Wrestling Box Scores - What if the NFL Did It Our Way

Let's keep the comparison going. This time, let's think about what NFL fans would say if we transformed their data rich box scores into a traditional folkstyle wrestling box score. I'm guessing they'd go through the roof and have the person's head who suggested such an audacious thing.

Photo by Katrina Berban - Photo of HS Football Stiff Arming a Player to the Ground

What's Your Go To Stat for NFL Games

What the first stat you look at for NFL games or players? Let us know on the social airwaves, but ... here are some of my favorites:

• Rushing Attempts vs Rushing Yards
• Completion Percentage and Number of Attempts
• Number of Sacks & Tackles for A Loss
• Fumbles Recovered & Defensive TDs
• Sacks and Tackles for a Loss

What Action in Wrestling Might Compare to those NFL Stats

What's the first thing you like to review about a wrestler's performance, even if it's hard to review right now? Here's a Table with some of my go to NFL stats and what I'd love to see in a Wrestling Box Score:

NFL Box Score Re-imagined as Wrestling Box Scores

Now, those all sound very nice, but what is our current reality. I grabbed the following box scores from a website and converted them to wrestling box scores (for one team).

You might notice that a few key stats are missing. That's because these are the Folkstyle Wresting version of NFL Box Scores.

Here's Your Wrestling Box Score

Now back to the current Folkstyle Wrestling box score. Here are two typical wrestling box score examples. Note that many outlets build off of the box score and write articles describing the action from a dual meet. This is excellent, but we can do more.

Box Score on Trackwrestling's OPC Page

Box Score Style used by Flowrestling

What Else Could Wrestling Include in an Upgraded Box Score

Here are a few more items that could easily be included:

• points by period
• plus/minus in match points
• summary of wins by type
• penalties & riding time points

When you compare to other sports, these very simple items that are captured during duals in computer systems, are glaringly missing in the current wrestling box scores. And, so I hope you're now with me and can see that Wrestling can and should do more.

While it may seem like we have a ways to go to get there, but I believe we can get there.

One challenge in our way

Trackwrestling's Live Entry dashboard. This is a great tool offered to teams for Dual Meets as part of the OPC, but ... it has one major drawback.

Here's The Problem with Trackwrestling's Live Entry Dashboard

Please note that we at 3DWS love Trackwrestling and the amazing things they've done for our sport. We also know that the Trackwrestling Live Entry Dashboard needs some work. Most importantly: they need to remove the +1, -1, +2, -2, +3, -3 buttons from the Live Entry dashboard for Folkstyle. Every point scored in Folkstyle wrestling has a purpose and should be noted as such. Points entered in error should be changed to the correct points or removed based on the referee's decision.

Submit a Ticket

Please let Trackwrestling know by submitting a ticket requesting this:

Remove the +1, +2, +3, etc. and the -1, -2, -3, etc. buttons from the Folkstyle Live Entry Dashboard. Every point in Folkstyle has an action tied to it, e.g., T2 (takedown 2 pts), N3 (nearfall 3 pts), P1 (penalty 1 pt). Letting table help use +1, +2, -1, -2 in Folkstyle ruins the history of the match and makes the match action record useless. Please remove these buttons from the TrackWrestling Live Entry Dashboard.

Trackwrestling Ticket Submission Form - Please Help

Trackwrestling Live Entry Dashboard

Here's an image of the dashboard. They may not look "prominent" here, but table help at all levels of wrestling, yes, including ALL NCAA Levels, love to click those -1, +1, -2, +2 buttons.

And I can't think of a reason why those options are needed at all in Folkstyle Wrestling ...