What changed for girls' minimum weight in 2026-27?

From the 2026-27 season, the minimum body fat percentage for female wrestlers rose from 12% to 19% (NFHS Rules 1-5-1 and 1-5-2). The boys' minimum stays at 7%.

What it means for your girls:

• A girl's minimum certified weight class is calculated from a 19% body fat floor, so many girls will have a higher minimum weight than under the old rule.
• A girl assessed below 19% may still wrestle at that weight with a medical release signed by a health care professional. The same applies to a boy below 7%.

Why: the NFHS Wrestling Rules Committee, backed by the NFHS Sports Medicine Advisory Committee and using research from the National Wrestling Coaches Association, found that peer-reviewed data supports 19% as a safer margin for girls trying to reach a lower weight class.