
Berlin’s Mason Arborio, right, takes South Windsor’s Kyden Merlin to the mat in the finals of the Central Connecticut Conference tournament in February. Arboroio won the 120 pound final.
Get ready for some higher scoring matches in the 2024-25 season.
The National Federation of High Schools has approved nearly 30 rules recommendations from the NFHS’s wrestling committee, the NFHS said in a news release. The rule changes were approved by the NFHS’s Board of Directors. The CIAC’s wrestling committee, which meets in May, still has to review and approve the recommendations from the NFHS and if they will be used in Connecticut.
Beginning next season, takedowns will be worth three points instead of two and wrestlers will be able to earn two-to-five points on near fall calls.
Two near fall points will be awarded when the near fall criteria are held for two seconds, three points for three seconds, four points for four seconds and five points if the defensive wrestler is injured or bleeding after the four-point criteria has been met.
“The goal in wrestling is to pin the opponent,” said Elliot Hopkins, NFHS director of sports and student services and liaison to the Wrestling Rules Committee. “Changing the near-fall points should motivate wrestlers to work for a fall.”
Changes were made to rules regarding out-of-bounds. Beginning next season, high school wrestlers will be inbounds with only one point of contact by the wrestler or their opponent inside or on the boundary line.
Previously, high school wrestlers were considered inbounds if a total of two supporting points of either wrestler were inside or on the boundary line. The two supporting points could be two supporting points of one wrestler or one supporting point of each wrestler inside or on the boundary line.
“Without increasing risk, this change eliminates the subjectivity of the out-of-bounds call,” Hopkins said. “The change also helps officials to call ‘out of bounds’ more consistently, and it provides wrestlers, coaches and spectators a better understanding of out of bounds.”
In another change, the 10-foot circle at the center of wrestling mats is now optional. Wrestlers now will be encouraged to “stay in the center of the mat” instead of within the 10-foot circle.
“The committee determined that the starting lines of a mat indicate the center of the mat and the 10-foot circle is no longer needed,” Hopkins said. “With the new mat designs that have a large mascot or logos, it gives a refreshing look to the mats. Wrestlers and officials know where the center of the mat is located without the 10-foot circle.”
A complete listing of the wrestling rules changes will be available on the NFHS website at www.nfhs.org. Click on “Activities & Sports” at the top of the home page and select “Wrestling.”
According to the 2022-23 NFHS high school athletics participation survey, wrestling is the sixth-most popular sport for boys with 259,431 participants in 10,962 schools. It also continues to gain popularity among girls with 50,016 participants in 6,545 schools nationwide.
Gerry deSimas, Jr., is the editor and founder of Connecticut Wrestling Online. He is an award-winning writer and has been covering sports in Connecticut and New England for more than 40 years. He was inducted into the New England High School Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2018.


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