Weight Allowance is Dumb!!! Change my mind PLEASE

[MatScoutWillie]

Why does WI give a weight allowance after Christmas and then another pound before Regionals.  I think it's pointless.  People who are in favor of it, please tell me why.  I am trying to be open minded about it, but I'm having a hard time finding reasons to agree with it.  Thanks

[madeyson]

Why does WI give a weight allowance after Christmas and then another pound before Regionals.  I think it's pointless.  People who are in favor of it, please tell me why.  I am trying to be open minded about it, but I'm having a hard time finding reasons to agree with it.  Thanks

Isn't that the NHSCA rules/guidelines? Wasn't aware that was a Wisconsin only rule?

[aarons23]

Why does WI give a weight allowance after Christmas and then another pound before Regionals.  I think it's pointless.  People who are in favor of it, please tell me why.  I am trying to be open minded about it, but I'm having a hard time finding reasons to agree with it.  Thanks

Isn't that the NHSCA rules/guidelines? Wasn't aware that was a Wisconsin only rule?

Mn gets weight allowance also.

[ChargerDad]

Why does WI give a weight allowance after Christmas and then another pound before Regionals.  I think it's pointless.  People who are in favor of it, please tell me why.  I am trying to be open minded about it, but I'm having a hard time finding reasons to agree with it.  Thanks

The NFHS rulebook allows for the growth allowance, but I don't believe specifies it as a requirement.  I think the intent would be that it allows growing boys to grow during the course of the season.  The reality is, it just leads to more cutting at the end of the season.  I think we should consider granting the allowance only to wrestlers who have made scratch weight at one point.  Seems logical, that if the intent is to have a "growth" allowance, that it should apply to pounds of gain from the scratch weight, not just a closer weight class to the higher one to cut down for, but maybe that's just me.  I have absolutely no problem with kids dropping late now with the allowance because these are the rules they are living by, I just wish they were different.

[Takedown Bro]

Why does WI give a weight allowance after Christmas and then another pound before Regionals.  I think it's pointless.  People who are in favor of it, please tell me why.  I am trying to be open minded about it, but I'm having a hard time finding reasons to agree with it.  Thanks

The NFHS rulebook allows for the growth allowance, but I don't believe specifies it as a requirement.  I think the intent would be that it allows growing boys to grow during the course of the season.  The reality is, it just leads to more cutting at the end of the season.  I think we should consider granting the allowance only to wrestlers who have made scratch weight at one point.  Seems logical, that if the intent is to have a "growth" allowance, that it should apply to pounds of gain from the scratch weight, not just a closer weight class to the higher one to cut down for, but maybe that's just me.  I have absolutely no problem with kids dropping late now with the allowance because these are the rules they are living by, I just wish they were different.

+1

[madeyson]

Why does WI give a weight allowance after Christmas and then another pound before Regionals.  I think it's pointless.  People who are in favor of it, please tell me why.  I am trying to be open minded about it, but I'm having a hard time finding reasons to agree with it.  Thanks

The NFHS rulebook allows for the growth allowance, but I don't believe specifies it as a requirement.  I think the intent would be that it allows growing boys to grow during the course of the season.  The reality is, it just leads to more cutting at the end of the season.  I think we should consider granting the allowance only to wrestlers who have made scratch weight at one point.  Seems logical, that if the intent is to have a "growth" allowance, that it should apply to pounds of gain from the scratch weight, not just a closer weight class to the higher one to cut down for, but maybe that's just me.  I have absolutely no problem with kids dropping late now with the allowance because these are the rules they are living by, I just wish they were different.

I believe some states do this - believe there was a wrestler at the Cheesehead this weekend that possibly didn't wrestle because of this (not from WI). Seems like a reasonable rule. I believe the logic today is minimum weight testing - establishes your weight at 7% body fat - that establishes your baseline - growth starts from there?

[wrastle63]

Why does WI give a weight allowance after Christmas and then another pound before Regionals.  I think it's pointless.  People who are in favor of it, please tell me why.  I am trying to be open minded about it, but I'm having a hard time finding reasons to agree with it.  Thanks

The NFHS rulebook allows for the growth allowance, but I don't believe specifies it as a requirement.  I think the intent would be that it allows growing boys to grow during the course of the season.  The reality is, it just leads to more cutting at the end of the season.  I think we should consider granting the allowance only to wrestlers who have made scratch weight at one point.  Seems logical, that if the intent is to have a "growth" allowance, that it should apply to pounds of gain from the scratch weight, not just a closer weight class to the higher one to cut down for, but maybe that's just me.  I have absolutely no problem with kids dropping late now with the allowance because these are the rules they are living by, I just wish they were different.

