A change in overtime and an increase in the heaviest weight class are two of the revisions adopted for next season for high school wrestling.
Alan Beste of the Iowa High School Athletic Association says the limit on the heavyweight class has been increased from 275 pounds to 285. It is the first change in that class since 1987. Beste says more kids are bigger and stronger with weight room work and he says they don’t want to eliminate those kids.
Beste says while their could be even bigger mismatches in terms of weight it was important to allow for high school kids to take part in the sport. He says the coaches have enough integrity to not put a kid who weighs 191 against a kid who weights 285, unless the smaller kid is capable of handling the bigger kid.
A potential of one additional minute of overtime has been approved. Beginning next season, if the score remains tied at the end of a one-minute overtime two 30-second overtime periods will be held and if needed a 30-second sudden victory period would follow.
Beste says the changes make it less likely that chance will decide a match. Beste says some wrestlers are better on their feet and some are better in the down position and he says each wrestler should have the opportunity to do what they do best. Beste says it will take out the argument that someone lost over a choice based on the flip of a disc. Several states experimented with the new overtime rule this past season.