A change in overtime procedures highlighted the NCAA Wrestling Committee's annual meeting April 9-13 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The committee, which serves as both a rules committee and the governing body for the sport's three division championships, decided to alter overtime rules, hoping to bring more fairness to the procedure.

"We hope this will be a positive change for the sport," said Curt Blake, athletics director at Rider College and chair of the committee.

In the new procedure, at the end of a tied regulation match, a one-minute sudden-victory period will be wrestled with both contestants in the neutral position. If no winner is determined at the end of the sudden-victory period, two 30-second tiebreakers will be wrestled, with the choice of position awarded to the wrestler that scored the first offensive points (not including escapes or penalty points) in the regulation match.

Should the match remain tied, a second round of sudden victory will be wrestled for one minute. If no winner is determined at that point, two more 30-second tiebreaker periods will be wrestled. If the score remains tied at this point, time advantage will be used to determine a winner.

"The committee's hope is that this will take some of the luck out of the overtime process," Blake said. "We want matches to end with offensive points, not an escape by a wrestler who won the flip of a disk."

The committee also altered the takedown rule involving action near the out-of-bounds area. The group voted to allow wrestling to continue in these situations if one supporting point of the contestant remains in bounds or if one foot remains in bounds, providing the takedown began in bounds.

"Our focus is to make wrestling more exciting and to eliminate undue stoppages," Blake said. "The committee feels this will encourage more offensive wrestling."

The committee also discussed the NCAA's Weight-Management Program and made several recommendations to the Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sport.

Specific gravity -- the measurement of hydration in a student-athlete's body -- is the focus of one suggestion. The committee would like to see the acceptable rate move from 1.020 to 1.023. Additionally, the group would like to allow some movement in weight classes, provided the current safety rules remain in place. The committee's proposal would allow student-athletes to weigh in and wrestle at one class above his lowest allowable weight class without having to follow current recertification procedures. Under the proposal, the student-athlete would not be allowed to weigh more than one-half of the difference between the two classes (that is, the most that a 197-pound wrestler could weigh without recertification would be 204 pounds).

"With regard to the weight-management procedures, the committee hopes to make the process a little easier to follow and allow some variance, without losing the safety aspect of this important program," Blake said. "We feel the proposed changes will be beneficial for everyone in the sport."

The committee also made several other minor alterations to its rules, which will appear in the 2004 NCAA Wrestling Rules and Interpretations. The book will be published in early August.

Other highlights

NCAA Wrestling Committee
April 9-13/Albuquerque, New Mexico

In addition to the actions described in the accompanying article, the Wrestling Committee took the following actions, by division, at its meeting.

Altered the ticket policy for 2005 as a one-year trial. The committee voted to scale ticket prices so that all-session tickets will not be the same price. St. Louis' Savvis Center will host the championships in 2005. Tickets in the middle of the lower level will be slightly more expensive than those in other areas of the arena. Tickets in the upper level will be less expensive than planned.

Voted to alter the injury replacement deadline. The deadline will be 3 p.m. on the Monday before the start of the championships.

For the 2004 championships, the committee voted to eliminate the construction of an elevated stage for the title bouts. The committee hopes this will enhance and highlight the all-American round.

Voted to continue the consignment policy, which offers the opportunity to purchase tickets for schools that finished in the top 50 in the previous year.

Agreed to continue the informal social for student-athletes and coaches, which was held between sessions of last year's championships.

Submitted regional site recommendations to the Division I Championships/
Competition Cabinet. The committee recommended sties for the East and West regionals.

Reviewed last year's championships in Kansas City, Missouri, and commended the organizers for an outstanding tournament.

Presented a recommendation for regional realignment to the Division II Championships Committee. The group noted that this alignment could be implemented in 2003-04 or 2004-05, at the championships committee's discretion. This alteration is necessary because some Division II programs have moved to Division I. The North Central region would be known as the North region, if approved.

Forwarded site recommendations to the Division II Championships Committee for the tournament's four regionals. Additionally, the committee recommended a site for the 2005 championships.

Voted to change the start of the third session on Saturday to 10 a.m.

Voted to add a student-athlete social before sessions three and four on Saturday, similar to what the Division I tournament implemented.

Forwarded two regional site recommendations to the Division III Championships Committee. The group also forwarded its recommendation for the 2005 championships site.

Recommended David Kemmy from Roger Williams University as chair, subject to approval from the Division III Championships Committee.