MNUSA Wrestling Folkstyle Rules Modifications

PERIOD LENGTHS

6U, 8U, 10U, & 12U

Championship and Consolation Bracket Periods 1:30, 1:30, 1:30

14U and 16U

Championship and Consolation Bracket Periods 2:00, 2:00, 2:00

Competition Rules Modified for MNUSA Wrestling

National Federation of State High School Association (NFHS) rules with MNUSA Wrestling modifications will govern the competition. These MNUSA Wrestling modifications include the following:

• On-site tournament medical staff have the final say on all: skin issues, concussion protocol, injuries, and if the athlete may return to competition.  
• Athletes must weigh-in in a legal competition singlet. The athlete may weigh-in in a legal two-piece competition singlet with a suitable undergarment that completely covers the groin and buttocks. Where age appropriate girls must wear a sports bra that covers the breast.
• Athletes are no longer required to lower singlet straps or remove shirts during pre-tournament medical checks.
• Wrestlers must wear white socks, black socks, or no socks. (Multi-colored socks are confusing when using red/green leg bands.)
• Singlets must be high cut as described in the NFHS and USAW rulebooks.
• Two-piece uniforms must be as described in the NFHS rule book.
• If the Medical Professional determines the wrestler can continue even if it takes more than the prescribed injury time in the rulebook. (This must be a “reasonable” time) Only two injury times are allowed during a single match.
• Head, Neck, and Cervical injuries will be evaluated according to the NFHS rules by the on-site tournament trainer only.  The trainer's decision is final.
• Officials may invoke the “Cry Rule” and call a fall or a default if a young wrestler cries faking an injury to get out of a wrestling hold or delaying the match beyond the 1.5-minute injury time. If the official stops the action and determines the athlete is not injured the maximum points will be awarded for the hold will be awarded to the opponent plus a 1-point penalty for “unsportsmanlike conduct” For Example: in the case of a pinning situation, 3 points for the near fall, 1 point for stopping because of injury, 1 point for unsportsmanlike conduct = 5 points total
• The coach of a wrestler who is crying or refusing to wrestle has 1 ½ min of injury time to convince the wrestler to continue or the bout ends in a forfeit.

•  Headgear is recommended BUT NOT REQUIRED for wrestlers in all age groups.
•  Mouthguards are recommended BUT NOT REQUIRED  for wrestlers (even wrestlers with braces)
•  Rest time in between matches is a minimum of 15 minutes in state tournament competitions.  Rest times in open and qualifying tournaments will not be enforced. Athletes may be asked to compete within minutes of finishing the previous bout.
•  A match can be started when a wrestler does not have a coach if one has yet to arrive within 30 seconds of the wrestler checking in.

• 3 calls 30 seconds apart shall be made for a missing wrestler. With a forfeit declared after the 3rd call.  (1:30 total)
•  Coaches can be removed from the corner for being abusive to either the wrestler or referee. That coach can be replaced if there is another credentialed coach if Immediately available.

• ·         The three-quarter-nelson with leg hook IS legal in USAW Folkstyle Events.
• ·         The double armbar with a sit-out is LEGAL for 14U age divisions and younger.

• Note: The double armbar by application is legal. It can be stopped as “potentially dangerous” when the offensive wrestler sits out with the double armbar and applies excessive pressure to the head and neck of the defensive wrestler.

Coaches and officials must remember that there is no definitive list of illegal holds in youth wrestling. If the official thinks a “legal” hold becomes potentially dangerous or progresses to an illegal position, it should be stopped to protect the young athlete. Penalties should be avoided if there was no “intent” to injure. No young athlete should be required to give up a position that causes him to be injured in the process. Neither the coach nor the athlete should argue these stoppages by the official(s).

Folkstyle Competition Video Challenge Addendum:

This process will be available at MNUSA Wrestling events that are designated for a video review.

Note:  The concept of the video challenge is essentially the same in all styles of wrestling. However, Folkstyle wrestling offers some instances that call for a variation in the processes that are used in Greco and Freestyle wrestling. The video challenge process intends not to initiate a challenge every time a coach disagrees with a judgment call. Rather, it is to fix a mistake or missed infraction not seen because of positioning on the part of the mat official.  Coaches should also consider the positioning of the camera when issuing a challenge. The camera may not have the advantage of a better position than the mat official making the call. Lastly, please consider that there can be human and technological errors that may prohibit a video sequence.  

