Wrestling made a change for the better yesterday with the allowance of an alternate two piece unifrom consisting of compressions shorts or wrestling shorts and a rashguard has been approved for 2017/18 season in high school wrestling. This is a fine alternative to the traditional one piece singlet.

According to team usa wrestling:

“The compression shorts or shorts designed for wrestling shall be school-issued and shall have a minimum 4-inch inseam that does not extend below the knee. The form-fitted compression shirt shall not cover or extend below the elbow and shall have a minimum 3-inch tail. The shirt may be worn under a singlet or with compression shorts or shorts designed for wrestling.

Specific language was developed regarding undergarment requirements for female contestants wearing a one-piece singlet or a form-fitted compression shirt, as well as for male contestants wearing shorts designed for wrestling.
The committee approved use of the alternate two-piece uniform in the hopes of increasing boys and girls participation in the sport after receiving favorable results from experimentation and positive comments from schools, students, coaches and officials.

The committee approved several rules related to minimizing risk of injury in the sport. Rule 4-5-3 now prohibits any activities that promote weight loss or weight gain when an athlete misses weight on his or her first attempt on the scale. In addition to activities that promote dehydration or drinking fluids to gain weight, the rule now prohibits activities such as cutting hair, modifying clothing, etc.”

Many former wrestlers don’t see this rule as a key to unlocking the future of wrestling because “he person who is concerned about how they would look in a singlet, probably would not be able to handle the struggles of being a wrestler.”

However this rule could very well up the engagement of those who know nothing about the sport but have a big resistance to the singlets.

Through the history the singlet did not become common in college wrestling until the late 1960s and early 1970s; in fact, it had been banned by the NCAA for years. Shirtless uniforms, including trunks and tights, were common until the NCAA banned shirtless wrestling in the mid-1960s. (source: wiki)

We need to help the sport of wrestling promote what we are passionate about,” says Tony Black, Director of State Services for USA Wrestling. “We need to allow our fans to be passionate and promote the sport. Why not do it through some sort of wrestling jersey or uniform top?”

“The majority of parents I talk to who are new to the sport are not super excited about having their child wear a singlet,” Black says. “In fact, some won’t join the sport or are hesitant because they don’t want to wear the singlet.”

“What we found was that the singlet was definitely a barrier to entry into the sport,” Moyer explains. “This was especially an issue with first-year wrestlers, and at the middle school level.”