PIAA Wrestling needs a facelift

[grapple]

Varsity teams should have 9 or 10 weight classes.  We are bloated at 14.

Junior High teams should have 13-14 weight classes. 

Looking at recent results, I think this is something that must change.  I have heard Penn Cambria and Claysburg each have less than 5 junior high wrestlers and those are schools I would consider wrestling schools.  I don't think I've seen a full 18 man lineup in junior high in quite some time.

Many teams seem to have 9-13 spots full in the varsity lineups and there aren't really many backups.  10 weight classes would help to clean things up a little I think.

As a wrestling fan, I can't stand seeing one team forfeit one weight and then the next team forfeits the next weight.  Just wrestle.  In a Junior High match, which shouldn't be about winning,  I saw that Everett and Mt Union wrestled recently.  One team forfeited 100 and the other team forfeited 105.  Those two kids should have wrestled instead of giving forfeits to each other as coaches probably tried to win the match as a team. 

The UFC has 5 weight classes.  College wrestling has 10 weight classes.  I think you would have a lot better, more exciting product if you cut it back some.  There are very, very few teams around who have full rosters every night.
 
You want better wrestling?  Go to 8 or 9 weight classes.
110, 120, 133, 145, 157, 170, 183, 195, 210, 230+ would be awesome for 10 weights in my opinion. 

If you wanted to go to 9 classes, I would do
115, 125, 135, 145, 160, 175, 190, 205, 230+

Good wrestling in PA is not the problem.  The number of wrestlers is the problem.  Cut the number of weight classes down and have at it.  If nothing else, change AA to less classes than AAA.

[knowitall]

I posted this on another thread the other day.  Meyersdale and Portage had a match the other day.  There were two actual contests.  There were three no matches and nine forfeits.  That is ridiculous.

[everett]

10 to 13 pounds between weight classes is the answer/?

[dadw/2sons]

I am not a huge wrestling fan, but I agree with grapple completely.

[Coach]

I buy this.

Everett, most kids are sucking to get to in between weights. 10-13 pounds would be fine. Kids would quickly size up or down to fit into the correct weight class.

The UFC might not be a good example but everyone is either 155 or 170 (whatever the weight numbers are) when they get on the scale.

If 55 and 70 were the weight classes there would be a lot of kids there instead of 163. They would either lose weight to go down or look to make gains throughout the year.

[GoWesty]

Very stupid! Gee let's have less kids, less wrestling, and eventually we might not have wrestling at all. The idea behind various weights has to do with moving kids around to get better matchups. 15 lbs between weights is way too much. What do you do with a team like altoona that has 36 kids rostered on their jr. high squad. The weights are right where they should be!

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[Coach]

No way. I disagree completely. Everyone doesn't have to be a varsity wrestler in the lineup. Kids every 6-8 pounds is too many.

There are more teams with holes in their lineups than teams with full lineups. I would rather see 10 matches without kids bumping around and forfeiting to each other for the sake of a dual meet. If the kids were spread out more I don't think that would happen as much. Bobby takes the forfeit at 126 for team A and Tommy takes the forfeit for Team B at 132. I would rather see Bobby and Tommy wrestle to see who wins and who is better vs what team wins the dual meet.