High School wrestling rules changes announced for 2008-09
Cassie Krisher NFHS
05/01/2008

INDIANAPOLIS, IN (May 1, 2008) - The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Wrestling Rules Committee emphasized risk minimization and standardized procedures to assist both coaches and referees through 16 wrestling rules changes for the 2008-09 school year. Rules changes were made by the committee at its April 5-7 meeting in Indianapolis and subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors.

The time sequence for the offensive wrestler in assuming the offensive starting position was standardized with the addition of a note to Rule 5-20-5. First, the wrestler must set the knee(s) and feet.
Second, the wrestler must place the palm of one hand on the navel.
Third, the wrestler must place the palm of the other hand on or over the near elbow. Fourth, the referee shall pause momentarily before starting wrestling. This rule change is meant to provide consistency for coaches, wrestlers and referees. While each action is currently standard practice, there has not been a written sequence of those events in the NFHS Wrestling Rules Book.

"These changes provide further rules support based on interpretations," said Bob Colgate, assistant director of the NFHS and liaison to the NFHS Wrestling Rules Committee. "The clarifications make the rules easier to administer."

With an emphasis on sportsmanship, the committee approved two rules changes meant to encourage sportsmanlike conduct by wrestlers and coaches. An addition to Rule 6-7-1c6 states that an unsportsmanlike act that occurs at anytime during the match shall take precedence over the first points scored in the regulation match in determining choice of position in the ultimate tiebreaker. So the wrestler whose opponent has received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty at any time during the match will now have choice of position in the ultimate tiebreaker.

In addition, a change to Rule 5-31-1 removes the penalty for coaches whose wrestlers report to the scorer's table not in proper uniform, not properly groomed, not properly equipped or not ready to wrestle.

The addition of Rule 7-1-5w makes a back flip from a standing position an illegal maneuver. The rule was added as an effort to minimize risk to all wrestlers.

"Any time you're dealing with risk minimization in wrestling, it's paramount," Colgate said. "Someone could have been seriously injured if we did not take that initiative."

The committee also addressed the issue of skin conditions. A revision to Rule 4-2-3 allows an on-site physician to examine a wrestler with a particular skin condition without a physician's release form immediately after the weigh-in. A new Rule 4-2-5 allows a physician's release form for a non-communicable skin condition, such as a birthmark or eczema, to be valid for the duration of the season, with some stipulations.

The committee also approved the following rules changes:

* A change to Rule 2-2-2 clarifies the boundary for the
restricted zone for coaches.

* A revision to Rule 4-1-5 requires the wrestler's uniform
to be worn as intended/designed by the manufacturer. This change gives rules support to a previous NFHS interpretation.

* Rule 4-2-1 will state that a wrestler's hair in the
front, in its natural state, shall not extend below the eyebrows.

* A change in Rule 4-5-5 allows for a one-pound weight
allowance when a competition is postponed for one calendar day or more due to inclement weather or unforeseen circumstances. The head coach, principal or athletic director of the opponent must be notified in advance to be granted the one-pound weight allowance.

* A change to Rule 5-15-3 gives referees the option to
stop a match if there is no action at the edge of the mat and to restart wrestling in the center of the mat.

* A new addition to Rules 5-25-6c and 7-6-6c provides
rules support for the interpretation of stalling as "repeatedly creates a stalemate situation to prevent an opponent from scoring."

* In Rule 6-6-1, when the wrong wrestler is given choice
of position at the start of the first 30-second tiebreaker in overtime, the opponent will be given the choice at the start of the second 30-second tiebreaker. Previously, this would have been considered bad time.

* In Rule 7-4-1, the committee further defined unnecessary
roughness by including ". . . a forceful slap to the head or face, and/or gouging or poking the eyes."

* The committee also approved a new signal for referees to
indicate when to start recovery time during a match.

The committee adopted four points of emphasis for the upcoming season, including grooming and medical checks, reporting to the scorer's table ready to wrestle, going out of the wrestling area, and referees'
signals and mechanics.

