I know there's been debates on here before, but having just watched the World Cup, does anyone know if the NCAA has ever considered switching over to freestyle wrestling rather than folkstyle? Is folkstyle just too ingrained in the history that it would never happen?
Has NCAA ever considered Freestyle?
- Thread starter BillyClone
- Start date
I'd never say never, but I highly doubt it will ever happen. Too much history and is too engrained throughout all levels in the US. Just like everything else, we have to be different than the rest of the world haha. I personally would love it. Freestyle is so much more entertaining to watch IMO and to me, is more fun to compete in.
It is more fun to watch recently. There was a time not to long ago that freestyle was extremely boring to watch. Ball grabs and 2-1 scores
Thats very true. It has changed for the better drastically. Honestly, if Folkstyle continued to evolve and adapt some newer rule changes it could help a lot
That was kind of my take away - I was surprised at how entertaining the wrestling was and thought that I would really enjoy watching that style at the collegiate level as well.
Women wrestle freestyle.
Every year, people bring up this topic, but I think folkstyle is ingrained. It is what most people know and understand. I like watching folkstyle better than freestyle, but then I like all of them (Greco too).
I agree, they are all fun to watch if you love wrestling. Just curious - What about folkstyle do you like better than freestyle?
There's more continuous action in folkstyle. All the stopping and starting in freestyle can get a bit tiresome, especially when it involves throwing in the block. I guess I like mat wrestling, which there isn't a lot of in freestyle. In folkstyle we see some matches won because the wrestler simply wears out his opponent (see the Micic/DeSanto contest that was recently posted on this forum for an example). It adds excitement to the match. I don't care much for the take down, three leg lace turns, and we're done matches in freestyle.
I know that others like freestyle better. That's okay.
I agree with matclone. The takedown to leglace would end a lot of high school and college matches in a hurry.
I enjoy some of the mat wrestling and scrambles that folkstyle offers. Would not get the scrambles as much with freestyle with the exposure rules.
Would be hard to transition high school to freestyle. Many lower level coaches have never wrestled freestyle
I enjoy some of the mat wrestling and scrambles that folkstyle offers. Would not get the scrambles as much with freestyle with the exposure rules.
Would be hard to transition high school to freestyle. Many lower level coaches have never wrestled freestyle
I was in Iowa City this weekend. There was some great wrestling. I think freestyle is a much more entertaining product.
And also the emphasis on control and pinning in folk. I've come to enjoy freestyle with the rule changes. If only we could get officials to actually enforce rules in folk it would help tremendously.
There's an art to riding and escaping that I don't think translates well to people who don't live wrestling. Needing an escape to win or tie with a few seconds left is a pretty exciting aspect even for less knowledgable spectators though, it's almost like rodeo.
I think the other aspect is the officials. The official can have much more influence on the match in Freestyle determining who gets points in scramble situations and now with the push out rule. There simply aren't enough qualified officials to ref every meet.
I actually really like how freestyle is officiated. The idea of having an additional official on each side of the mat is nice. It takes 2 out of 3 to confirm a call. Much better than folkstyle! Their review process is nice as well. They watch the replay and make decisions quickly on the result. If the coach that throws the challenge block is wrong, the opponent gets a point. On the flip side, the folkstyle rules lead to too much judgement by one official. The stalling is rarely called per the rules, thus resulting in boring matches. The folkstyle stalling rule does state that the man on top must be working to improve their position and work for the fall. How often does the wrestler on top get called for stalling anymore? Too many kids going to a crab ride and trying to hold position for their minute of riding time. This part of our sport needs to change and it starts with officials actually calling matches to the rules in place. Once you know the freestyle rules, it is actually easier to officiate.
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Reviews are pretty much a waste of time in folkstyle if the ref that made the call is the one reviewing it.
I do like the 2 out 3 confirmation with freestyle, but we are not going to get many colleges to budget for 3 refs. I would like to see a 2nd ref at all college duals though
I do like the 2 out 3 confirmation with freestyle, but we are not going to get many colleges to budget for 3 refs. I would like to see a 2nd ref at all college duals though
I agree with csteve. To many times the top guy gets double boots in and the opponents knees off the ground and messes with the guys head, pretending to try to turn and the bottom guy gets called for stalling. I don't see many top position guys turn the bottom guy being parallel and both legs in.
You're argument boils down to 'let's have 2-3 officials per match'. Well, sure it's going to be officiated better, but if you think you're going to get 2-3 officials at every 1-A or Jr High dual meet you're kidding yourself.
I just said I like that part of the officiating for freestyle. A bigger part of my argument was intended to discuss the need for folkstyle officials to call the match per the rules that have been in place for years. They really need to put an emphasis on the top man working to improve his position and work for the fall. They rarely call stalling on top anymore and I feel this is one of the reasons folkstyle can turn boring in some matchups. I love folkstyle and the mat wrestling aspect. I just wish officials would call the matches per the rules in place.
I apologize. I just realized you weren't one that was pushing for freestyle at the NCAA and lower levels. All I'm saying is because of the way it's officiated (whether better or worse), it would be hard to bring that level of officiating to the lower levels. I do agree with your points about how folkstyle if officiated today.
