By August Zangrilli, Staff Reporter
On Nov. 7, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) released rule changes for PIAA wrestling. These changes include tweaks to mat formatting, referee signals and scoring. The NFHS added these changes to better follow the NCAA college wrestling rules, and will implement these rules into the 2024-25 season.
Though there are numerous changes, the largest ones determine the way matches are scored. Head coach Gary Baker described some of the specific changes that were made to the scoring system.
“The most significant changes are to how takedowns are scored,” Baker said. “Takedowns have always been two points, and now they are three. They also changed the points when you’re holding someone and their back is turned to you. They made it so the amount of points changes based on how many seconds you are holding them for. That will definitely change the strategy for most wrestlers.”
Senior wrestler Augie Mullin believes the rule changes will be most helpful to those looking to wrestle at the collegiate level.
“I like the idea of doing what college does. It will help people who want to wrestle in college get ready for that,” Mullin said. “It will be easy for the better guys to win matches.”
He believes the rules will affect wrestlers’ strategies and that the changes will benefit Conestoga.
“It will help drive a lot of kids to get better, especially in tight matches,” Mullin said. “Even if you are down a lot, you can still come back. It will motivate kids, knowing that there are a lot of points to be scored. We also drill on our feet a lot, so the idea of being neutral all the time is beneficial to us.”
The rules have been in the works for months leading up to the season, with the official announcement on Nov. 7. Baker discusses the timeline for the changes and what prompted them.
“There had been rumors of (the changes) for quite some time,” Baker said. “We wanted it to be consolidated for guys who want to wrestle in college, so that it would all be the same. High schools in other states were beginning to implement these changes, and we were just waiting for the word here in Pennsylvania before it was made official before the season started.”
With the changes, Baker is hopeful for the prospect of the team going to states. He believes the team could have a successful season.
“If we fill a few holes, I think we have a very high chance of winning the Central League,” Baker said. “I also think that we could get a reasonable three or four athletes to states this year, which would be a team record.”
August Zangrilli can be reached at [email protected].