Wrestling is the sixth-most popular program for high school boys in terms of participants, with 257,246 boys wrestling in 9,445 schools throughout the country. It is also gaining popularity among high school girls, with 5,048 girls participating in 1,227 schools, according to the NFHS 2006-07 High School Athletics Participation Survey.

To me it is very frustrating that the NFHS (a national group) can approve 16 rule changes in one year while the KSHSAA (a state agency) cannot get a single issue presented! There is something severly wrong with this picture!

Not that it matters to some but KSHSAA did have a meeting of the full board recently and some actions were taken (voted on for the democratically challenged).
http://www.cjonline.com/stories/041208/pre_267731408.shtml

I think it's important to note that it's fortunate that wrestling is not among the sports that has those kinds of restrictions. While there might be complaints about how "restrictive" KSHSAA is, it's nothing compared to football, basketball and volleyball.

For the geriatrically challenged there were ZERO, NONE, NOTTA, wrestling issues presented at this meeting. Mr. Bowden stated that no suggested changes formally made it to his desk. The reason being the cumbersome process that Coach Gonzales outlined in another post.

At least the football coaches are willing to admit that they vetoed the changes because lots of them are too lazy or unmotivated.

Will,

I get upset too about certain things that do not change in wrestling. I get upset that there are not more weight classes for heavier wrestlers in high school, that Kansas does not have a D-I wrestling team, the KC metro area does not have a junior college team, and that college goes from 197 to 288. They are not the same changes that you have been calling for. I do not agree with some of the changes that you are calling for. Our Kansas system may not be perfect but you have to admit it has been good enough for wrestlers like Roberson, Bunch and Luedke who all did very good at the recent senior freestyle nationals and who also had very good collegiate careers. There have been others in recent years like Joe Johnston and Matt Murray. I think we also have a pretty good class of high school seniors this year who will achieve at a high level in college. I know there are some good kids wrestling successfully at the University of Nebraska at Omaha from Kansas. I think there actually is opportunity in Kansas for high school wrestlers of talent to succeed at a high level in college if the opportunity is taken advantage of. If our numbers who achieve success at the collegiate level are not as high as you think they should be, I believe that is due more to the fact that many wrestlers choose not to do the things in the off season to improve like summer wrestling in freestyle/greco roman and extra training for improvement in strength, speed and endurance. Also I think if we had a couple of D-I teams in Kansas like Iowa that it would help motivate more Kansas kids to do the things necessary to become successful college wrestlers.

Vince,
Not sure what your point is. I believe the aforementioned wrestlers achieved greatness in spite of the system not because of it. The East Kansas Wrestling Club provided an opportunity that hasn't been replicated since Kevin Klemm left. That opportunity filled the gap. Those who want to be great will do whatever it takes to get there. It is a problem when taxpayers support a group and a system that they have absolutely no say in. Did you not read the list of conditions that have to be met to change a KSHSAA rule? In a recent dialogue with Rick Bowden he disagreed that not much has changed in Kansas High School wrestling and he pointed out the fact that they use software to run tournaments now. It is that sort of mentality that will continue to keep pushing the top down instead of bringing the bottom up. Sure I would love some D1 programs and I have placed some of my energy in that effort too. I know you don't like the weight options but at least they can be explained. When they added women's wrestling they took away some of the weight classes to fit the number of scholarships. They did this by looking at the distribution of athletes overall and unfortunately there are fewer wrestlers on the right side of the curve. Those athletes have many other sports opportunities. You will not find many 145 to 171 pound football, basketball, hockey D1 starters. It is odd to me that in Iowa they have just a greater number of inhabitants by just a small percentage but they have several D1 wrestling opportunities. They have several venues to host large scale events. For goodness sakes, North Dakota has a venue far superior to anything Kansas has to offer and there are probably more deer than there are people in North Dakota! All of these things bother me too but my tax dollars support the KSHSAA and they don't do ENOUGH to improve the sports opportunities for our athletes. They block the ability to choose to improve and that is just plain wrong. They are governed by the minority instead of a simple majority which is not how a democracy is supposed to work. Vince, you can find exceptions to every situation but the overall oppression cannot be denied. That is my point.

