Less Boring, More Scoring: Why High School Wrestling Rules Should Be More Like College

Ah, wrestling rules. They're like a box of chocolates - you never know what you're gonna get. At every level they seem to change. I have a solution: let's adopt college wrestling rules in high school! Could we do this? With a little effort we could. If you’re thinking “it would be too hard” just stop reading and go back on grandpas message board.

I mean, who isn’t excited about the three-point takedown? This would encourage our high school wrestlers to take bigger risks and score more points! And while we're at it, let's change how we score near falls so it that mirrors college wrestling. Because who doesn't love high scoring matches? I mean besides the coaches, those matches cause gray hairs.

Let's face it, people want to see points. Scoring makes it exciting! Nobody wants to watch a 3-2 match where the only thing happening is a bunch of stall calls. If we want to bring in fans and grow the sport, we've got to score points. It's as simple as that. "Are you not entertained? Is this not why you are here?" from the movie gladiator. You want to pack the stands, make it entertaining.

Adopting college rules would also help to familiarize high schoolers. It would give high school wrestlers a chance to get used to the rule set they'll face in college, potentially even setting them up for a more successful freshman year. Wouldn’t it be nice to get more of those true freshman on the mat? So really, adopting college wrestling rules in high school is a win-win!

But it's not just about excitement - wait yes it is. With more consistent rules about what constitutes in bounds or out of bounds, college wrestling rules would make things clearer. No more confusion or frustration about what’s in and what’s out. Is he/she in bounds or out of bounds? No more squirming out of bounds to get off your back. And, no more officials staring at your knees while you’re pinning somebody on the edge of the mat. Think about this, adopting college’s in bounds rules, there would be more falls at tournaments. And, more falls means a faster tournament!

So come on, NFHS, let's make some changes! If officials can wear gray and white trim on their shoes, surely we can adopt college wrestling rules too. Let's inject some excitement into high school wrestling and give the fans what they want. Let's score some points, make some noise, and be entertained!