Game Changing High School Rule Changes Announced

[@Culvey]

As a long time wrestler and a HS Official, I am super excited that NFHS changed the rules to closely match college. The absurdity of the out of bounds line being a vertical cylinder and one knee has to be inside that cylinder with 2 points of contact to remain inbounds... so glad it was changed to just one point of contact inbounds. Also, as an official who watches a lot of college (i don't officiate college though, but am working toward getting into freestyle and greco) it still alleviates a lot of potential for confusion, especially for newer officials (and wrestlers) who now have a larger pool of film to improve their understanding of the rules. The hardest part... getting rid of "TWO Takedown" from my vocabulary haha.

[@AustinKnappWrastlin]

As a HS wrestler at 175 going into my senior year I love these changes! It probably won't change a whole ton for a good chunk of matches but when you get to the state level scoring was minimalistic here in Utah from what i saw and I think you'll start to see the guys who get after it and don't try to survive the match start to thrive off these rules which I love

[@tyronepwilson]

The new NFHS rules say, "one point of contact" to be inbounds. In college, we are inbounds if any part of either wrestler is inside the cylinder; contact with the mat isn't required. Close to the same, but not exactly. But, I agree, these are good rule changes.

[@Th3Chuzzl3r]

Thats a great point

[@TrapperTVFoss]

OK here’s the breakdown by the three-point take down is STUPID! We start in the neutral position and somebody ends up on top and it’s worth three points as a takedown. However, if you start with the other person on top of you and then you end up on top it’s only worth two points??? So when I start with giving up my back and then end up on top of the other person it’s worth less points than when we start in a neutral position??? Makes zero sense. I reversal should now be three points if a takedown is.

[@Blyndref]

30 year referee here…. Thanks for bringing up the fact that this will be a learning curve for us too. I think this will be an interesting year. I think it would be in our best interests to help educate everybody in the pre meet and maybe even a quick message to the fans too.

[@brendan638]

CP you’re doing a great job with coverage

[@tmpace9]

I like the 3 point take down and I used to take advantage of it only being 2. I wasn't good at takedowns. I've won several matches by getting taken down and instantly reversing and getting a quick 2 back points in the first period.

[@daveignite]

Yes, good changes for the sport. The challenge will be both the size of the gym/room (is there space for extended edge takedowns), and the size of the mat area (is the mat big enough to provide protection for the athlete before hitting the floor).

[@GuyFromSC]

This is great and long time coming. 🙏🏼

[@Patricktheluchador]

I’m so excited about the 3 point takedown and 2,3,4 near fall. I’m also excited about the out of bounds rule. I remember my freshmen year I got screwed over and lost a match 6-4 because the ref called out of bounds while I was in on 2 shots during the match.

[@preston6676]

Great to see the new rules trickle down - i feel like the wrestling this year was more aggressive and action. That one point difference in the take down just can change so much in such a little span of time.

[@hansrobel459]

Yeah I’m just worried about the practicality of the new out of bounds rule. In a few years after we start getting new mats, all should be fine. I’ll be a little anxious when tournaments have 106s wrestling next to 285s as we transition into the next round, but I’ve always been that way.

[@kristopherwilson506]

Safety of the wrestlers should come first. Hopefully. Like pyles said-maybe “whenever possible”, so a dual meet or tri/quad meet, but not necessarily at a huge tournament with 4-6 mats going

[@Culvey]

If officials where you live are anything like where i live, they will discuss the issue with mats being close to each other before wrestling (heck probably before weigh ins) even starts. I know even though I love the new rule, if I have two mats within inches I will be calling out of bounds much quicker for safety reasons.

[@jimbrock387]

Agree with the changes. But with very inconsistent mat sizes and the out of bounds mat area im a tad surprised hs went that direction. College mats alk have a ton of room out of bounds...some hs not so much.

[@TheSonoranDesertGrower]

Folkstyle needs a step out point system like freestyle

[@mattcary8075]

No if you want free style watch free style

[@TheSonoranDesertGrower]

@@mattcary8075 No, playing the edge is bullshit 💯

[@colincallender7522]

Im just wondering if they are really gonna put this into affect

[@Yinzer808]

*effect. Ex.Put it into effect and it will affect wrestling.

[@SubFlow22]

My son is super excited about these new rules.

[@ifyouseekay1000]

Neutral on the 3 point takedown and the new near fall, but i love the new out of bounds rules and am stoked the haven't gotten rid of the leg pass scrambling

[@kristopherwilson506]

Yeah no danger rule in hs is clutch

[@Yinzer808]

Why would they get rid of leg pass scrambling?

[@AllISeeIsGold-m5w]

@@Yinzer808 I think he's talking about the danger rule disincentivizing leg passes.

[@BSP_Trained]

Although I’m excited to have a uniform rule set (closer) to NCAA, I just already know how much refs are struggling and now to change the main scoring and bounds rules will be good but brutal adjusting with refs. My only worry. Hopefully it goes well! I agree 1000% about some wrestlers using the rules to stall and limits scoring opportunities in matches

[@slidefirst694]

High school wrestling is the last amateur sport. Support it

[@69fastbird]

Tournament should speed up some with tech falls and missed scoring opportunities on the edge

[@AllISeeIsGold-m5w]

Maybe we won't have all-day tournaments anymore (except state & some two-day tourneys ofc)

[@tomnuss7396]

This is AWESOME...totally ready for it

[@Claygoods]

How does this get enforced overall state by state? Will PA adopt these rules being a very strong wrestling state?

