A horrendous blunder by Dale player-manager Paul Simpson saw a pulsating Boxing Day encounter end level at 2-2.
But it was no more than visitors Wrexham deserved after they trailed 2-0 after 18 minutes but they hit back to leave the home side second best for much of the second half.
Nevertheless, it was Dale who had the best chance to take all the points but Simpson hit the post from the penalty spot and then turned the ball into goal before another player had touched it.
Simpson had evidently forgotten that he was not allowed to play the ball and so an indirect free-kick was awarded.
Rochdale had made a flying start by scoring in only the second minute when Paul Conner blasted home a shot from ten yards.
The same player then doubled Dale's lead after 18 minutes when his shot from an acute angle hit a post and flew into the net.
However, battling Wrexham showed their teeth and clawed their way back into the game six minutes later although they were fortunate that Andy Morrell's cross was palmed into his own net by Neil Edwards.
And it got worse for Edwards after 74 minutes when he got involved in another mix-up, this time letting Morrell in for his easy second goal.