The rules of international wrestling have been changed, based upon a vote the FILA Congress, held in Athens, Greece on August 20, 2004.     FILA is the international wrestling federation, representing all of the nations around the world involved in international wrestling. The organization is based in Lausanne, Switzerland, and its president is Mr. Raphael Martinetti.    These changes to not affect the rules used at the 2004 Olympic Games, but will be placed into affect during the next wrestling season.    ------------  Modification to the wrestling rules and competition system  Motivation of the change    FILA has throughout its existence modified and adapted its Rules to try and make wrestling more attractive and interesting for the public and the media. These modifications were often made to make up for the problems observed, which explains the regular interpretations that were adopted at each Congress.    For the first time important modifications are submitted to the Congress with the objective to fundamentally modify the image and the content of wrestling.    These proposals are the result of the largest consultation undertaken by the FILA to modify these Rules. Forums of discussion were organized on each continent, enquiries and proposals submitted to each National Federation. The opinions of journalists, TV companies and those who are more or less involved in wrestling were also consulted.    All these modifications were tested by various National Federations and are part of a new global vision of the content of wrestling. This is the reason for which FILA proposes to you the complete acceptance, since partial amendments would make us fall back into the past, without resolving the fundamental problems.    These changes are really necessary to modify the image of wrestling and are essential if our sport wants to resist the pressure of the IOC, in order to adapt the Olympic Games programme to the requests of the sponsors who want attractive sports, modern and interesting for the television viewers.    The FILA Bureau asks you to unanimously accept these modifications to the Rules and the competition system as proposed in order to open a new era in the development of our sport.    PROPOSALS OF MODIFICATIONS TO THE RULES    A. COMPETITION SYSTEM    1. All wrestling competitions are held according to the direct elimination system, with repechage for the losers against those who must wrestle the match for first and second place. Search of the ideal number is done at the beginning of the competition and the matches are held starting from the bottom of the bracket. Repechage matches start with the wrestlers who lost in the first round (including during the matches when searching for the ideal number) against one of the two finalists up to the losers of the semi-finals in direct line. The winners of the last two repechage matches receive each a bronze medal.    2. Each weight category starts and ends in one day. The weigh-in for each category takes place the day before the start of competition of the category concerned.    B. DURATION OF THE MATCHES    1. The duration of the matches is divided into 3 periods of 2 minutes each with a break of 30 seconds. At the end of each period, a winner is obligatorily declared. The wrestler who wins two periods is declared the winner of the match. If the victory can be declared after two periods, the third period is suppressed. The fall automatically ends the match, regardless of the period in which it occurs.     2. In case of a tie in a period, a winner will be determined by successfully examining the following elements:    - The value of the technical points (3-2-1)  - If the tie remains, the first technical point determines the winner    C. MODIFICATION TO THE SCORING SYSTEM    1. The wrestler who executes a 5 point grand amplitude hold is declared the winner of the period regardless of the score.    2. The wrestler who executes two 3 point holds in a period is declared the winner of the period regardless of the score.    3. The winner who has a difference of 6 technical points is also declared the winner of the period.    4. Each time a wrestler in the standing position puts a foot on the protection area, his opponent will receive one technical point.    5. All fleeing the mat and fleeing the holds standing or in par terre position will be penalized as currently by one or two technical points.    6. All stopping of the matches for injuries without bleeding are penalized by one point to the opponent.    7. The additional point for all liftings from the ground is suppressed.    8. The point attributed to the wrestler who stands up from the ground is suppressed.    9. The ordered par terre position after a warning or passivity is suppressed.    10. The gut wrench and ankle lace holds cand be executed several times consecutively.    11. The warning for passivity is suppressed.    12. In the exceptional case where the period ends in 2 minutes with a 0-0 regardless of the possibility for stepping out of the mat, fleeing the holds or fleeing the mat, a clinch will be ordered at the end of the 2 minute regular time. The referee will proceed with the drawing of lots to determine the wrestler who must clinch first. The clinch will last a maximum of 20 seconds. The current clinch rule remains in force for determining the winner.    13. During the clinch the referee has all the possibilities to request the contact by touching the wrestlers to bring them closer. The two penalty points will be attributed only to the wrestler who refuses to clinch.    14. The clinch in freestyle must be done in a different way. The wrestler who has won the draw must grip the leg of the opponent and this also in the case where the score is 0-0 at the end of 2 minutes regular time.    15. The duration of the recovery time between matches is reduced to 15 minutes in order to avoid interruptions in the competitions.    D. MODIFICATION TO THE WEIGHT CATEGORIES    1. It is proposed to add the 50 kg category to all senior men competitions so as to have the same categories for seniors and juniors. This modification does not concern the Olympic Games for which only the IOC is competent. The categories for women remain unchanged.    E. CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM    1. In view of the introduction of direct elimination the wrestlers of each category will be placed in the following way:  - The losers of the two finals for the bronze medals are placed 5th ex aequo    - For placing the wrestlers as of 7th place the classification points determine the place. In case of a tie of classification points they will be placed by successively analyzing the following criteria.    - If the wrestlers cannot be placed with the criteria below, they will be place ex aequo.  1. The most victories by fall  2. The most victories of matches by superiority (6 points difference)  3. The most victories of periods by superiority  4. The most technical points scored during the entire competition  5. The less technical points received during the entire competition    - The wrestlers who participate in the repechage will also be placed according to the classification points scored during the entire competition.    CLASSIFICATION POINTS  - Victory of a match by fall - 5 points  - Victory of a match by superiority, withdrawl, disqualification, 4 points  - Victory of a match by points, 3 points  - Defeat with technical points scored, 1 point  - Defeat with no technical points scored, 0 point