Beginning with the 2005 season, high schools will be required to install wrestling rings with a minimum of 3 ropes in which to conduct all wrestling matches. The requirement for installation of the ring was needed so that some of the more popular moves such as the "flying drop kick" can be utilized. "We want to emphasize safety first," noted a committee spokesman. "Junior High and Middle School wrestlers will only be allowed to launch a drop kick from the second rope, while High School grapplers will be permitted to launch from the top rope." It was recommended that pee-wee wrestlers be restricted to activities from the lowest rope only.
Additional changes in the stalling rule were also announced. Wrestlers will continue to receive a warning for the first offense as before, but on the second through fourth offense the guilty wrestler will be gouged by an electronic cattle prod by the referee. "This system has been in use by the Slobbovian State Wrestling Federation for a number of years, and it has proven to be an effective deterrent to stalling," noted the committee. "Two or three sparks with the cattle prod, and
those guys start wrestling for sure." Voltages will be reduced for Jr High and Middle School wrestlers.
The complete Slobbovian stalling rule was not implemented. Slobbovian rules call for the guilty wrestler to be shot on site by the referee with a small hand-gun on the fifth offense. The West Virginia Safe Schools Act prohibits the possession of hand-guns on school property, and so referees are unable to pack a heater for the matches.
It is anticipated that legislation will be introduced in the next session of the West Virginia Legislature to allow an exemption in the gun laws for wrestling matches.