I think you will see Johnson County high school wrestling hit a low point next year. Just get out your program from last year's Classic and see who is returning and who the incoming 8th graders are. For being the most populous county in the state we are going to have a low quality of wrestling and largely due to the oppression and continued philosophy of letting everyone be happy by making it easy to go to state and easier to place at state than a large majority of the rest of the states in the country. KSHSAA's members do not, apparently, want to educate our youth by telling them you get rewarded when you work harder. Instead they give more opportunities to feel good and hold back the best from gettng better so the bottom doesn't have to work hard. The coaches who don't want to coach won't let those who want to, those who don't want to travel mandate that those who want to can't, surely you see the picture.

Will,

Explain to me the logic and fairness of college wrestling jumping from 197 to 285. Anyone I talk to outside of wrestling with an athletic background cannot believe that 88 poound difference. They think it is ridiculous as do I. I have never heard anyone explain the drop in the number of weight classes as the result of adding women's wrestling. There are not that many women's programs in high school or college. Did you mean the addition of all women's sports with Title IX that has forced all men's college sports to drop numbers?

Will, as far as my basic point goes, it is simply that I believe that there is adequate opportunity for a Kansas high school wrestler to succeed in college and possibly beyond if they will take advantage of what is there. If they will do the summer wrestling with our current freestyle and greco tournaments including Southern Plains and Fargo, I think they can develop their skills and also give themselves exposure to college coaches. If they want to go the extra mile for exposure to college coaches they can go to the Senior folkstyle tournament in Virgina and now underclassmen can compete there too. In addition they can further develop their athleticism thru extra strength, speed and endurance training in the off season. It can be done if they want to do it bad enough.

Can some of these things that you have been advocating help it further? Yes, they probably can help even more. I don't disagree with every change that you have been proposing. I also agree that it is a cumbersome and sometimes overwhelming task to initiate change. Most of the time it seems hopeless to accomplish. I just think that the opportunity is there right now for any wrestler who is willing to take advantage of it. Sure it helps to have a Kevin Klemm East Kansas club but it still can be done without one. If Johnson County is having a drop in talent over the next few years, I would attribute it more to the fact that Johnson County parents like sports of more convenience like football and basketball. A sport they can go to for a couple of hours and then go home, especially when their kids are young. Most Johnson County parents do not want to sit all day at youth wrestling tournaments so they tend to get their kids involved in other activities.

Vince,

Don't you agree that something is wrong when the National organization can make 16 rule changes in one year but our state organization can't even get ONE presented to the board to be voted on? That is my point.

I think you know that I exploit every possible opportunity and try to pull along as many other wrestlers as I can. The point is we shouldn't have to! OUR tax dollars are going towards support of rules we disagree with and there is nothing we can do about it. Taxation without representation!

I was told last year by some NCAA folks that they cut back the number of weights because they added women's wrestling and the total number of scholarships had to be distributed. They eliminated Olympic weight classes when they added women's wrestling to the Olympics too. I don't know if that is true or not but there are fewer wrestlers in the weight range you are tlking about, you know that.

Sure their are opportunities but why should we have to go to such great lengths when a few tweaks could have positive impact? I am sure it is a combination of factors that have led to the current state that wrestling is in but it should not be lost that there is a correlation with Kevin's departure from the area. That is easy to see while trying to figure out whether parents have lost interest or not is not so easy to determine. It is the coaching involvement as well. You have to market the sport and push it year round if you want a great program. Is that happening in all of the Johnson county schools?

Bottom line, I am doing everything you mentioned but I want more and I think as a taxpayer I deserve more. If I amd doing everything and I support doing more how can you fault me for that? I just don't get what the purpose of your original post but I do understand mine

Will

Vince:

I agree that a D-I program in Kansas would be great, but more schools at any level would be too. You have to remember, while Iowa has three D-I schools, there is also a D-II (Upper Iowa), nine D-III programs (including three of the top six at Nationals), four NAIA and three JUCOs. And the bulk of the kids that are on teams other than Iowa, Iowa State or UNI are Iowa kids, state qualifiers, state place winners and they're having successful careers and are getting great educations. I have five kids that I coached up here that are wrestling D-III right now.

