New Jersey wrestling teams will have the option of starting their 2024-2025 regular season on Dec. 9 as the result of an NJSIAA decision to eliminate uniform start dates in every interscholastic sport starting next fall.
The NJSIAA Executive Wrestling committee approved the optional opening date and solidified its 2025 postseason calendar earlier this week.
The state boys and girls state championships at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City will be held March 6-8. The boys regionals are Feb. 28 and March 1. The boys districts are Feb. 22 and the state team group championships are Feb. 16.
The wrestling committee approved the alternative start date and postseason calendar earlier this week. Athletic directors statewide were notified by the NJSIAA of the changes on Wednesday. Howie O’Neill, Chairman of the Wrestling Committee, confirmed the information with NJ.com on Thursday morning.
The biggest news was the flexible start to the regular season.
“Provided teams have six practices and one day of rest, they can begin wrestling on Dec. 9,” O’Neill said. “In the past, that was the week most teams scheduled scrimmages. But some athletic directors were having difficult scheduling conference dual meets.”
O’Neill said the first official day of practice remains the Monday after Thanksgiving (Dec. 1).
“In order to maximize flexibility, the NJSIAA will no longer establish one competition start date,” NJSIAA Executive Director Colleen Maguire said when the legislation was introduced last November. “Schools will be permitted to schedule scrimmages and regular season contests at their discretion, giving schools autonomy to establish their own regular season start dates. There’s no limit on the number of scrimmages, but once a school plays and reports a regular season contest, no future contest will be considered a scrimmage.”
The proposal came about in part from a desire to minimize sport and season overlaps and ensure athletes get the necessary time off and spread seasons out to reduce the risk of injury. The proposal also stemmed from a dsesire to enable leagues and schools to create schedules that offer increased flexibility to schedule around such things as testing and religious holidays.
While teams can wrestle up to a week earlier, the 30 bouts before the district rule remains the same.
As for the postseason schedule, while it looks like the season is a week longer than it was this March, O’Neill said it isn’t.
“Those are the corresponding dates in 2025,” he said.
NFHS approves scoring changes
The National Federation of High School Associations announced in a release Thursday it had voted in scoring changes in high school wrestling to match those used in the NCAA. The NFHS also approved a rule where only one point of contact inbounds is required for wrestling to continue.
Starting next season, a takedown will count for three points instead of two it was one of multiple rules changes which go into effect next season.
As expected, nearfall scoring was also changed. Two points will be awarded when 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, indicates an injury or bleeding occurs after the four-point near-fall has been earned.
“The goal in wrestling is to pin the opponent,” The NFHS said. “Changing the near-fall points should motivate wrestlers to work for a fall.”
10-foot circle now optional
In another rules change, the 10-foot circle is now optional. NFHS said 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,” NFHS 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.”
Point of contact rule
Previously, high school wrestlers were considered to be 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,” said Elliot Hopkins, NFHS director of sports and student services and liaison to the Wrestling Rules Committee. “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.”
Participation figures
The NFHS said wrestling is the sixth most popular high school sport across the country.
According to the 2022-23 NFHS High School Athletics Participation Survey, there were 259,431 male participants in 10,962 schools. It also continues to gain popularity among girls with 50,016 participants in 6,545 schools nationwide.
NJ.com reporter Jake Aferiate contributed to this report.
Joe Zedalis can be reached at jzedalis@njadvancemedia.com
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