Replace NCAA folkstyle with freestyle - Is it time?

[rstrong 75]

I, much like most, prefer folkstyle over freestyle. But maybe it's time to switch NCAA wrestling to freestyle? Heck, what if we switch all levels of folkstyle to freestyle.

 

1. We 'standardize' on the wrestling that the rest of the world does, from grade schoolers on up. Eliminate the post collegiate 'hurdles' adjusting to international wrestling.

2. I believe the USA will become more of a force in international wrestling - which will help preserve the sport, and make it more relevant to fans and viewers at the international level.

3. Maybe - just maybe - if we were all committed to freestyle, we would have more input and participation in the "rules" situation for freestyle.

4. NCAA, etc. wouldn't have to strictly use every same rule - but we would try to get aligned with international rules for the most part.

5.. Rules that are obviously in need of changing in fokstyle - TD calls, riding vs stalling, pushout, kicks to the head - don't need to get solved. Those challenges instead get replaced with other very difficult challenges like figuring out how to make the change.

 

Could it work?

 

[2td3nf 582]

The yays and nays are gonna be all over the place on this one. I'll just add 2 cents:

 

1. IMO, the pushout/stepout rule would make folkstyle a million times more entertaining, plus it's consistent with the rest of the world.

 

2. I always thought that control beyond reaction time was needed to score a takedown, and was a big hallmark of folkstyle wrestling. Also makes it more objective and much easier to officiate. (Having said that, really didn't get a chance to get through some of the threads on this yet. I know Rakkasan had a lot to say on this. Will get to it Rak.)   

[Jaroslav Hasek 2,047]

at least start with the step out rule. 

 

then its a matter of how badly you want to watch folkstyle (epeically mat wrestling) vs how important is it that we develop wrestlers for international competition. 

 

i lean more towards the latter but not really fired up about it. the step out rule is different, its needed no matter what. 

[tommygun 52]

I would stop watching the sport.  I find freestyle borderline unwatchable.  

[Tofurky 611]

I'm a big proponent of moving in that direction. That said, I don't see how Greco survives in the U.S. if the whole system moves to Freestyle.

[RichB 226]

Exactly when did Iran, Turkey, Mongolia. Japan, China, India, The Central Asian nations etc drop and totally stop competing in their own National Styles, to adopt only freestyle and Greco

[jammen 336]

I, much like most, prefer folkstyle over freestyle. But maybe it's time to switch NCAA wrestling to freestyle? Heck, what if we switch all levels of folkstyle to freestyle.

 Yes, let's take the best part of freestyle, bribing the refs, and see if we can even out the playing field.

[denger 339]

I'm a big proponent of moving in that direction. That said, I don't see how Greco survives in the U.S. if the whole system moves to Freestyle.

Why would Greco be in worse condition than it is now? Isn't Greco more similar to Freestyle than Folk? There would still be a scholastic season and a more expansive summer season, right?

 

I like folkstyle, and would hate to see it go.  If we'd lose anything, I think we'd see it more in the decline of wrestlers dominating MMA. Situational mat wrestling, and control of those positions is emphasized in Folk. What's rewarded in Freestyle and Greco from those positions would usually be silly for MMA.

 

What we would gain in international focus might be lost in the entertainment fighting focus. Seems like a toss-up to me. I would guess that there's more money in MMA, albeit a tiny amount compared to careers that don't require you to get kicked in the head. I don't know how much the non-title fighters make, but I'd guess it's more than the guys who don't quite make the national team, and maybe more than the guys who don't win world medals. 

 

I don't think it would change our national wrestling community, which is what matters most for 999/1000 kids involved in the sport. We would still value discipline and work ethic - the stuff that helps everyone succeed after the competitive years. 

[buck 65]

Step out rule will never be implemented in our lifetime, way too may people hell bent on picking fly**** out of pepper.

[armspin 257]

I'm not sure I buy the argument that folk style wrestling is a much better base for mma. Granted, riding- and escaping- are useful mma skills. So is explosive throwing/slamming, which is emphasized in freestyle. There haven't been enough pure freestyle wrestlers commit to mma to make that distinction, but I can't see great freestyle wrestling struggling to hold a guy in top guard or side control (more of a bjj skill anyway) because they haven't experienced riding time.

 

Fwiw Aldo and GSP, arguably the best "non wrestler wrestlers" ever in mma, train wrestling with freestyle programs.

[WRfan1 152]

I, much like most, prefer folkstyle over freestyle. But maybe it's time to switch NCAA wrestling to freestyle? Heck, what if we switch all levels of folkstyle to freestyle.

