Six major rule changes coming for high school wrestling in 2024-25

INDIANAPOLIS — On Thursday, the National Federation of High School Associations announced six major rule changes for high school wrestling moving forward.

Beginning with the 2024-25 season, wrestlers will be ruled inbounds with only one point of contact of either wrestler inside or on the boundary line. The two other notable changes include more points for near-falls and takedowns, allowing more scoring opportunities for wrestlers.

Other rule changes include changes to technical falls, the 10-foot-circle and the referee's timeout signal.

It is still unsure if the Minnesota State High School League will adopt these changes.

These six changes, affecting almost 30 rules, were recommended by the NFHS Wrestling Rules Committee at its April 1-3 meetings in Indianapolis. All recommended changes were subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors.

The most notable of these six are the one-contact rule and the changes to the scoring of the takedowns and nearfalls.

Previously, wrestlers were considered to be inbounds if a total of two supporting points of either wrestler were inside or on the boundary line. The two supporting points could be two supporting points of one wrestler or one supporting point of each wrestler inside or on the boundary line. The one-contact rule now aims to eliminate the subjectivity of the out-of-bounds call with the goal of providing more consistency and clarity for wrestlers, coaches and fans.

The other noteworthy changes include scoring.

Points awarded for a near-fall have been revised with the changes simplifying the points awarded based on how long the wrestler is held in near-fall criteria.

Officially tabbed Rule 5-11-3, it now states two points will be awarded when near-fall criteria are held for two seconds, three points for three seconds, four points for four seconds and five points if the defensive wrestler is injured, indicates an injury or bleeding occurs after the four-point near-fall has been earned.

Previously, wrestlers were awarded three points for a nearfall.

The hope is to have more wrestlers going for pins according to Elliot Hopkins — the NFHS director of sports and student services and liaison to the Wrestling Rules Committee.

“The goal in wrestling is to pin the opponent,” Hopkins said in a release by the NFHS. “Changing the near-fall points should motivate wrestlers to work for a fall.”

In another change in scoring rules, opportunities to earn more points will also be available when executing a takedown. Starting next year, wrestlers will be awarded three match points instead of two when securing a takedown.

A three-point takedown was implemented at the collegiate level this year and was met with great approval from wrestlers, coaches and fans. Many agreed that increasing the scoring for takedowns by an additional point enhanced the sport by rewarding offensive actions and risk-taking. That's the hope at the high school level as well.

In regardes to the technical fall, Rule 5-11-4a now states "if a takedown or reversal, straight to a near-fall criteria creates a 15-point advantage, the match shall continue until the near-fall criteria is no longer met. Conclusion of the near-fall criteria is immediate."

According to Hopkins and the NFHS, the change clarifies when the technical fall has concluded in relation to the near-fall criteria being met.

The two final major changes include making the 10-foot circle at the center of the mat now optional — wrestlers will be encouraged to stay in the center of the mat instead of within the circle — and the referee's timeout signal will now be signaled like many other sports with both hands/fingers pointing inward to the referee's chest.

A complete listing of the wrestling rules changes will be available on the NFHS website at www.nfhs.org . Click on “Activities & Sports” at the top of the home page and select “Wrestling.”

According to the 2022-23 NFHS High School Athletics Participation Survey, wrestling is the sixth-most popular sport for boys with 259,431 participants in 10,962 schools. It also continues to gain popularity among girls with 50,016 participants in 6,545 schools nationwide.