THE REGULATION
The establishment of a minimum wrestling weight based on 7% body fat for males and 12% for females is required for all senior high school wrestlers.  The OHSAA does not advocate that a wrestler�s established minimum weight is the athlete�s best weight, but simply the minimum weight at which the athlete will be allowed to compete. 

1. ESTABLISHING MINIMUM WEIGHT

   1. Minimum weight will be established through a process where each student will have their hydration tested, be weighed and have a certified assessor determine their percentage of body fat through the use of skin fold calipers.

   2. Only measurements taken by OHSAA certified assessors who have successfully completed the OHSAA Assessor Certification Course will be accepted. Wrestling Coaches and Administrators will be able to access the OHSAA website for a current list of approved assessors is being complied and will be posted soon.  It is the responsibility of the school wrestling Administrator to contact certified assessors.  No senior high school wrestler may compete in a regular season or tournament match until the athlete has had a minimum weight determined and it appears on the school�s Alpha Master Roster. Competition in a scrimmage or preview prior to an alpha weigh-in is permitted.

   3. Measurements may not be taken after practice or a workout.

   4. The lowest weight class at which a wrestler may compete will be determined as follows:

a.      If the predicted weight, at 7% body fat, is exactly that of one of the weight classes, that weight shall be the wrestler�s minimum weight class.

b.      If the predicted weight falls between two weight classes he must wrestle at the higher weight class.

c.      There will be a one percent variation of error adjustment, which will be determined by the �Performance Calculator.�

d.      When weighing in, using a digital scale, one will round up the reading to the nearest tenth.

5. A minimum of two schools/teams must be present for the assessment.

6. Exception is a Master Assessor can test a single athlete.

7. Persons eligible to be trained as OHSAA approved assessors include licensed physicians, chiropractor, registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, licensed athletic trainers, licensed physical therapists, licensed physician assistants, registered/licensed dietitian/nutritionists, and exercise physiologists. Bod Pod site personnel�approved by OHSAA.  General Assessor status unless noted

8. It is a conflict of interest for an active wrestling coach to serve as an OHSAA Certified Assessor.  Coaches are permitted to perform clerical and organizational duties during skin fold assessments.

2. MEASUREMENT TIMELINES

   1. No wrestler may compete in a regular season or tournament match until he has participated in the Alpha Weigh-in and his/her name and data are included on the school Alpha Master Roster, which can be printed at www.nwcaonline.com by each member school�s coach.

   2. A wrestler may compete before or during an appeal at his/her lowest approved weight based on the initial assessment.

3. Assessments may begin on November 10, 2013. Wrestlers may be measured any time on or following this date to establish the �Alpha� weight.  Weight monitoring data shall be submitted online at www.nwcaonline.com  by the assessor within 72 hours of assessment.  The deadline for data is January 14, 2014.  All wrestlers, including those coming out late, must have their minimum weight established and their name must appear on the school�s Alpha Master Roster prior to competing.

4. The specific gravity of the urine will determine whether a candidate may participate in an assessment on any date. A reading of 1.025 or less is required to pass the hydration test. For any failed specific gravity test, the wrestler may not be reassessed for a minimum of 48 hours.

5. Failed hydration tests must be entered onto www.nwcaonline.com by the Assessor immediately

6. Results of the measurements will appear on the Alpha Master Roster.  Each school is responsible for printing those from www.nwcaonline.com using proper protocols.

7. Situations requiring special attention must be reported to the OHSAA in writing before deadlines or due dates.

3. RESPONSIBILITIES OF TESTING SITE

   1. Contract with an OHSAA certified assessor.

   2. Discuss with assessor what, if any, of the items needed for assessing.

�         Plastic collection cups

�         Disposable non-sterile gloves

�         Reagent strips

�         Individual profile forms

�         Written parental permission

�         Staff to assist with collection and data recording

�         Digital scale

4. WRESTLERS BELOW 7% BODYFAT

Any male wrestler whose body fat percentage is below 7% (12% female) at the time of his initial assessment may not wrestle below their Alpha weight.

5. WEIGHT LOSS PER WEEK

   1. A weight loss limit of 1.5% of the �Alpha� weight per week has been set.  The projected earliest date to wrestle at Predicted Minimum Weight will be broken down into days.  This date will be on the Alpha Master Roster printout.

   2. A wrestler will not be permitted, at any time, to wrestle in a weight class that would require him to lose more than 1.5%, per week, of his �Alpha� weight from the original date of assessment.  *Coaches will exchange Alpha Master forms, to determine the weight class of the wrestlers for that competition. The official on site will verify that each coach has a copy of the opponent�s Alpha Master Form in case a question arises that a wrestler may have violated the 1.5% per week weight loss limit. Protests will be handled by the OHSAA.

3. PENALTY: A wrestler who competes at a weight before the proper amount of time has passed to achieve that weight class will be considered an ineligible wrestler, thus requiring his team to forfeit the dual or his points in a tournament.

*Note: The event director is responsible for collecting and verifying the minimum weight class of wrestlers when requested for events held in Ohio with five or more teams participating.

6. GROWTH ALLOWANCE

   1. The OHSAA Weight Monitoring Program includes growth allowance.  A two pound growth allowance will be given on December 25.

   2. Growth allowance may not be utilized to achieve a lower minimum weight for a wrestler.

   3. In order to utilize the growth allowance, a wrestler shall compete at �scratch� (lowest allowable) weight in the desired weight class at least once prior to using the two pound growth allowance.

7. APPEALS

A wrestler may compete before or during an appeal at his or her lowest approved weight based on the initial assessment.

1.      All steps of the appeal shall occur within 14 calendar days of the original Alpha Date.

2.      The 14 day appeal period shall start on the day following the Alpha Date.

3.      The 1.5% weight loss limitation is in affect the day following the alpha date. Greater than 1.5% weight loss will result in automation rejection of the appeal.

