VAL Wrestling Rules
NFHS Rules shall be followed with the following modifications/clarifications:
1. A player must not wear anything that is dangerous to themselves or other players, and all jewelry (necklaces, rings, bracelets, earrings, etc.) is forbidden and must be removed. Covering jewelry with tape or bandages is not an acceptable alternative; the jewelry must be removed.
a.) Medical or religious medals may be an exception, but they must be taped down and worn under the uniform, and medical alert bracelets may be visible but must also be taped.
2. Matches starts at 4:00pm, provided the visiting team has at least a 10-minute warm-up. The latest a match should start is 4:15 pm with or without a 10-minute warm-up. Please try to get to away matches by 3:45pm.
3. A minimum mat border of six feet should be met for safety.
4. Head gear optional.
5. Mouth-guards are mandatory for anyone with braces or dental work.
6. Tennis shoes may be worn.
7. Athletes will be allowed to wrestle in consecutive matches with a 15-minute rest between matches.
8. Wrestlers will be inbounds with only one point of contact of either wrestler inside or on the boundary line.
9. Takedowns will be awarded three points.
10. Near-Fall criteria will be awarded 2 points for holding for 2 seconds, 3 points for 3 seconds, and 4 points for 4 seconds.
11. A match will be three periods, each one-minute in length.
12. No advantage time or riding points.
13. Overtime Rules – 1st period/1 minute Sudden Death or first point scored;
a.) 2nd overtime – 30 and 30 (30 seconds of choice for both opponents)
b.) 3rd overtime - 30 sec. riding time; whoever scored first in match gets choice (top or bottom).
14. For the regular season match, the teams do not have to start wrestling at 70lbs (lightest division) every match. This is to avoid heavyweight becoming the last wrestler of the match every meet. Pre-setting the starting weight during preseason coaches meeting is highly encouraged. I.E. week one (70), week two (90), week three (110), week four (135), week 5 (175)
15. A boy/girl must wrestle at the lowest weight classification for which he/she is eligible in at least one match during the season. He/she may also wrestle in the next weight class above.
16. Weight classifications (19): 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95, 100, 105, 110, 115, 120, 125, 135, 145, 155, 165, 175, 205, Hwt. (206 - 235)
17. Weight allowances:
a. 2 pound allowance, approximately Oct. 30
b. 1 pound extra allowed for all Monday meets.
c. 1 pound extra allowed for any back-to-back meets (both teams).
18. *WEIGHT LOSS IS HIGHLY DISCOURAGED*
19. Weigh-ins will be conducted the day before a match, before practice begins. This is the official weigh-in, wrestlers cannot weigh in again. If this is not possible ( wrestler absent from practice, a Monday match, back-to-back matches, etc.), then the weigh-in will be conducted prior to noon the day of the match.
20. To seed wrestlers, a coach must attend the seeding meeting. Wrestlers must have competed (forfeit by the opponent) in a regular season league match at a weight to be seeded at that weight for league/sectional/county finals.
21. Teams may not take part in a chant or cadence yell for their team member on the mat. Example: “PIN! PIN! PIN!”
22. The VAL will host a Girls Wrestling League Finals that will serve as a means for Girls to qualify for Girls County Finals beginning in the 2025-2026 SY.