Charger Dad nailed it. It is meant so teams can plan and kids don't get pushed out because they are growing like most HS aged kids do. BUT most kids use it to cut down to a lower weight class. When do most kids go down? At Christmas when it is easier and they get 2lbs. I agree, to get the growth allowance you should have to make the scratch weight class at least one time.

[padre]

Why does WI give a weight allowance after Christmas and then another pound before Regionals.  I think it's pointless.  People who are in favor of it, please tell me why.  I am trying to be open minded about it, but I'm having a hard time finding reasons to agree with it.  Thanks

The NFHS rulebook allows for the growth allowance, but I don't believe specifies it as a requirement.  I think the intent would be that it allows growing boys to grow during the course of the season.  The reality is, it just leads to more cutting at the end of the season.  I think we should consider granting the allowance only to wrestlers who have made scratch weight at one point.  Seems logical, that if the intent is to have a "growth" allowance, that it should apply to pounds of gain from the scratch weight, not just a closer weight class to the higher one to cut down for, but maybe that's just me.  I have absolutely no problem with kids dropping late now with the allowance because these are the rules they are living by, I just wish they were different.

👍👍👍

Been saying same for years.

[GradeTough]

Why does WI give a weight allowance after Christmas and then another pound before Regionals.  I think it's pointless.  People who are in favor of it, please tell me why.  I am trying to be open minded about it, but I'm having a hard time finding reasons to agree with it.  Thanks

The NFHS rulebook allows for the growth allowance, but I don't believe specifies it as a requirement.  I think the intent would be that it allows growing boys to grow during the course of the season.  The reality is, it just leads to more cutting at the end of the season.  I think we should consider granting the allowance only to wrestlers who have made scratch weight at one point.  Seems logical, that if the intent is to have a "growth" allowance, that it should apply to pounds of gain from the scratch weight, not just a closer weight class to the higher one to cut down for, but maybe that's just me.  I have absolutely no problem with kids dropping late now with the allowance because these are the rules they are living by, I just wish they were different.

+1

I like the idea that you have to at least have made the weight once. I would even say a minimum of half your matches. Because kids that truly are that weight would benefit from allowance.

Otherwise the intent is lost. Hard to justify growth if a kid never made the weight.

[asdfg]

Think it is good concept, but flawed execution.  Agree it should be that scratch weight must be met first.  And I would somehow make it for more then just 1 time.

Also that the 1.5% weekly max cut along with the 2#/1# growth allowance is the same amounts/percentages given to you whether you are 106# or 182# is a huge error.  These flaws encourage the smaller weight group kids to cut when they are the ones most likely to have the least amount the give.

Just need to look at the state rankings of kids after Xmas with 4-5 kids dropping a weight class to see that it encourages weight cuts more then growth allowance.

[Handles II]

For the kids that grow, I think this is a good allowance. We have one kid who appears to have gained an inch in height since November.
However it isn't always used that way...BUT wrestling coaches/parents. We should remember that if we are doing things correctly, our wrestlers SHOULD be building weight in muscle, which weighs more than fat by volume.  IMO that is an aspect of the weight allowance that is highly overlooked by far too many people when discussing this topic.

I'm hoping by now you are seeing on your wrestlers some more muscle. Slap a 1/4lb of burger on each deltoid, another 1/4 on the bicep/tricep, 1/2 lb on each glute and each thigh, and we now have something that we didn't a few months ago. Let's not forget that.

I do prefer the method that MN uses, whereas after Jan 15 a wrestler must weigh in at (they don't have to wrestle at) the weight class they are planning to be at for Regionals (Sections for them) at least 50% of the time.  If they don't, they are not qualified to wrestle at that weight for post-season events.  I feel this can help both the wrestler, parents, coaches and outlook of the sport, by making it a weight-management system rather than a weight cutting situation.