4.      In order to utilize the results of an appeal, the wrestler must compete at their approved lowest minimum weight during an appeal for a lower weight. 

5.      Any athlete may appeal his/her initial assessment one time by reassessment by a MASTER ASSESSOR ONLY. 

6.      An athlete must take an Individual/Reassessment/Appeal Profile Form and written parental permission with him/her to the appeal assessment.

The steps of the appeal process are as follows:

Appeal Process

Step 1. Reassessment: The athlete shall repeat the �Alpha Weigh-In� as described in the regulation.

1.      The master assessor shall be responsible for conducting the initial appeal using skin fold calipers. 

2.      The reassessment shall occur within 14 calendar days of the original Alpha date unless a written extension is granted by the OHSAA before the expiration of the 14-day period.  All steps of the appeal must be completed during the same 14-day period.

3.      Reassessment includes hydration assessment, weight measurement, plus three measurements of three skin fold sites. If the hydration assessment is failed, the wrestler may not be reassessed for a minimum of 48 hours.

4.      When the assessor enters the appeal data, they must indicate that this is an APPEAL by entering the information using the APPEAL link.

5.      Failure to adhere to these conditions or timelines will be cause for denial.

6.      The wrestler is responsible for any costs incurred during the appeal process.

Step 2. If dissatisfied with the initial results, the wrestler may choose to be hydrostatically weighed or undergo air displacement weighing to determine body fat percentage.  Results obtained at this step are automatically accepted.  The athlete, family, school, or coach may not appeal further. (Click here for Appeals form)

1.      Hydrostatic weighing or air displacement weighing facilities must be approved by the OHSAA before any assessment occurs.

2.      All appeals and assessments must be completed by January 14, 2014.

3.      The 1.5% weight loss limitation shall be observed when conducting hydrostatic or air displacement weighing.

4.      The wrestler is responsible for any costs incurred during the appeal process.

5.      A student may not wrestle at the new, appealed weight until appeal information is entered into www.nwcaonline.com and coach has received approval by site.

6.      PENALTY: A wrestler who weighs in at a weight before the proper amount of time has passed to achieve the lowest minimum weight, will be considered an ineligible wrestler and subject to OHSAA regulations and sanctions.

7.      A wrestler may compete before or during an appeal only at his or her lowest allowable weight based on the initial assessment.

8.      A wrestler may skip STEP 1 and proceed directly to STEP 2.

8. COSTS

   1. All costs incurred for the initial assessment and appeal process are the responsibility of the school or parent.

   2. An assessor may charge up to $5.00 per athlete for each assessment plus $35.00 per hour.  This charge is assessed for any athlete who passes or fails the urine specific gravity test.

   3. An athlete who appeals the initial test will be charged $10.00 for a body fat assessment using skinfold calipers.

   4. In addition to the $35 per hour charge for services and the $5 per assessment (not exceeding $55.00), OHSAA assessors are permitted to charge mileage at the IRS standard rate whenever travel is required to an assessment location.

   5. Second option� hydrostatic or air displacement testing charge up to $75

   6. CILA lab certification will be obtained by the OHSAA and all assessors will work under that certificate.

   7. All OHSAA member schools, who sponsor wrestling shall be members of the National Wrestling Coaches Association (www.nwcaonline.com).

9. PENALTIES

Penalties for a wrestler circumventing (attempting to cheat and/or cheating) the weight assessment process:

1.      First Offense � Suspension for one wrestling season.

2.      Second Offense � Suspension for two wrestling seasons.

A coach who knowingly cheats the Ohio Weight Management Program or assists a wrestler to circumvent the weight assessment process will be subject to penalties and sanctions imposed by the OHSAA Commissioner.

WEIGHT CLASS ELIGIBILITY EXAMPLES

On any given date a wrestler may not weigh in more than one weight class above his/her lowest allowable weight as defined by their Alpha Master report timeline.  Any wrestler who does weigh-in more than one weight class above their lowest allowable weight then vacates that lowest weight and a new lowest weight will be established.  Growth allowance may not be utilized to achieve a lower weight class for a wrestler.  For simplicity, all examples are listed without growth allowance.

1. A wrestler has reached his/her lowest minimum weight of 106.  On the day of competition, he/she weighs in and wrestles at 120.5,   This is more than one weight class above the lowest minimum weight of 106, therefore 106 is surrendered and 113 becomes the new minimum weight for that wrestler.

2. a. A wrestler with a lowest minimum weight of 126 is descending toward their lowest minimum weight, but has yet to reach the lowest minimum weight, and weighs in for competition.  In compliance with his/her timeline the wrestler weighs in at 130 (making him/her eligible at 132 and 138) and wrestles at 138.  The wrestler still retains the opportunity to continue to descend toward the lowest minimum weight of 126 as he/she did not weigh in more than one weight class above his/her lowest actual weight.

b. Two weeks later, the same wrestler in example a, who has now reached his/her lowest minimum weight of 126, weighs in at 135 and wrestles at 145. That wrestler has now surrendered his/her lowest minimum weight of 126 and 132 becomes the wrestler�s new minimum weight.

3. A 125.3 pound lowest minimum weight wrestler weighs in at 125.6 pounds, legally wrestling several times at 132 and 136 pounds.  Later during the season his/her actual weigh-in weight is recorded at 138.1 pounds making him/her eligible for the 138 and 145 pound weight classes.  This requires that he/she surrenders the 126 pound weight class, establishing the new minimum weight class of 132.

A wrestler is NOT eligible for a lower weight class because of allowances for successive days of wrestling, which then brings a weight class up to their 7% minimum weight.