NFHS Changes Weight Classes for 2011-12 Season

[MR TWISTER]

INDIANAPOLIS, IN — The most significant changes in weight classes in high school wrestling in 23 years will take place in the 2011-12 season.

In its April 4-6 meeting in Indianapolis, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Wrestling Rules Committee approved an upward shift of the weight classes, beginning with the 103-pound class moving to 106 pounds, which resulted in new weights for 10 of the 14 classes. The changes in weight classes, along with 17 other rules revisions, were subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors.

The 14 weight classes approved by the committee for 2011-12 are as follows: 106 (pounds), 113, 120, 126, 132, 138, 145, 152, 160, 170, 182, 195, 220 and 285. Three middle weight classes – 145, 152 and 160 – were retained, although they are 7-8-9 in order now rather than 8-9-10. The largest weight class (285 pounds) remains unchanged as well.

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“The change in weight classes resulted from a three-to-four year process utilizing data from the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Optimal Performance Calculator,” said Dale Pleimann, chair of the NFHS Wrestling Rules Committee and former assistant executive director of the Missouri State High School Activities Association. “The rules committee was able to analyze data from almost 200,000 wrestlers across the country, with the goal to create weight classes that have approximately seven percent of the wrestlers in each weight class.

“Throughout the process, each state association was kept completely informed and was provided multiple opportunities for input. The results of the last survey of each state association indicated that the majority of states favored a change, and the committee listened and acted accordingly.”

The last wholesale shift in weight classes occurred in 1988, when the lowest weight class was increased from 98 to 103 pounds. The only other changes since then were in 2002, when the number of classes went from 13 to 14 and the 215-pound weight class became mandatory, and in 2006, when the 275-pound class was increased to 285 pounds.

Among changes in wrestling holds, the Figure 4 around the head has been ruled an illegal hold/maneuver. Previously, the Figure 4 was illegal around the body or both legs.

“This move was being used by high school wrestlers more and more on the head, so to minimize the risk of injury, the committee voted to outlaw the Figure 4 on the head as well as around the body and both legs,” said Bob Colgate, NFHS assistant director and liaison to the Wrestling Rules Committee.

Another significant change was made in Rule 2-1-3, which now makes the boundary line inbounds and, thus, expands the wrestling area. Previously, a wrestler was out of bounds if he or she was touching any part of the 2-inch-wide line which marks the wrestling area.

An additional exception was added to Rule 8-2-1 stating that if the second injury time-out is taken at the conclusion of the second period, and the opponent already has the choice at the beginning of the third period, the opponent would then have the added choice at the first restart after the beginning of the third period.

“Previously, at the end of the second period and before the third period, Wrestler A takes his or her second injury time-out, which now gives the choice to Wrestler B,” Colgate said. “However, it’s already Wrestler B’s choice by virtue of the original flip of the disk. Therefore, Wrestler B gains no advantage or benefit from Wrestler A’s second injury time-out. With this change, Wrestler B would now have his or her choice at the first restart after the beginning of the third period.”

In other changes, a revision in Rule 3-1-13 allows the referee the flexibility to determine his or her best position to monitor the clock and wrestlers during injury, blood or recovery time-outs. Also, language in Rule 6-2-2 was changed from “forfeit” to “disqualification” to reflect correct terminology.

The rules committee also devoted considerable time to developing rules for multi-team dual meets and team-formatted tournaments. Previously, the NFHS Wrestling Rules Book addressed only dual meets and individually bracketed tournaments. Definitions for individually bracketed tournaments, dual meet/team-formatted tournaments and combination tournaments will be contained in Rule 1-3.

“In recent years, high school wrestling has moved from dual meets and individually bracketed tournaments to tournaments incorporating a dual meet/team format,” Pleimann said. “The new Rule 11 will provide rules coverage for this type of tournament format.”

“High school wrestling is in great shape across the country as participation numbers continue to increase. The rules committee did propose 18 changes to the rules book, but approximately two-thirds of those changes resulted from incorporating the new dual meet/team format rules,” Pleimann added.

The final change is one that has been approved by the NFHS Board of Directors for use in all NFHS rules books regarding the meet referee’s jurisdiction. The rule extends the clerical duties of the referee beyond the end of the meet through the completion of any reports required from actions that occurred while the referees had jurisdiction.

Points of emphasis adopted by the committee for 2011-12 include communicable diseases, injury time-outs, coach/referee conference, and concussion recognition and management.

