Kansas Wrestling Forums General Discussion High School varsity challenge matches

How does your school do challenge matches for the varsity position at each weight? I'm sure most are best 2 out of 3, but what do you have to weigh to wrestle off for a position? If you want to tryout for 140lb's, how close to 140 do you have to be to wrestle off? I like the idea that you have to be within the 2 pounds you'll get after Christmas. If you get too much gap its not a fair comparison as to how you'll do at that weight during the season. What's everyone elses thoughts, or how does your coach do it?

I believe ours require beating a kid one time until February 1st, then best 2 out of 3. You have to be within 3 pounds of your weight class.

You have to be within three pounds and for conference and regionals, it's best two of three.

ours is best 2 of 3 every week at the weight you will wrestle that week, until the league tourney, then challenge matches are done, the only weight requirement is you make weight at the weigh-in that week (obviously)

I have heard that many coaches are requiring wrestlers to "make weight" for challenge matches. Whether it is 1, 2, 3, or 5 pounds I totally disagree. If you are on varsity and you make weight for the events that should be the only acid test. If the varsity wrestler fails to make weight for an event then the coach might bump him to JV and put a weight requirement on him. Until we go to mat side weigh-ins then wrestlers will sponge to be competitive and coaches are hurting their wrestlers and team by making them hold their weight for challenge matches.

Based on the current concern about weight loss, I think requiring wrestlers to be within a certain amount of weight for challenges would be the correct thing to do. Otherwise, you might have kids showing up on Monday that are 15 lbs. over weight and trying to make weight by Thursday. Been there and done it, but I wouldn't wish it on anyone. And while I don't think you need to make scratch weight for a challenge match, if having a weight restriction for challenge matches creates weight problems for an athlete, perhaps they are at the wrong weight.

I think that to be health a limit should be set however if a coach is going to set a limit and continually change the limit to suit certain wrestlers then what is the point. When you do not even weigh in befor a tryout match why have a rule that says you have to be within so many pounds? Just tell everyone go the weight you want and tryout just be sure you can make weight at the tournament. This way the kids can have faith in their coach!

wildthing that had to of been the dumbest thing i've ever heard in my life.