It’s late in the match. The score is deadlocked 1-1 between two fantastic grapplers. Neither is giving the other an inch or an in. This is high-level collegiate wrestling.
Suddenly, late in the third period, the hometown wrestler swoops in for a single leg. After a long struggle, he finally gets the better of his opponent. The jubilated crowd becomes unglued and responds with a roar, “THREE!”
Sounds a little bit weird doesn’t it?
The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel oversaw a massive change to the sport this past week. Takedowns will now be worth three points instead of the traditional two points. The Panel explained in the official release that the new rules will reward offensive actions and help eliminate a lot of the passive stalling we see today.
Members of the Wrestling Rules Committee, which proposed the change, agreed that increasing the scoring for takedowns by an additional point will enhance the sport by rewarding offensive actions and risk-taking.
The committee also agreed there was a need to create a more appropriate point differential between takedowns and escapes and incentivize offense when competitors are in the neutral position. – NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel, NCAA.com.
The explanation does make sense. A lot of times in big matches you will see both sides pretty much come to a stalemate, neither side wanting to potentially give the other an opening. While some see this as the true strategy and mental game behind wrestling, other observers will criticize the lack of any action. If one wrestler deliberately doesn’t do much of anything, that’s stalling. However, if both competitors do, well, that’s strategic!
As you would expect, this new rule change caused ripples throughout the collegiate wrestling community. As expected, fans are extremely split on the decision and voiced their opinions on social media. Here are the best reactions to a massive change in college wrestling.