[1Iota]

I do prefer the method that MN uses, whereas after Jan 15 a wrestler must weigh in at (they don't have to wrestle at) the weight class they are planning to be at for Regionals (Sections for them) at least 50% of the time.  If they don't, they are not qualified to wrestle at that weight for post-season events.  I feel this can help both the wrestler, parents, coaches and outlook of the sport, by making it a weight-management system rather than a weight cutting situation.

I would love this, and yes it would serve to dramatically reduce the end of season cutting.  We all know stories of kids that never wrestle all season at the weight class they wrestle at regionals.  It is not uncommon, and we all know this, for kids to weigh 20-25lbs heavier a few weeks after State. 

[bulldog]

I do prefer the method that MN uses, whereas after Jan 15 a wrestler must weigh in at (they don't have to wrestle at) the weight class they are planning to be at for Regionals (Sections for them) at least 50% of the time.  If they don't, they are not qualified to wrestle at that weight for post-season events.  I feel this can help both the wrestler, parents, coaches and outlook of the sport, by making it a weight-management system rather than a weight cutting situation.

I am not against the weigh in 50% of the time concept but for discussion sake...why pick Jan 15? Why not weigh in 50% of the time at the weight you want to wrestle all season? If you look at a calendar...January 15th...you have 3 weeks before the the tournament series...so a wrestler maybe has 3-5 weigh ins before the tournament series starts.

My point would be if you need the 2 pound allowance after January to make that weight you shouldn't be at that weight. But I also do feel that good hard practices November and December will take off some of the "off season" and "football" fat and by mid December many kids are down weight that they would have struggled to take off at the beginning of the season

[DocWrestling]

I hate growth allowance and even extra pounds for consecutive days.  All rules that benefit the kid that cuts the most.  Yes it may hurt a couple kids that grow but then they have to cut.  As far as coaches planning out, that is silly.  Simply pick weight classes at beginning of year they can grow into and coaches would know there is no growth allowance.

Making scratch weight once would not make any sense as that would be easy to do.  I do like the Minnesota rule but would take it even further and make kids weigh in at the weight class they want to wrestle at regionals at least 90% of all weigh ins 30 days after the season starts. 

Wrestling needs to stop rewarding the kids that cut the most, especially those that only cut down at the end of the season.
Reward the kids that pick the proper weight class early in year and grow into it and can make weight all season and even make scratch weight on consecutive days.

Need to get away from this notion that we need kids to weigh 145.0 to wrestle 145. 

It makes no sense that the 106 lb state champion will weigh in on championship Sunday 111 lbs and then likely weigh 115 lbs when he takes the mat at 6pm that night.   We are all just pretending and fooling ourselves and making things way too complicated.

[Handles II]

I do prefer the method that MN uses, whereas after Jan 15 a wrestler must weigh in at (they don't have to wrestle at) the weight class they are planning to be at for Regionals (Sections for them) at least 50% of the time.  If they don't, they are not qualified to wrestle at that weight for post-season events.  I feel this can help both the wrestler, parents, coaches and outlook of the sport, by making it a weight-management system rather than a weight cutting situation.

I am not against the weigh in 50% of the time concept but for discussion sake...why pick Jan 15? Why not weigh in 50% of the time at the weight you want to wrestle all season? If you look at a calendar...January 15th...you have 3 weeks before the the tournament series...so a wrestler maybe has 3-5 weigh ins before the tournament series starts.

My point would be if you need the 2 pound allowance after January to make that weight you shouldn't be at that weight. But I also do feel that good hard practices November and December will take off some of the "off season" and "football" fat and by mid December many kids are down weight that they would have struggled to take off at the beginning of the season

Bulldog, I understand your sentiment, but to go back to what I said about gaining muscle, it's honestly not a stretch to say that a kid may go from a fall sport (or none) to gaining 2lbs of muscle in wrestling. Therefore their bodyfat to lean muscle is different in January than when they tested in November, or a kid that grows an inch taller.  It may be that had they been as muscular in November that they wouldn't qualify for that weight class they are now at.

I get what you are saying but I'd personally rather err on the side of; Lets help these kids get in shape, build strength, and keep the 2 lbs but adjust how we are able to use it so that as to your argument it isn't a quick drop right at Regionals. 

If a kid wants to go scratch weight all season, well, they get that chance at the collegiate level if they choose.