The thing is that, yes, having K-State or KU add wrestling would be great, but D-I wrestling is struggling right now. I'd rather see the MIAA and KCAC schools add it. It's an exciting show; believe me, there is nothing like a packed house in Waverly, Iowa as Wartburg (D-III champs) and Luther (Matt Pyle's school) go at it. It's better than Iowa-Iowa State, trust me. It would be much easier for the lower division schools to add it and support it, not to mention find a wealth of Kansas kids to fill out the rosters and compete at the national level.

Wouldn't it be great to see Emporia State and Pittsburg have a dual meet? It wasn't that many years ago that George Worley was coaching some pretty good teams at NW Missouri State. D-III and NAIA schools are adding wrestling every year. D-II is even starting to grow again. These schools are not as badly effected by Title IX as D-I schools. At least it would be a place to start.

And Will, keep fighting the good fight. You keep slamming into that wall the way you are and one of these days you're going to break through; there will be a Will Cokeley-shaped hole in that wall, just like in the cartoons. Hang in there.

Will,

Over the last six weeks or so that I have been reading your posts on changes that you feel need to be made in our Kansas high school wrestling rules, it seems that you are telling us that Kansas high school wrestlers are hindered by our current system from developing their skills to be able to wrestle for a good college team. My purpose in my original post was to state that I do not believe that is true. I believe there are enough opportunities available in Kansas right now for a high school wrestler to be noticed by a college and to develop skills that will make them competitive in college. It takes a lot of work and committment but it can be done with our current system. Could it be improved? Yes I think it could. As an example, I do think a Grand State tournament would help attract college coaches to the actual event and would give more credibility to State championships or placers for coaches who are unable to attend. This would help kids get recruited.

By the way, I know you are doing a good job in getting your son ready for wrestling at the next level. I think he is definitely on the right path to become a very good college wrestler at any level that he chooses to wrestle at.

I completely agree with you. My main point in bringing D-I up in my post to Will is that he has mentioned how the Iowa kids are ahead of Kansas in number of quality national type wrestlers who go on to excel in college and I wanted to point out that it helps in getting motivated wrestlers to achieve at that high level when have three D-I wrestling programs in Iowa and of course as you mentioned the other college teams in Iowa besides D-I.

Klint Deere and I have had some conversations about this and he has helped me understand that we would be better served in Kansas to try to get more college programs at the D-II, D-III, NAIA and junior college levels first in Kansas just like you have stated in your post. Right now my personal hope is to get a junior college program at Kansas City Kansas community college.

Vince,

Gotcha. Yet and still if we don't push to move forward then we are falling behind! Status quo is not a formula for improvement. Without continuous improvement we will fall further and further behind. We should not tolerate an organization that is anti change. Without change there can be no improvement. If you want to make this an educational issue look at this way. The Big 3 auto makers took a very long time to wake up and realize that failing to change and improve would cost them. Who is the largest auto maker in the world now? Toyota! The Big Three took your approach. "We are okay so lets not try to change anything." and look where it got them. We should be teaching our children that change is a good thing. KSHSAA is teaching them that no change is just fine. If you want your tax dollars to be wasted then be silent and let those who want something in return speak up and make something good happen.

Our current high school wrestlers are hindered by the oppressive rules embraced by the KSHSAA. No one should even try to argue that they aren't. KSHSAA killed Grand State and they won't even consider dual state. More of my $'s go to the public HS programs and groups so I think that is where my focus should be not at the college level where fewer of my $'s go. If you don't believe our wrestlers are hindered then I guess I will give up on convincing you.

Will

Vince:
Here's the funny thing about D-I in Iowa: You go up and down the roster Iowa, Iowa State and Northern Iowa, and maybe HALF of the kids on those rosters are from Iowa. Might be less (I haven't run the numbers lately). But if you go to Upper Iowa, Wartburg, Simpson, Luther, Morningside or wherever, it's more like 95 percent are Iowa kids. If you figure 25 kids (average) per program, times 17 programs (other than the D-Is), and take 95 percent of that, you end up with 404 Iowa kids wrestling in-state at the college level right now.

