In most styles of wrestling, opponents are matched based on weight class.

Olympic and international weight classes

In international competition, men's freestyle wrestling, men's Greco-Roman wrestling, and female wrestling utilize the following weight classes as of 2018:[1][2]

Men's freestyle wrestling

Men's Greco-Roman wrestling

Women's wrestling

International youth weight classes

For men's freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling

As of 2019, international freestyle wrestling and Greco-Roman wrestling for male youths are divided into three age categories: U15, cadets, and juniors.[3]

U15 (male youths aged 14–15, as well as male youths at age 13 with a medical certificate and parental authorization) compete in freestyle and/or Greco-Roman wrestling in the following 10 weight classes:[3]

Cadets (male youths aged 16–17, as well as male youths at age 15 with a medical certificate and parental authorization) compete in freestyle wrestling and/or Greco-Roman wrestling in the following 10 weight classes:[3]

Juniors (men aged 18 to 20, as well as male youths at age 17 with a medical certificate and parental authorization) compete in freestyle wrestling and/or Greco-Roman wrestling in the following weight classes:[3]

Juniors over the age of 18 are allowed to participate in senior competitions with a medical certificate.[4]

For women's freestyle wrestling

As of 2019, female youth compete in freestyle wrestling on an international level in one of four age categories: U15, cadets, and juniors.[3]

U15 (female youths aged 14–15, and female youths at age 13 with a medical certificate and parental authorization) compete in freestyle wrestling in the following 10 weight classes:[3]

Cadets (female youths aged 16–17, and female youths at age 15 with a medical certificate and parental authorization) compete in freestyle wrestling in the following 10 weight classes:[3]

Juniors (female youths aged 18 to 20, and female youths at age 17 with a medical certificate and parental authorization) compete in freestyle wrestling in the following eight weight classes:[3]

Scholastic weight classes in the United States

Elementary school

Elementary school students competing in wrestling have multiple ways weight classes are determined.

  1. "Madison system" - This is a popular tournament format where there are no weight classes and the tournament director pairs wrestlers into brackets (usually 8 or 16 man) based on weight at weigh-ins. This is a popular method because it discourages "weight cutting" in young athletes.[5]
  2. Division-based system - In this system, the tournament director separates athletes by age (ex: Grade 2 and under, Grade 4 and under, and Grade 6 and under), and by weight class. Weight class and division is at the tournament director's discretion.[citation needed]
  3. Pure-weight based system - In this system, the athletes are not divided by age but rather just by weight class. This is rarely used because it pairs younger, less experienced athletes with older, more experienced athletes.[citation needed]

Middle school

Wrestling weight classes for middle (junior high) school in the United States vary from state to state and are not regulated by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). The weight classes regulated by the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) are the following:[6]

High school

Beginning 2023-2024 season

As of the 2023-2024 season, each state must select one of three sets of weight classes (12, 13, or 14 weight classes) provided by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) for high school competition in the United States, one for boys competition (which includes girls wrestling boys) and another for girls competition.[7]

Boys competition weight classes

If a state chooses to use twelve weight classes for boys competition, the weight classes are as follows:

If a state chooses to use thirteen weight classes for boys competition, the weight classes are as follows:

If a state chooses to use fourteen weight classes for boys competition, the weight classes are as follows:

Girls competition weight classes

If a state chooses to use twelve weight classes for girls competition, the weight classes are as follows:

If a state chooses to use thirteen weight classes for girls competition, the weight classes are as follows:

If a state chooses to use fourteen weight classes for girls competition, the weight classes are as follows:

Exceptions

In boy's wrestling, New York uses a modified 13 weight class set, that uses the same weight classes of the 12 weight class set with the addition of a 101 pound weight class.[8]

Before 2023-2024 season

Prior to the 2023-2024 wrestling season high school students in the United States competing in scholastic wrestling did so in the following 14 weight classes set by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS):[9]

Other states had additional or modified weight classes, such as:

Collegiate weight classes in the United States

College and university students in the United States competing in collegiate wrestling do so in the following 10 weight classes set by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA):[15]

Also:

The NCWA has also approved the following eight weight classes for its women's division, which uses collegiate rules instead of the freestyle ruleset used in NCAA-recognized women's wrestling:[17]

Women's college wrestling is also governed by the Women's Collegiate Wrestling Association (WCWA), an arm of the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA). The WCWA uses freestyle rules instead of collegiate rules. Freestyle wrestling became an NCAA-recognized sport as part of the Emerging Sports for Women program in 2020–21. The WCWA currently has 10 weight classes:[18]

See also

References

  1. ^ FILA announces new Olympic and non-Olympic weight classes and rule changes The Mat, TeamUSA, 17 December 2013
  2. ^ "New Weight Categories, 2018 Host Cities Among Wrestling's Bureau Announcements". United World Wrestling. 25 August 2017. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h United World Wrestling (January 2019). "Article 7 – Age, Weight and Competition Categories" (PDF). unitedworldwrestling.org.
  4. ^ the law
  5. ^ "Madison Weight System" (PDF).
  6. ^ "SPECIFIC REGULATIONS - 7th-8th grades" (PDF). ohsaa.org.
  7. ^ Johnson, Stuart (2021-04-20). "NFHS Giving State High School Associations Choices For Number Of Wrestling Weight Classes Beginning in 2023-24". Northwest MO Info. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
  8. ^ "New York high school wrestling weights to change again". WETM - MyTwinTiers.com. 2023-02-02. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
  9. ^ "NFHS announces minor changes to the rules". lockhaven.com. Retrieved 2021-01-06.
  10. ^ New York State Public High School Athletic Association (2010-08-01). "2010-2012 NYSPHSAA Handbook" (PDF). pp. 122-23. NYSPHSAA. Retrieved 2011-08-14.
  11. ^ a b Montana High School Association (2010-08-01). "2010-11 Montana High School Association Handbook" (PDF). p. 205. MHSA. Retrieved 2011-08-14.
  12. ^ "PIAA unanimously approves weight class change to 13 for high school wrestling". lockhaven.com. Retrieved 2021-01-06.
  13. ^ Michigan High School Athletic Association (2019). "2019-20 WRESTLING RULES CHANGES, REVISIONS & REMINDERS" (PDF). p. 1. MHSAA. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  14. ^ "Coaches laud additions, changes for 2022-23 wrestling season". kshsaacovered.com. Retrieved 2022-06-22.
  15. ^ National Collegiate Athletic Association (2008-08-01). "2009 NCAA Wrestling Rules and Interpretations" (PDF). p. WR-10. NCAA. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 19, 2009. Retrieved 2008-10-30.
  16. ^ The minimum allowed weight for the Heavyweight class is 184 lb for the NCWA. "2008-09 NCWA Wrestling Plan" (PDF). p. 14. NCWA. 2008-09-01. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-12-19. Retrieved 2008-11-20.
  17. ^ a b National Collegiate Wrestling Association (2008-09-01). "2008-09 NCWA Wrestling Plan" (PDF). p. 14. NCWA. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-12-19. Retrieved 2008-11-20.
  18. ^ "Facts about women's wrestling". Augsburg Auggies. April 15, 2019. Retrieved January 18, 2021.

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