Wrestling is the sixth-most popular sport for boys at the high school level with 272,890 participants in 10,363 schools during the 2009-10 season, according to the NFHS Athletics Participation Survey. In addition, 6,134 girls were involved in wrestling in 1,009 high schools.

[mckbln]

In a word...stupid...

[FoxesFan]

Another word . . . unnecessary . . .

[Truth is Out There]

Thanks for changing the title as I suggested. It's less confusing that way.

[cc125]

I think the only guys that really benefit from this are the upper weights, now that they'll have one more weight class. I see a couple ways that this will do more harm than help. The obvious is that a talented freshman wrestler who weighs 98 pounds soaking wet will be at an even bigger disadvantage than if he were at 103. The other consequence I see is that with the lowest weight class raised, this will actually encourage MORE people to cut to the lowest weight, something that NFHS probably didn't think of. A young man who weighs around 112 now may be more tempted to cut 106 than if the weight class were still 103. For many lightweights that are still growing, cutting even small amounts isn't really a good idea. In an ideal world, we'd have more weight classes with smaller gaps in between.

One question I have is, will USA Wrestling change the weight classes for Fargo next year to match these new weights (with the exception of 84, 91, and 98, which don't have equivalents)?

[dacohenz]

I was a 98lb wrestler throughout high school. One of the great things about wrestling is that it allows smaller guys to be on even terms in competition. How many other sports allow someone who at the time was 5-3 to compete with others around the same size and weight? I loved basketball, football and baseball, but my size put me at a disadvantage. There are already plenty of sports where the bigger kids have an advantage, and now they take one weight class away from a smaller kid and give it to a bigger kid.

It's not that big of a deal to me, but I think the smaller guys are more exciting to watch. I don't really have a problem moving the lowest weight class to 106, but I do remember one of the reasons they changed the wieght classes the last time with 5 pound increments between 125 and 145 was to try to stop as many kids from cutting weight. Now they basically go back to 6 pound increments. I just think this wasn't that well thought out.

[Can't "CHEAT" the sport]

Whatever the weight classes are is what we are going to wrestle! I think 98 and 103 are very light for 13 and 14 year old kids. Some kids that are this small usually are cutting weight before they get to high school, which is probably why they do not weigh more. For a kid weighing 185 it was a hard cut to make 171 and the 189 pounders were usually to strong for them. 103 goes to 106, not really a big deal. only 3 pounds. As far as the weights being spread out a little I think will make weight classes even tougher. It will also not allow kids to switch weights to much.

[Jaguar]

Originally Posted by Can't "CHEAT" the sport

Whatever the weight classes are is what we are going to wrestle! I think 98 and 103 are very light for 13 and 14 year old kids. Some kids that are this small usually are cutting weight before they get to high school, which is probably why they do not weigh more. For a kid weighing 185 it was a hard cut to make 171 and the 189 pounders were usually to strong for them. 103 goes to 106, not really a big deal. only 3 pounds. As far as the weights being spread out a little I think will make weight classes even tougher. It will also not allow kids to switch weights to much.

It's probably useless to convince you otherwise, but what you say is not true. Some kids are must small, and some kids are just big. The small kids are not cutting weight. My son weighed 89 pounds soaking wet as a freshman. He did everything he could to gain weight. He drove his teammates crazy eating on the bus to touranments and weighing in with all of clothes on, holding his wrestling bag and holding his lunch in the other hand. (He had a sense of humor). As a sophomore, he started the year weighing 99, and he finished weighing 103.5 (at the state tournament). He didn't have to lose a pound all year. As a junior he did cut some weight, but not much, to wrestle 112. He finally grew and had to cut weight to make 125 as a senior.

[HawkeyeMG]

Couple things about this,

1) Someone was getting shafted unless they just simply increased the # of weight classes and then someone probably still would have been shafted. This point should be kept in mind the most as obviously no way to make everyone happy.

2) Whatever this does to your school, it does to every school so there is an even playing field

3) Between wrestling in high school and coaching in several different conferences, most have an additional weight class that previously was somewhere between 93 and 98 lbs for the lower levels. Some tournaments even have a 90 lb. and 98 lb. weight class for the lower level. I see no reason why conferences wouldn't continue to have something like this.

Just some thoughts

Again, It is what it is and this is the system that we will use for at minimum the next year(no it is not perfect), so just try to embrace it cause it isn't going anywhere.