Will:
A while back we discussed you providing a list of states whose rules are less restrictive than Kansas. I wondered what ever happened with that. As I have said in the past, Kansas is vastly less "oppressive" than Iowa. Travel restrictions (believe it or not) are more generous, weight control and weigh-ins are easier to work with and recent schedule changes (because Des Moines wanted to make the arena available for NCAA basketball in five years) have forced us to cram more matches into less time. There are a lot things about the Kansas system I'd trade for in heartbeat. The off-season contact rules are almost identical.
Also, Grand State died on its own after what, two years or something? And as for dual state, I was on one of the original committees that formed the proposal for that with Kit Harris and some others. It's not that KSHSAA "won't even consider" it; it's more that because other sports that both have individual and team competition (swimming, track, etc.) don't do two different championships and it would set a precedent that they haven't figured out a way around. On the contrary, I've always thought that Rick was supportive and very interested in dual state. It's always been a case if making it work.
I'd be curious to see what the plan was. I know at one time we had discussed taking the top four teams out of each Regional to dual state, and holding it in like Salina or somewhere the week after traditional State. I had added the suggestion or wrestling out to fifth and sixth places at Regionals so that teams that had more kids would be rewarded.

Don't ever expect him to provide facts or data to back up his opinions!

As a coach who has moved from Oklahoma to Kansas to coach, I feel that the only hinderance that is a great problem is not allowing the coaches to carry on a freestyle/Greco program until after May.. Many smaller towns may not have someone near enough or qualified enough to run a program. I know that there are probably some coaches that can get away with this but I feel that this is a rule that keeps the sport equal for the lazy. This is a tough decision for those of us who prefer not to break the rules. I can't see how baseball is permitted to do this but we can't. I know that the American Legion is what is called but I don't see too many American Legions putting these leagues together.
Not that the school that I am at would benefit from this but I also feel that the rule that schools can not travel such a distance is a little outdated. It would be nice to see schools compete in the Beast of the East or at the Reno tournament of Champions. These are other ways to get colleges to notice the ability of our wrestlers. Again, I am not jumping on anybody's bandwagon, but these are my thought. Have a blessed day,

sportsfan02:

I actually do think Will has researched this; I would just like to see what he came up with.

Will:
Of all of the stuff you want, which ONE is the MOST important to you? I don't see you ever changing the off-season rule; I think most coaches have tried in most sports and it isn't going to happen. But other than that, which ONE? Travel? Non-school competition during high school season? You know: If you could change one law it would be......

excardinal:
I think baseball and softball get around it because it's the summer. They're on the same contact rule as wrestling; once school's out it's unlimited contact.

No, he hasn't, trust me.

The one thing I would like most... For Sportsfan02 to crawl back under his rock and never come out again. To my knowledge he has never supported anything, researched anything, put any money out of his pocket into wrestling, etc. I would LOVE to hook up one on one with Sportsfan more than changing any rule that KSHSAA has in place.

Maybe,

It is hard for me to pinpoint one rule. My oldest son has three years left and I would like several to change for his benefit.

Colorado and Oklahoma have year round coach contact. Excardinal is correct. Lazy coaches are using this rule to protect their lack of interest. Make the rule state that coaches cannot MANDATE practice during the offseason. Simple as that. This rule is STUPID.

At least allow ONE trip outside of the 500 mile limit. Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Missouri, Texas, California, Florida, all permit travel beyond Kansas' limit.



Colorado, Iowa, Missouri, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Ohio, Indiana, etc. all have a single site hosting all of their HS state tournaments. College coaches WILL NOT scout our state tournaments because they are, in general, weak and splintered.

The KSHSAA voted down Grand State after two years. The Private effort know as the Sunflower Classic died after two years because kids didn't want to participate. Practice, coaching, weight, etc. played into that.

In Texas there are no match limits and kids can compete in tournaments anywhere, anytime. Indiana allows 60 to 70 matches per year.

Unlike Sportsfan I am not living on welfare or social security so I have to work to make a living and give back to the wrestling community. Sport0, put up or shut up. You are a disgrace to the forum.