There’s been some pretty big changes made for the 2024-2025 high school wrestling season. The NFHS Wrestling Rules Committee is responsible for recommending the new rule changes for the upcoming wrestling season. In my opinion, the new changes will definitely take some getting use to.
The biggest change is the three point takedown. I started wrestling back in 1976. Two points for a takedown is all I have ever known. Is it possible for us to get use to hearing the loud cheers of Threeeeeeeee!!! Well, I guess we will need to get ready for that because it’s coming for the 2024-2025 season.
Another significant change for the 2024-2025 season will be this: Wrestlers will now be considered inbounds with just one point of contact of either wrestler inside or on the boundary line instead of the two points of contact that has always been in use. Elliott Hopkins, the NFHS director of sports and student services and the liaison to the Wrestling Rules Committee said ” Without increasing risk, this change eliminates the subjectivity of the out-of-bounds call.” He further stated “The change also helps officials to call ‘out of bounds’ more consistently, and it provides wrestlers, coaches and spectators a better understanding of out of bounds.”
Another change which will affect scoring is the way points are to be scored for near-falls. The new rule reads: 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.
I personally feel the new near-fall scoring will create more major decisions and tech falls. If a wrestler hits another wrestler with a head and arm or other type of throw, that wrestler has the ability for it to be a 7 point move. I think we will see some higher scoring matches with the new near-fall scoring rules.
The 10-foot circle in the center of the wrestling mat is now optional. The rule was amended to say the wrestlers should stay in the “center of the mat” instead of “the ten foot circle”. I don’t see this one as being a major change and it shouldn’t change the way a match is wrestled too much.
Finally, the committee approved a new Referee’s Time-Out Signal. The signal, which is used in many other sports, is both hands/fingers pointing inward to the referee’s chest.
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.