Analysis of effective scoring strategies in college wrestling

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to identify the most influential scoring strategies by different weight categories in collegiate wrestling. The secondary purpose was to develop an equation model to predict winning a wrestling match. Fifteen college wrestlers from two NCAA Division III colleges in the upper Midwest participated in this study. Fourteen factors were chosen by the researcher based on past research, coaches' suggestions and theories to their relationship to winning a collegiate wrestling match. The data was collected to identify each factor during the matches of the participating wrestlers form the 2015-2016 wrestling season, A Chi-square test (x2) was performed to find all the relationships between each variable and the outcome of the wrestling match for all the data and for each of the 4 weight categories individually. Riding Time (O=.574), Scoring Last in a Period (V=.569), Scoring Takedowns (V=.568), and First Takedown (O=.557) had the largest effect sizes and were all significant (p<.001) to winning. A multiple logistic regression was performed to investigate the relationship of all the factors to winning. Riding Time, First Takedown, 3rd Period Points, Mat Control and 4 point Near Falls were included in the final equation to best predict a winning match.