CHAMPAIGN – New NCAA wrestling rules designed to curb crash weight-cutting are a welcome change, University of Illinois wrestlers said.

"I think the NCAA did the right thing," senior Jevon Herman, who competes in the 177-pound weight class, said Saturday. "It promotes a healthier atmosphere for losing weight."

Illinois competed for the first time Saturday under rules that went into effect Tuesday.

Among the changes are a ban on rubber suits, a 7-pound allowance in each weight class, and the scheduling of weigh-ins no more than two hours before the beginning of a meet.

The changes came in response to the deaths of three collegiate wrestlers since November. All were attempting to lose a large amount of weight in a short time.

The change in the weigh-in schedule may have the most beneficial impact, UI wrestlers said. Previously, wrestlers were allowed to weigh in as many as five hours beforehand, or even more if mutually agreed to by the opposing teams.

"With the two-hour weigh-in, you have to watch your weight all week," Herman said. "What that does is make you be more disciplined, which in turn is healthier."

Teammate Eric Siebert agreed.

"Before, we could always do the crash diet and then we'd binge-eat, binge-drink – almost like a yo-yo," the senior 150-pounder said. "(The new rules) eliminated that because the weigh-ins are so close to when we compete. So now maintainance is the key."

An allowance for extra pounds already existed in collegiate wrestling, but only minimally and only through the first three months of the season. Under previous rules, wrestlers could be 3 pounds over their weight class in November, 2 pounds over in December and 1 pound over in January. Wrestlers had to meet the actual weight in February and March.

The new 7-pound allowance will be in effect for the rest of this season and then reviewed as part of a sweeping study of competitive safeguards in the sport.

NCAA officials also decided that the previous weight-allowance rule should still apply in conjunction with the new standard, meaning wrestlers can be 8 pounds over for the rest of January. However, to prevent taking unfair advantage of the new allowance, wrestlers can compete only in the weight class (or classes) in which they had wrestled on or before Jan. 7 of this season.

UI coach Mark Johnson said the new allowance is realistic and not excessive.

"It seems like a lot, but when the guys are (ordinarily) cutting that much water weight, that's a pretty fair amount," Johnson said.