It's the thread you know you needed: 12 weights

[wrastle63]

Evan Wick started at 113
Zahid Valencia started at 106
Alex Dieringer started at 103
David Taylor started at 103
Kyle Dale started at 103.

These are just off the top of my head. They are all very small adults right.

[DocWrestling]

The first 3 weights in college are very small for an adult so it makes sense that they were at 106 as a freshman in high school.

I am actually surprised that there is not more of a push to move the college weights up a bit especially with all the weight cutting and worrying about managing number of weigh-ins in a season.  I think college wrestling could benefit by bumping up all weights 5 or 6 lbs except heavyweight.

I would not be against lowering heavyweight to 265. What percentage of our present heavyweights are above 265 or can't cut to 265?  I would like to see the bell curve for weight of guys just wrestling heavyweight.

[Ghetto]

In my never ending quest for 12 (but 13 is a step in the right direction) I offer this:

No more weight allowance. Let's be honest. Kids use it to cut to a lower weight, most of the time.

If there was no weight allowance, then the 12 weights could be:

112 (107 from above proposal is 110 at the end of the season)
119
126
133
141
149
157
165
177
190
210
285

I saw on Twitter a proposal to drop 285 to 265. Not sure how I feel about that, but his point was that grown men in the Olympics have to make 265 to wrestle heavyweight.

Awful. You cut out 106 which is a very competitive weight class to keep 220/215. The 13 weight class proposal combines 182, 195 and 220 Into 189 and 215. It also spread out the weights instead of just cutting the lowest weight. If you follow that same thread on twitter there are stats from national coaches meeting that most AAs and NCAA champs start their HS career at 106.

Again, I was going off the premise that the weight allowance is really a weight cutting allowance. 106 is really only 106 for the first third of competitions, then its 108 and 109, so really, 112 is moving the weight up 3 to 4 pounds. If it stays at 112 all season long, very few "bigger guys" are gonna cut to 112 in February.

The body fat data that I have been pulling together puts the lowest weight higher (114), so I thought I was erring on the side of the smaller guy.

[MNbadger]

Here is data (the curve you asked for).
We are choosing to throw away a good percentage of potential wrestlers.
https://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/data/set1clinical/cj41c021.pdf

The first 3 weights in college are very small for an adult so it makes sense that they were at 106 as a freshman in high school.

I am actually surprised that there is not more of a push to move the college weights up a bit especially with all the weight cutting and worrying about managing number of weigh-ins in a season.  I think college wrestling could benefit by bumping up all weights 5 or 6 lbs except heavyweight.

I would not be against lowering heavyweight to 265. What percentage of our present heavyweights are above 265 or can't cut to 265?  I would like to see the bell curve for weight of guys just wrestling heavyweight.

[DocWrestling]

Here is data (the curve you asked for).
We are choosing to throw away a good percentage of potential wrestlers.
https://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/data/set1clinical/cj41c021.pdf

The first 3 weights in college are very small for an adult so it makes sense that they were at 106 as a freshman in high school.

I am actually surprised that there is not more of a push to move the college weights up a bit especially with all the weight cutting and worrying about managing number of weigh-ins in a season.  I think college wrestling could benefit by bumping up all weights 5 or 6 lbs except heavyweight.

I would not be against lowering heavyweight to 265. What percentage of our present heavyweights are above 265 or can't cut to 265?  I would like to see the bell curve for weight of guys just wrestling heavyweight.

5% of 16 years old weigh less than 105.
5% of 17 year olds weigh less that 110
About 2% of 18 year olds weigh less than 112

All those kids would fit nicely in a 112 lb weight class...
**Even more so if there was no growth allowance
**Even more so if there was mat side weigh-ins
**Even more so if a wrestler had to weigh in below 112 for over 50% of his weigh-ins to be eligible to wrestle that weight class in state tournament series

[wrastle63]

In my never ending quest for 12 (but 13 is a step in the right direction) I offer this:

No more weight allowance. Let's be honest. Kids use it to cut to a lower weight, most of the time.

If there was no weight allowance, then the 12 weights could be:

112 (107 from above proposal is 110 at the end of the season)
119
126
133
141
149
157
165
177
190
210
285

I saw on Twitter a proposal to drop 285 to 265. Not sure how I feel about that, but his point was that grown men in the Olympics have to make 265 to wrestle heavyweight.

