The overall participation in California high school sports has hit an all-time high for the fifth consecutive year, but one sport in particular has seen a decline, according to a California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) release.
A participation survey was done showing the increase of participation in high school sports and within the survey wrestling saw a six percent decrease from 2016.
Though there's no current causes for the slight decrease, there are specific rules athletes must follow if the want to wrestle in California. Let's start with the weight classes at which girls and boys can compete at.
Boys compete at these weight classes 106, 113, 120, 126, 132, 138, 145, 152, 160, 170, 182, 195, 220 and 285.
Girls compete at these weight classes 101, 111, 116, 121, 126, 131, 137, 143, 150, 160, 170, 189 and 235.
NFHS rules and procedures must be followed by all CIF member schools in concerns of the weighing-in of wrestlers, which include:
- Exception 1: A student must weigh-in at scratch weight, under doctor's care, before the they compete or within seven days after they are released from the doctor.
- Exception 2: A student who becomes eligible following the certification period must weigh-in at scratch weight before they compete or within seven days.
- Exception 3: If a wrestler weighs in higher than two weights above certification weight, that wrestler can only come back down one from their highest weight weighed in.
According to the CIF, wrestlers can be made ineligible to compete if they do not complete the requirement of weighing-in with their NWCA Individual Weight Loss Plan form at every competitions. Wrestlers can be made ineligible or given a forfeit on their record if the coach does not bring their Alpha Master Report form to all competition (including CIF state championship) which is a requirement.
The lowest weight class a wrestler may compete is going to be determined by "if the certified minimum weight, at seven or 12 percent body fat, is exactly that of one or less than one-half pound of the adopted weight classes, that weight shall be the wrestler’s minimum weight class."
Also, if the certified minimum weight, at the aforementioned body fat, is greater than or equal to one-half pound from one of the adopted weight classes, then that weight should be their minimum weight class.
Participants must weigh-in, during an individual tournament, at the tournament site at most two hours before the first matches of each day.
In a dual tournament, no wrestler can compete in more than one weight class or in more than five matches each day.
There is also a 40 match limit during the sport's season for participants and this doesn't include qualifying tournaments for the state tournament.