 

1. We 'standardize' on the wrestling that the rest of the world does, from grade schoolers on up. Eliminate the post collegiate 'hurdles' adjusting to international wrestling.

2. I believe the USA will become more of a force in international wrestling - which will help preserve the sport, and make it more relevant to fans and viewers at the international level.

3. Maybe - just maybe - if we were all committed to freestyle, we would have more input and participation in the "rules" situation for freestyle.

4. NCAA, etc. wouldn't have to strictly use every same rule - but we would try to get aligned with international rules for the most part.

5.. Rules that are obviously in need of changing in fokstyle - TD calls, riding vs stalling, pushout, kicks to the head - don't need to get solved. Those challenges instead get replaced with other very difficult challenges like figuring out how to make the change.

 

Could it work?

Yes.

[paboom 204]

Seems a little early in the season for the "freestyle over folkstyle" arguments to surface.  You usually hear them in late spring and early summer when the 10% of wrestling fans (or the people who only follow freestyle) are the only ones paying attention to it.

 

Sure lets move to a sport to where even more of our youth coaches are even more incompetent (my basic estimation is that 80% of our youth coaches are no good at folkstyle).

 

Lets also move to a sport to where even more of our fanbase is even more confused with the rules.  I can just see college AD's after trying to understand folkstyle having to evolve to understand freestyle.

 

Sure we can go to a pushout rule, I am all for it but if we replaced folkstyle with freestyle, wrestling on the JH, HS and college level will die in 5 years.  Clubs would do well though!

[ironmonkey 157]

nope!  Not for me anyway.  I don't enjoy freestyle at all.  

[Husker_Du 841]

I prefer FS to folk, but i get that it's not everyone's preference. 

 

however, is there any excuse left anymore why college folk shouldn't use a pushout?

[jstock 125]

I absolutely hated the push out rule when it was first introduced (along with the other terrible rules at the time). I have changed my mind on the pushout. I think we need it. The pushout rule is needed even more in HighSchool since they do not, and in many cases can not implement the out of bounds rules that college has.

[wrestlingnerd 3,000]

I prefer FS (current rules) to folkstyle and would very much be in favor of the switch.

 

I think the sport would become more exciting. A freestyle version of NCAAs would be unreal excitment.

[Cyclones 29]

I could see freestyle working for collegiate wrestling.

 

In High school though, I don't think it ever would. There would be too many injuries and I don't think you could get High School athletic assosciations to go for it.

 

If college switched to freestyle and high school remained folkstyle, I'm not sure what that would mean for the system as a whole. A lot of logistics that would need to be worked out.

[provocateur 12]

The pushout rule would be great for folkstyle. I like freestyle, but I like folk a lot better. I'm not willing to cash in our culture for a little more international hardware. 

[wrestlingnerd 3,000]

I could see freestyle working for collegiate wrestling.

 

In High school though, I don't think it ever would. There would be too many injuries and I don't think you could get High School athletic assosciations to go for it.

 

 

Is this really true? Kids wrestle freestyle each summer without any issue. At least in my experience, there is no correlation between injuries and style of wrestling.

[MadMardigain 1,596]

Is this really true? Kids wrestle freestyle each summer without any issue. At least in my experience, there is no correlation between injuries and style of wrestling.

I think it's more the perception of injury that parent, AD, and athletic associations have. Remove the possibility of high amplitude throws from the mix (mostly straight over the head suplays) and I'm guessing the style would gain more accepted with those groups.

[wrestlingnerd 3,000]

I'd be willing to bet there would be fewer injuries in FS than folkstyle. Folkstyle is more of a grind with more forced contact, and at the HS level and below, especially with top/bottom positions, I think there is more chance for injuries to occur. FS is more dynamic, action is stopped sooner, and because points are won more easily, there is fewer scrambling positions like "funk" that can put joints in unstable situations.

[scribe 1,824]

I'm for at least some transitional rules changes. Push out. Less riding more turning. Points for throws

[GoNotQuietly 1,168]

Has anyone considered that fighting off a NCAA div. 1 gut wrench for 40+ matches/ year plus 2 practices/day might reek havoc on our athletes?  I love freestyle, but we need to adopt the foreign mindset and stop viciously over-training before we make that switch.

[xander 346]

I respect athletes skilled in all three - each style helps make you better in the others.

Edited February 1, 2015 by xander

[armspin 257]

Very easy to have a no back arching throws rule (or similar) like Canada does in jr high and high school.