventually the weakened face wrestler does make the tag to his partner , who comes in as the fresh man and is able to take on both opponents quite easily . Ricky Morton , of the tag team Rock ' N Roll Express , would often play the " face in peril " , who got beaten up in the ring while his partner Robert Gibson , looked on helplessly . Thus , the tag partner in the ring being destroyed is often said to " play Ricky Morton " . A frequent storyline is former tag team partners turning on each other , which will invariably ignite a feud . This can be used when one member is being called on to develop a new gimmick . In 1901 the first tag team matches are held in the United States , in San Francisco . San Francisco promoters introduce tag team wrestling as a way of improving the sport ’ s entertainment value . While tag team wrestling is now almost traditional in American professional wrestling , the innovation didn ' t become especially popular outside San Francisco until the 1930s . Tag team match rules . The basic tag team has two teams of two wrestlers facing off against each other . Only one wrestler from each team is allowed in the ring at a time , though heels will often break this rule and gang up on a single opponent . The other ( s ) wait on the apron outside the ropes in a specified corner adjacent to the other team . Offensive cooperation from a team member can happen as long as they are within the referee ' s count of five and after an official tag . In a " Tornado " tag match there is no time limit for how long your partner can stay in the ring often making these matches a 2 on 2 battle . A tag team match involving more than two wrestlers per team is often referred to by the total number of people involved ( e . g . a six - man tag team match involves two teams of three ) , while a tag team match involving more than two teams is referred to by normal qualifiers ( e . g . a Triple threat tag team match involves three teams of two ) . A wrestler must do the following in order to make a legal tag : A referee can be allowed to overlook any of these tag rules at his discretion . All standard match rules apply but the legal man must make a pin or submission on another legal man to win . Only legal men can be counted out but either team can be disqualified regardless if a team member is legal or not . In lucha libre , the basic tag team match is referred to as " Lucha de Parejas " ( Doubles Fight ) , a six - man match as a " Lucha de Trios " , and an eight - man match as a " Lucha Atómica " ( Atomic Fight ) .