Awful. You cut out 106 which is a very competitive weight class to keep 220/215. The 13 weight class proposal combines 182, 195 and 220 Into 189 and 215. It also spread out the weights instead of just cutting the lowest weight. If you follow that same thread on twitter there are stats from national coaches meeting that most AAs and NCAA champs start their HS career at 106.

Again, I was going off the premise that the weight allowance is really a weight cutting allowance. 106 is really only 106 for the first third of competitions, then its 108 and 109, so really, 112 is moving the weight up 3 to 4 pounds. If it stays at 112 all season long, very few "bigger guys" are gonna cut to 112 in February.

The body fat data that I have been pulling together puts the lowest weight higher (114), so I thought I was erring on the side of the smaller guy.

But taking their body fat percentage number from the beginning of the season isn't an accurate representation. There are plenty of football players who are heavy coming into season and without cutting weight or skipping meals drop 10-20 pounds. Every year there are football players who say " I'm not cutting weight" and want to stay at what they weigh in the beginning of the season, but by mid year through hard work and conditioning they are down a weight class without even trying. That dramatically would change numbers.

[MNbadger]

In regard to your point, all but one of my "big guys" aren't.  They are actually over 30 % body fat readings.  I don't even put them out unless it is to take a forfeit.

In my never ending quest for 12 (but 13 is a step in the right direction) I offer this:

No more weight allowance. Let's be honest. Kids use it to cut to a lower weight, most of the time.

If there was no weight allowance, then the 12 weights could be:

112 (107 from above proposal is 110 at the end of the season)
119
126
133
141
149
157
165
177
190
210
285

I saw on Twitter a proposal to drop 285 to 265. Not sure how I feel about that, but his point was that grown men in the Olympics have to make 265 to wrestle heavyweight.

Awful. You cut out 106 which is a very competitive weight class to keep 220/215. The 13 weight class proposal combines 182, 195 and 220 Into 189 and 215. It also spread out the weights instead of just cutting the lowest weight. If you follow that same thread on twitter there are stats from national coaches meeting that most AAs and NCAA champs start their HS career at 106.

Again, I was going off the premise that the weight allowance is really a weight cutting allowance. 106 is really only 106 for the first third of competitions, then its 108 and 109, so really, 112 is moving the weight up 3 to 4 pounds. If it stays at 112 all season long, very few "bigger guys" are gonna cut to 112 in February.

The body fat data that I have been pulling together puts the lowest weight higher (114), so I thought I was erring on the side of the smaller guy.

But taking their body fat percentage number from the beginning of the season isn't an accurate representation. There are plenty of football players who are heavy coming into season and without cutting weight or skipping meals drop 10-20 pounds. Every year there are football players who say " I'm not cutting weight" and want to stay at what they weigh in the beginning of the season, but by mid year through hard work and conditioning they are down a weight class without even trying. That dramatically would change numbers.

[Numbers]

I'll just drop this here....

The NFHS Wrestling Rules Committee has made some rule change proposals for the 2020-2021 wrestling season. These are condensed changes and are NOT official but have been proposed and are being looked at as possibilities.

ART. 1 . . . The competition shall be in the following weight classes:

107 lbs.

114 lbs.

121 lbs.

128 lbs.

134 lbs.

140 lbs.

146 lbs.

152 lbs.

160 lbs.

172 lbs.

189 lbs.

215 lbs.

285 lbs.

NFHS Rationale:

After analysis of a national survey conducted by NWCA, the following information is offered in support of a reduction to 13 weight classes:

· 37 states responded to the survey with 68% indicating a desire to see a reduction of wt classes;

· The proposal removes one weight class from the top of the current weight classes and bumps up lower weight classes by only one pound;

· 50% of the weight classes fall in the 'window' where 50% of the wrestlers are eligible to compete according to their weight plans;

· 13 weight classes provide a natural tie-breaker for dual meets;

· One of the primary speaking points heard from coaches and parents is the concern of losing or raising the lower weight classes; this proposal minimally impacts the bottom weight classes while maintaining an equal distribution of wrestlers throughout all classes.

There are also proposed weight classes for Girls Wrestling.