Folkstyle video review modifications will be applied as follows: 

1. The “JURY” will consist of two officials, including the official on the mat and (1) an assigned video review official, or an official who has been assigned to officiate in that competition. During championship matches, the second official may be the head mat official(s) or rules clinician.  

2. In competitions where the video challenge is available, the challenges shall be initiated by the coach walking to the scorer’s table and getting the official’s attention. (If challenge blocks/bricks are being used the coach may issue a challenge by rolling the brick into the wrestling area.)  It is not necessary that the official stop the bout immediately upon a challenge by a coach. If there is an imminent scoring action it will be allowed to progress and be completed.

3.    Challenges must be made promptly. (Generally, within 5-7 seconds of when the scoring situation is posted on the score clock but will be ultimately at the discretion of the jury).  If the score is correctable by video review, the score is corrected, and the match results will stand or be changed.

(1)  If it is determined that there was a “bad time” the correct score will be established and the “bad time” will be re-wrestled. (The end of the match “bad time” for video review, is described as the time remaining in the match after a correction is made.) 

(2)  No challenge will be accepted from the 1st or 2nd after the start of the subsequent period.

4.  Where video challenge is used in a dual meet situation no challenges or protest for a previous match will be accepted after the start of a subsequent bout.

5.   A coach may approach two instances and quickly ask (without initiating the challenge): “Is the score correct on the clock?” or “Is the time correct on the clock?” and receive a response of “Yes coach, it is.” or “No coach, let me correct it?’  If the coach still disagrees with the existing or corrected results he/she must immediately decide to challenge those results or return to the coach’s corner.  All other differences must be challenged by approaching the scorer’s table and getting the official’s attention.

6.   Falls/Pins can only be challenged in situations where time may have expired, out-of-bounds may have occurred, or when an illegal hold is applied by the wrestler when securing a fall.

7.   No challenges will be accepted at the end of the bout unless there is the potential for the result of that challenge to change the winner of the bout, change the athlete’s advancement in the tournament, or change the value of team points awarded during team competitions. These challenges, if accepted, must be made before the start of the subsequent bout on that mat or in that meet.

8. Calls that involve stalling, fleeing the mat, unsportsmanlike, unnecessary roughness, penalties for an illegal hold (except if applied by the offensive wrestler when securing a fall), potentially dangerous holds, or acts of misconduct cannot be challenged.  

9.   Errors in “bad time” should adhere to the NFHS rule book. Scoring challenges must be made before the start of the subsequent period. However, if a coach realizes a mistake in position has occurred, the challenge should be initiated immediately at that time.  

10. All challenges that do not result in changing the score to the advantage of the challenging wrestler will result in one (1) technical point added to the opponent’s score. If the challenge is successful (the score is changed in favor of the challenging wrestler) the coach has the opportunity to challenge again in that bout. (The brick is returned)

(1)  If there is a technical problem and the video is not available, the original decision will stand, and the coach will be given back the challenge opportunity.

(2) Coaches may approach the official(s), through the scoring table, without a challenge, and ask “Is the score correct on the clock?” or “Is the time correct on the clock?”   Any attempt to question a call or judgment while doing that is considered “Coaches Misconduct” when the video challenge is being used.

11. In competitions where the video challenge is implemented, it replaces the “Coach Misconduct” rule 5-5 Article 1-3 in the NFHS rulebook. If the coach thinks there was a misapplication of a rule, he/she must use a challenge.  The video challenge replaces all discussions about rule misapplication during the bout. A coach may only approach the official, through the scoring table, to question if the proper score was recorded and shown on the clock (as described above).  A challenge must be used if he/she disagrees with the scoring.  If the coach lost a challenge in a previous challenge there can be no further challenges for that bout from that coach and wrestling will continue.  Further attempts by that coach to interrupt that bout will result in him/her being issued a warning on the first offense and/or removal from the tournament on the second offense.

12. All decisions made by the jury will be final and will not be changed.  Therefore, it is not possible to request a counter-challenge. (You cannot challenge the results of a challenge)

13. Challenges/Protests will only be accepted after the end of the bout where a scoring error occurred in the last wrestled period and the wrong wrestler was declared the winner.