RAF League launches tournament series for young wrestlers

The RAF freestyle wrestling league has announced the launch of a new project for young athletes — RAF NEXT GEN, a national youth wrestling tournament series.

Organizers note that the world’s strongest wrestlers already compete in RAF, and now the next generation of athletes will also have a path to the big stage. RAF NEXT GEN tournaments will be held as part of RAF weekends, allowing young wrestlers to compete in the same atmosphere and under the same spotlight as the senior participants.

Athletes taking part in the series will compete in tournaments, earn ranking points and receive the opportunity to qualify for major championship events, with finals taking place on the RAF main stage.

The first RAF NEXT GEN tournament will be held on July 19 in Milwaukee.

Tournament format

The competition will be held in a full bracket format. Four age divisions are planned: 8U, 10U, 12U and 15U. In total, there will be 47 weight classes.

The tournament will use a double-elimination system, meaning an athlete will still have a chance to continue competing even after one loss. Awards will be given to wrestlers who finish in the top three in their categories.

Tournament schedule

Weigh-ins will take place on Saturday. On Sunday morning, the opening rounds and placement matches will be held, while the final bouts will take place in the evening.

Organizers also stated that registration fees are non-refundable, each wrestler may enter only one division, and age is determined as of the day of the tournament. Headgear and USA Wrestling insurance are mandatory for participation.