100 lbs., 106 lbs., 112 lbs., 118 lbs., 124 lbs., 130 lbs., 136 lbs., 142 lbs., 148 lbs., 155 lbs., 170 lbs., 190 lbs., 235 lbs.

So we might be going back to where we were about 30 years ago except changing 130 to 215?  Just adjusting a few other weight classes by 2 or 3 pounds.

[Wis-Mallard]

I can't figure out why people are so upset why a 102 pound freshman kid has to wrestle 109 or 112 pound kid. A 230 pound heavyweight is just as undersized wrestling a full sized heavy.  Will be interesting to see if 13 weights are adopted.

I'm sure Taylor, Valencia and others would have been fine at 110 or 112 as a freshman.

[MNbadger]

There is a bigger difference at the lower weight.  It is a bigger percentage of their total weight.

I can't figure out why people are so upset why a 102 pound freshman kid has to wrestle 109 or 112 pound kid. A 230 pound heavyweight is just as undersized wrestling a full sized heavy.  Will be interesting to see if 13 weights are adopted.

I'm sure Taylor, Valencia and others would have been fine at 110 or 112 as a freshman.

[MNbadger]

I will make some predictions assuming we undergo retraction and raise the lowest weight class;
#1 We will see a decrease in the number of wrestlers over the next five years after twenty plus years of slow but steady increases.
#2 The finish order of the majority of conferences will be the same after retraction as before retraction.
#3 We will see a decrease in the quality of wrestling overall.

[littleguy301]

In my never ending quest for 12 (but 13 is a step in the right direction) I offer this:

No more weight allowance. Let's be honest. Kids use it to cut to a lower weight, most of the time.

If there was no weight allowance, then the 12 weights could be:

112 (107 from above proposal is 110 at the end of the season)
119
126
133
141
149
157
165
177
190
210
285

I saw on Twitter a proposal to drop 285 to 265. Not sure how I feel about that, but his point was that grown men in the Olympics have to make 265 to wrestle heavyweight.

I could get behind this only if you add a 13th weight kn the lower end. I still feel there is a need for the light weight guys.

I see at state every year some real good wrestling in those middle to upper weight classes.

[Wis-Mallard]

The % difference from 102 and 109 is 6.64%. Light heavyweight at 230 and 285 is 21.36%. An 88 pond kid is 21.32% different than a 109 pounder.

Just think of poor 220 moved up to wrestle heavyweight. I know the big guys have some fluff that is a huge difference.

[factfinder]

Anyone that doesn't understand why we have or why we need 14 weight classes does not understand how wrestling or high school sports work.

First we have to understand that wrestling is not a team sport but we try and function like a team sport!!!
Example - The dumbest FF solution I hear is "go to college weights and 3 weights below" with this logic applied to other sports then linebacker's in HS would all weigh 235 and they would be 6'3 just like in college, and in Basketball HS point guards would all be 6'4 like in college?
In team sport they have positions that are not determined by size or weight and kids slowly grow in to these positions between their  freshman year and potentially through college years as well. So a 5'8 135 pound freshman playing linebacker will likely be 5'11 and 185lbs his senior year and still playing linebacker. In team sports they don't need to worry about the bell curve of growth because you do not need to be a size or weight to play any position, they typically find a way to get the best kids on the field,court,rink.
Because wrestling is not a team sport we have 14 weight classes to take into account the 4 bell curves.
The average freshman weigh's 135 so the bell curve would be from 105-160.
The average sophomore weighs 160 so the bell curve would be from 132 - 195
The average junior weighs 170 so the bell curve would be from 145 - 220
The average senior weighs 180 so the bell curve would be from 152 - HWT.
I guess if we are inappropriate term3 bent on forcing wrestling to look like a team sport with duals (duals are fun) then we need to understand FF are a necessary part of the sport to allow for the natural growth pattern. Or Wisconsin could do what other states have done to maintain participation numbers and co-op, or spend more time building a k-12 program.

[wrastle63]

The % difference from 102 and 109 is 6.64%. Light heavyweight at 230 and 285 is 21.36%. An 88 pond kid is 21.32% different than a 109 pounder.

Just think of poor 220 moved up to wrestle heavyweight. I know the big guys have some fluff that is a huge difference.

Lol yea if your HWT is 285 there aren't many that are. Plus your talking about bumping a 220 up. Of course the percentage is going to be higher. Great argument