What if...

[Ragu 75]

USA Wrestling, NCAA wrestling and all other levels announced that within the next few years they would shift into only freestyle wrestling? No more folkstyle, US finally catches up with Russia and the rest of the world and starts developing talent at a young age for international competition. What do the participation numbers look like if that were to happen. I can only see them staying the same or go down slightly. I think this move would make the US the best country in the world. Other thoughts?

[scribe 1,845]

Pros are competitive and easier on the body. Cons are a lot of people in charge won’t budge off of folk style. 

[ionel 2,730]

...  you had a money tree growing in your backyard?

Edited April 17 by ionel

[jchapman 1,339]

No more Beach wrestling?!?!??

[ionel 2,730]

... Carl retires from coaching?

[Downtown Brown 64]

USA “catching up “ with Russia has more factors than a switch to only freestyle. 

one of all time worse excuses and misconceptions IMO.

check out their drug program for one.. although we have our share of that too.

[ionel 2,730]

... pigs could fly?

[TripNSweep 795]

11 minutes ago, Downtown Brown said:

check out their drug program for one.. although we have our share of that too.

We kicked somebody off the Olympic team after they tested positive for weed. I don't think we're anywhere close to that. 

[Pinnum 846]

Would harm participation.  
 

very few coaches of high school programs know freestyle.  
 

Of course these coaches in the majority aren’t the ones producing top recruits. 
 

 

[jp157 550]

3 hours ago, Ragu said:

USA Wrestling, NCAA wrestling and all other levels announced that within the next few years they would shift into only freestyle wrestling? No more folkstyle, US finally catches up with Russia and the rest of the world and starts developing talent at a young age for international competition. What do the participation numbers look like if that were to happen. I can only see them staying the same or go down slightly. I think this move would make the US the best country in the world. Other thoughts?

Sure. As long as you are okay with it becoming exclusively a club sport only accessible to those with the wallets. 

[jp157 550]

Just now, Pinnum said:

Would harm participation.  
 

very few coaches of high school programs know freestyle.  
 

Of course these coaches in the majority aren’t the ones producing top recruits. 
 

 

Forget participation. It’s getting it sanctioned that’s the issue 

[Downtown Brown 64]

9 minutes ago, TripNSweep said:

We kicked somebody off the Olympic team after they tested positive for weed. I don't think we're anywhere close to that. 

You think none of our guys have used performance enhancing drugs? You maybe right..

personally I’d bet my bank account on it happening.

[dmm53 624]

The US is already the second or third best country for freestyle wrestling.

And Russia may not be allowed to wrestle internationally again for, who knows, a decade or so thanks to their petty little dictator and the oligarchs, fools, and propagandists there and also here in the US who prop him up.

[TripNSweep 795]

2 hours ago, Downtown Brown said:

You think none of our guys have used performance enhancing drugs? You maybe right..

personally I’d bet my bank account on it happening.

Without a cooperating anti doping organization it makes it much harder. USADA makes it extremely difficult to cheat. I'm sure a few who aren't in the testing pool probably get away with it. Most of our top guys who get busted get it for being careless, like Kamal Bey missing drug tests, or Daton Fix and JO taking something that isn't really performance enhancing but is still banned. I don't think our top guys are juiced to the gills like the Russians probably are. 

[ironmonkey 157]

whatif freestyle fans just enjoyed their sport and stopped worrying about folkstyle?  USA has had numerous champions in freestyle before even graduating college and/or immediately following.  Folkstyle hasn't really hurt them.  

 

 

 

 

[ionel 2,730]

... college folkstyle wrestled on a 20' elevated mat.  No need for pushout points, push your opponent off the mat and the match is over.  Wouldn't that be exciting?

[gobraves101905 142]

Let the home team choose the style. Folk Free or Greco. Higher seed gets choice at NCAAs. 

[Wrestle81 83]

All stupid ideas

[npope 174]

Being the "best wrestling nation" in the world and a buck will get you a cup of coffee.

[Plasmodium 2,307]

19 hours ago, Ragu said:

USA Wrestling, NCAA wrestling and all other levels announced that within the next few years they would shift into only freestyle wrestling? No more folkstyle, US finally catches up with Russia and the rest of the world and starts developing talent at a young age for international competition. What do the participation numbers look like if that were to happen. I can only see them staying the same or go down slightly. I think this move would make the US the best country in the world. Other thoughts?

Catch up with the rest of the world?  USA is one of the top three teams in the world.

If the US bagged folkstyle, we would probably stop spending more on wrestling than the rest of the world combined and eventually decay into the 18th or 19th best country.

[ionel 2,730]

... we keep all the current weight classes but switch to sumo wrestling rules (lot of folks want to reward pushing)?

[jp157 550]

3 minutes ago, ionel said:

... we keep all the current weight classes but switch to sumo wrestling rules (lot of folks want to reward pushing)?

You do understand you can’t just push someone out and that there are a myriad of ways to punish guys who just push…

[ionel 2,730]

25 minutes ago, jp157 said:

You do understand you can’t just push someone out and that there are a myriad of ways to punish guys who just push…

hey, we are all just playing "what if" here, stay on topic  :)

[PSUSMC 343]

19 hours ago, Pinnum said:

very few coaches of high school programs know freestyle.  

There are a lot of high school coaches that don't even know folkstyle

[Elevator 307]

I like folkstyle better - might be cultural.  But I am ok if we try a few rules from freestyle to see if it works.  Two that are interesting: (i) ref can put guys on their feet after :30 if the top man has not turned the botton man or a turn does not seem imminent; and (ii) in OT, a pushout rule instead of first to score.