[@mradamp125]

Score clock for passivity

[@OneManParade]

High school has too many weight classes. Go back to twelve or ten.

[@Yinzer808]

Should be 125 and under, 125-140, 140-165, 165-200, 200+. The competition would be tougher and you wouldn’t have weak classes and see all this weight class movement. You’d also have less weight cutting and more maintaining strength to perform at top level. With this, if you’re light it will encourage you to gain and lose if you’re heavier.

[@billybud9557]

These rules are a welcome change.......but the edge rules will be tough for little schools with small mats....don't wanna see any kids hurt near the hardwood boundries

[@thomaspaine5686]

As an official....we ref college out of bounds all the time. Off season tournaments have been doing this for years. Kids, coaches and wrestlers are ready.

[@asasin650]

Step out point is the next major needed change. Would love to see riding time but that not realistic. I would love to see them address top stalling like the head lever were the top wrestler just leaves his head in the armpit.

[@Culvey]

As an official i am lucky if my table help at small tournaments or dual meets is competent enough to start and stop the time when i blow the whistle or pay attention to what points i throw up, and that's with me being a very loud and vocal official. Getting them to pay attention to riding time HAHA good luck.

[@Yinzer808]

Yea I was gonna say. You’ll never have enough attention span to run jr high and high school matches with riding time… Jenny from the cheer squad running table three and posting to her Snapchat when Johnny rides 1:01 for the win because she forgot to turn the clock

[@naythanbias6214]

Yes 3 point takedowns 💪🏾👍🏾

[@donaldnewell4868]

Middle school kids should pick up the new rules, too. The rule changes are good, and there’s no reason to learn one set of rules and then change in high school.

[@cdrtej]

I swear we had 2/3/4 near fall in 1980s. Do i remember wrong?

[@sweetsinnndy5201]

I like all of the changes

[@elihoff584]

This is going to sound silly but does this affect all states with high school wrestling?

[@BoschhammerActual]

I think so. Could be wrong. Not a silly question at all, I’d honestly love to hear someone more informed than myself answer too.

[@Culvey]

Every state has adopted NFHS Rules, however some states do modify those rulesets.

[@whynotride327]

This is an example of someone who talks for a living and knows very little about the rules and how they are applied. IMO, the boundary line should actually mean something. Is there any other sport where scoring can take place off the surface of play? The mechanism to keep wrestlers in bounds has always existed in making either a stalling of fleeing (depending on the action) call.

[@Th3Chuzzl3r]

Great change, riding rime should be next. Dont really see the point of high school not being a mirror of college rules anyway.

[@combatspeed6392]

Riding time will be a nightmare do in high school. You have to keep in mind, like 99% of high schools don't care about wrestling and getting score keepers that know what they're doing is very very difficult.

[@Th3Chuzzl3r]

@@combatspeed6392 I run many tournaments in the state of Kansas, many are very small, especially compared to states like PA. I havent found it difficult to find scorekeepers, many come from the school thats hosts the tournament, Ive met many 1st time scorekeepers and always give them the run down on how to scorekeep before the tournament, ive run into very few problems. If theres any mistake made when im not around a coach or ref always corrects it. If we can do it here, I dont see why any other place would have a problem.

[@tyleroliver4550]

Why aren’t reversals being looked at to be 3 as well?

[@kristopherwilson506]

Cause a takedown is more difficult than a reversal.

[@slidefirst694]

Since high school doesn't award riding time, a reversal should also be 3 points

[@nimblejack]

Shotclocks

[@Jiu-Jitsu_for_Jesus]

Senior year is gonna be crazy.

[@bloontewn3291]

Wonder if riding time would ever be a thing in highschool

[@elihoff584]

It would add a nice touch to the scoring and I think it would be more emphasized in the practice room

[@lidokane3816]

it’s too hard to consistently keep track of it at smaller, more packed tournaments

[@bloontewn3291]

@@lidokane3816 fair, I remember some of my hs matches and the scoring would be so off sometimes

[@nicksherman1713]

Refs wouldn’t be able to consistently enforce a riding time point. Stalling is already called extremely inconsistent. We would see an insane increase in stalling calls.

[@RFMeloneer1989]

I can see high school referees quitting. Increased difficulty of officiating just adds to the aggressive parent problems.

[@nicksherman1713]

Why would they quit? The rules make their job easier. The out of bounds rule has always been a problem. A ref had a bunch of different things to see before he even considers control. Now there’s just seeing one point of contact in bounds and if there’s control

[@Collartie]

what about Riding Time? I'd like that.

[@rickyl8111]

Too difficult with smaller hs tourneys

[@travismdrone]

Add Riding Time to High School Wrestlling

[@barryweyandt2682]

I would love for that to happen but to expect high school score keepers to keep track of that is completely unrealistic.

[@whynotride327]

Why?? What would be the upside? It is basically legalized stalling.

[@thesportsguy3609]

I'd like to see riding time added to high school. Reward the wrestler who is tough on top.