Takedown Report

Everything you need to know about the new college wrestling rules ahead of the 2022-23 season

With every new wrestling season comes a tweak of the current rule set, designed to improve eligibility and enhance excitement. Last year, the biggest shift occurred within the overtime rule as the first sudden victory period shifted from one minute to two minutes with riding time determining a winner after the second set of tie-breakers. This move led to a number of thrilling sudden victory battles.

Here’s what you need to know about the 2022-23 NCAA bylaws and how they might impact the upcoming season. 

First, click here to read the official updated bylaws.

Now, let’s break down each of these new regulations. 

The freshman eligibility exception

All athletes competing in the NCAA are granted the opportunity to compete in “four seasons of intercollegiate competition in any one sport,” according to the NCAA rules and regulations. Wrestlers, of course, are also granted redshirt seasons in most conferences that allow them to wait a year before competing in the varsity lineup or sit out a year with an injury without burning one of those four seasons of eligibility. But those four seasons fly by, and teams competing for a national title consistently weigh the pros and cons of redshirting talented recruits or allowing them to join the starting lineup right away for the potential benefit of the team. 

UNDERSTANDING THE OLYMPIC REDSHIRT: Here’s why some athletes were allowed to take an Olympic redshirt in 2020 and others were not  … rest of story at NCAA.com/wrestling/article/2022-10-31/everything-you-need-know-about-new-college-wrestling-rules-ahead-2022-2023-season

November 4, 2022 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized