The NCAA Wrestling Committee made several rules changes intended to increase action, and re-emphasized the importance of sportsmanship and professionalism for coaches and student-athletes during its annual meeting April 4-8 in Nashville, Tennessee.

The committee changed the overtime procedure and adjusted scoring for tournaments, among other rules revisions. The committee also issued several points of emphasis relating to sportsmanship, including the appearance of institutional representatives and student-athletes during and after meets and tournaments.

Of the many rules changes the committee endorsed, perhaps the most significant deals with procedures for overtime. The committee voted to change the procedure to make the system more equitable and decrease the importance of the disk flip. The committee voted to shorten the sudden-victory period to one minute. The first wrestler to score in the regulation match (except for penalty points or escapes) will be awarded choice in the tiebreaker period.

"We hope this system will encourage offensive wrestling, and by limiting the sudden-victory period, wrestling will be more exciting to watch," said David A. Martin, senior associate athletics director at Oklahoma State University and chair of the committee. "This will add an element to the sudden-victory period because both wrestlers will know who has choice of position for the tiebreaker at that point."

The committee also voted to change the procedure for tournament scoring. After studying the current system, the committee felt that too much credit is awarded in some areas. The new scoring system will be as follows:

The committee took no action on four-place tournaments.

The committee also voted to change rule 1-11 (b) relating to equipment. The committee felt that too many matches are stopped due to shoelaces coming untied. Some wrestlers have used this as an excuse to stop the match and allow them to rest. The committee voted to treat any stoppage directly related to shoelaces as delay of the match.

Sportsmanship issues

In rule 4-3, the committee voted to require all competitors to wear their school's official team warm-up for introductions and awards. The committee also mandated that headwear and other non-uniform items will not be allowed. Also, the committee decided that institutional representatives wishing to be included in official team photos shall be appropriately dressed, which aligns with the committee's desire to focus on appearance and professionalism in wrestling.

"The committee feels strongly that our sport needs to sharpen its image, while taking steps to make actual wrestling more exciting," Martin said. "Our feeling is that appearance can go a long way in building support and enhancing our opportunities."

The committee has targeted postmatch activities (such as the presentation of awards) and coaches' attire as areas to improve. Additionally, sportsmanship -- which is a point of emphasis for all NCAA competition -- will be given more attention. Student-athletes shall be expected to shake hands after matches (the rule is in place, but is rarely carried out as stipulated).

"We understand that the competitor who loses a match may be frustrated and upset," Martin said. "But we feel that shaking hands is an important show of sportsmanship and should be treated with a renewed emphasis."

Sportsmanship and appearance will be emphasized in the annual rules and officiating improvement video. The committee agreed that it be mandatory for all head coaches in all divisions to view the video next season. Also, all student-athletes and assistant coaches will be required to view a tape of the production, which will be provided by the NCAA. In the video, clarifications will be made with regard to fleeing the mat, potentially dangerous situations and allowable pinning combinations. Also, there will be an education segment concerning weight management, sportsmanship and appearance.

In other action, the committee voted not to ask for changes to the weight-management program. The committee is searching for ways to make filing paperwork easier, including the use of the Internet and other means. The committee worked through those issues and other during a conference call with the NCAA's Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports.

"The committee and the wrestling community have made a commitment to safe weight-management policies and procedures," Martin said. "We will continue to address the issue and hope to find better ways of implementing the system."

In addition to the joint committee meeting, the three division subcommittees also conducted separate meetings. Those actions are highlighted by division as follows:

Division I

* Considered a Big Ten Conference proposal for changing the wrestling season (Divisions II and III were against the change). The subcommittee voted not to pursue the change at this time. While the subcommittee did not necessarily oppose changing the season, the group noted conflicts with Easter and competition with other sporting events in the future that need to be addressed. The subcommittee will continue to discuss the possibility of the change in its monthly conference calls.

* Voted to explore the idea of having an official NCAA championship tied to the National Dual Meet.

* Explored several options with the championship meet, including focusing more on the quarterfinal and semifinal matches (sessions three and four). The committee agreed to put parameters on the Grand March to ensure the length of the event does not adversely affect student-athletes competing in the championship matches.

* Changed the seeding process to allow the release of unofficial brackets on the Monday evening the week of the championships. This change will enhance news coverage and the interest in the match-ups before the tournament.

* Selected officials for the 2001 championships and further defined the selection criteria. If an official is rated in the bottom five of the championships officials for three straight years, the official will be removed from selection consideration.

Division II

* Approved a new regional alignment, contingent on approval by the Presidents Council, to increase the bracket to 160 participants. Next year, there will be three NCAA-sponsored regionals, and the North Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament will serve as the fourth regional. The committee mandated that 40 qualifiers be allocated to each tournament and that each weight class will produce four qualifiers. This eliminates the use of wild-card selections and ensures 16-person brackets.

* Recommended that the University of Wisconsin, Parkside, host the 2002 championships and agreed to solicit bids for the 2003, 2004 and 2005 championships at next year's tournament.

* Approved a change in the schedule of events to have the morning sessions start at 11 a.m.

Division III

* Voted to keep the minimum number of qualifiers from a qualifying meet at 10 (all weight-class champions automatically qualify). Additionally, the subcommittee voted to set the maximum number of qualifiers from one meet at 30 and requested that the National Wrestling Coaches Association poll its members to see if that number is appropriate for future years. The subcommittee kept the provision that a school may qualify no more than 10 participants.

* Clarified which individuals will be provided credentials, similar to what Divisions I and II have in place. The group agreed that only credentialed wrestlers and coaches would be permitted on competition warm-up areas. This will ensure all student-athletes have an equitable amount of space for prematch activities.

* Agreed to permit the official scorer to use any computer program or system as long as it follows NCAA rules.

* Voted to continue using the same format and rotation of mats for the Division III championships. The subcommittee also instructed future hosts to schedule place matches at 5 p.m. and finals at 7 p.m. on the Saturday of the championships.