Rule changes allow for more offense, less MRSA
High School rule changes for 07-08
By Sean Garner
Michigan Grappler.com
A new season is upon and with any new season comes a variety of
new and modified rules.
2007-08 brings a litany of rule changes by the National Federation
of State High School Association (NFHS), most with the intent of
either protecting the wrestlers or creating livelier action. Perhaps,
the most interesting new rule has to do with the optional start from
referee’s position.
In the past, it has always been customary for a wrestler on top
position to flash a triangle signal, indicating that he wished to start
from a freestyle par terre position as opposed to a folkstyle
referee’s position. The top wrestler would then let the bottom
wrestler go, giving the bottom wrestler one point for the escape
and the opportunity to wrestle from a neutral position.
Starting this season, however, a top wrestler can simply indicate to the official, after going out of bounds, that he would like to start neutral and simply give his opponent a point.
Waterford Kettering head coach Fred Jensen says this rule change will add a new dynamic to high school wrestling.
“This will give the offensive wrestler at least five or ten seconds more to score,” Jensen said. “The bottom guy won’t be able to just grab a leg and stall any more, so he better be prepared to wrestle on his feet.”
The NFHS has also amended its policy on correcting scoring errors. Previously, a mistake by either the referee or scorekeeper had to be corrected before the beginning of the following period. Now, any scoring error from any part of the match may be challenged as long as the wrestler has not left the mat area. Conversely, outcomes may not be appealed once the wrestlers have left the wrestling area.
“I think they are just trying to clear things up, because a lot of times you get arguments later on in the day,” Jensen said. “I think they are just trying to speed things up and make sure the coaches are aware that they better take care of business right then and there.
The NFHS has also instituted an optional policy regarding the random draw. Tournaments now have the option of drawing a new weight for the championship finals at Saturday tournaments. Jensen’s best interpretation is that the re-draw would not extend to matches in the consolation bracket.
“You wouldn’t have to worry about wrestlers at the lower end of the draw wrestling and then have to wrestle right away,” Jensen said. “Those guys wrestling in the finals would have just been sitting around for a couple hours.”
Other newly instituted rules for the upcoming season include, a mandate that oral braces must be covered with a mouth guard and a simpler default procedure. The coach can now simply inform the referee that his wrestler wishes to default as opposed to the previous procedure which required the wrestler to continue wrestling prior to the expiration of allotted injury time.
The NFHS is also making a point of emphasis of controlling communicable skin diseases. With the recent nationwide outbreak of a deadly strand of Staph infection known as Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus (MRSA), the NFHS wants to make sure meet hosts are adequately able to respond to any unsanitary conditions that may arise.
“It is imperative to have clean wrestling mats and to have readily available the proper means for cleaning and disposing of body fluids,” the NFHS says. “If the transmission of communicable diseases is going to be controlled, the issue of prevention needs to be addressed in the practice room as well as in competitive situations.”
Jensen, a native of Minnesota, which suspended wrestling in the entire state due to a severe outbreak of MRSA, knows all too well the serious threat a lack of sanitation can pose.
“We absolutely always wipe the mats down before and after practice,” Jensen said. “With this new MRSA virus, I might even mop the walls down. I talked to people back home when they shut the whole state down for two weeks; no matches, no practices, nothing for two whole weeks. I would rather be conscious of it right away and do whatever it takes to keep the mats clean than have to deal with the consequences later on.”
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