Wrestling Weight Classes: Who Fights Whom in High School Wrestling by Rachel Paiste

Weight classes in wrestling are important to make matches fair. Things would not turn out well if you put a 240 lb. man in the ring with a 110 lb. man. By creating weight classes, scholastic wrestling federations are better able to ensure the safety of participants and the fairness of the match. The standard weight classes, set by the National Federation of State High School Associations, are as follows: 103 lb, 112 lb, 119 lb, 125 lb, 130 lb, 135 lb, 140 lb, 145 lb, 152 lb, 160 lb, 171 lb, 189 lb, 215 lb, and Heavyweights. You cannot wrestle if you weigh more than 285 pounds. For collegiate wrestling, the featherweight class limit is 125 lbs. (A quick guide to how wrestling weight classes work: the number listed here is the highest weight you can be to stay in class. What this means is that people between 103 and 112 lbs wrestle in the 112 class, between 112 and 119 in the 119 class, and so forth.) The rules of wrestling matches do not change from weight class to weight class; all wrestlers spend the same amount of time in the ring. Points systems are not scaled in any way. Men and women, even if identical weights, are in separate classes and spar separately. Though historically keeping weight class has caused many health problems for wrestlers, there is an increasing focus on healthy eating, proper exercise and maintaining a proper weight as opposed to crash diets and dangerous workout practices to drop a weight class in the days preceding a meet. Tell your coach where to get the best quality, cheapest wrestling trophies for the end of your season.