New rule for 12-13 Season

The most significant rule change is on stalling.
First call is a warning.
Second call is one point
Third call is one point.
fourth call is two points, plus choice of positions for your opponent.
Next call is a disqualification. 

Hopefully this extra penalty at the fourth call will grab all of the wrestlers attention, and cut down on stalling. My fear is that it may cause officials to freeze up and not be willing to make that third stalling call. Time will tell.

There are also a couple of new uniform regulations.
Wrestlers may not wear wristbands, sweatbands or bicep bands during a match.
T-shirt with no sleeves may be worn under the one-piece singlet when approved by the referee.

There is no specification that the Head official approve the t-shirt, or that there be a medically necessary reason for wearing it. Just make sure to have it approved before you start a match.

There were also some changes that addressed the need for choice of position after a second injury timeout in the overtime periods. Just remember not to take a second injury time unless it is absolutely necessary. 

The grind of FARGO

I thought I would show up at Fargo with a nice beard. Little did I know I would be sorely outdone.

Here is an idea of what working the largest wrestling tournament in the world is like.
Day 1.
I pick up the rental van in Snellville at 9:30am.
 Drive to Lawrenceville for first pick up.
Leave Lawrnceville for a quick pickup at H.I.
Next stop Kennesaw.
Last pick up close to Rome.

I tried to drive the entire way to Fargo, but just could not make it. Buck drove from just outside Minneapolis, to Fargo. That was still a personal best.

1st day in Fargo, all we had to do was get our ID cards, and check into our rooms. It was still a task. We had to wait till noon to start the process, and it took about an hour.  Welcomed all of my old friends before I finally passed out for the night.

2nd day. The Fargo clinic. Although we have a meeting before every session to go over any problems that have arisen, this clinic is where we go over everything in detail. I only attended the morning from 9:00am-noon session of the clinic because I volunteered to work the Women's Cadet tournament. We had the first weigh-in of the tournament, and it took about 15 minutes. It was not a large tournament, but it was a 10% increase over the first year for this division. Next quick lunch then back for the tournament. I worked with a great crew, and the tournament moved quickly. Quick dinner, then back for finals.I was the whistle for the third finals match.
I was not nervous, and got excellent encouragement from my fellow officials. Right before I walked to the center of the spotlighted podium, Cody Hesser walked to the edge of the podium, and told me to have fun out there. I did. Everything was smooth, and I called several more matches on the 5th place mat. We were done by 9:00pm.

3rd day Cadet Greco weigh-ins 6:30am. By 5:30am I was out of the dorm, walked to the C-store across the street for an energy drink, and back to the Dome for weigh-ins. We finished weigh-ins in about 20 minutes. Quick breakfast then back for an 8:30am meeting. First session started at 9:00am, and the cadets were wrestling very defensively. We had to spend a lot of time encouraging scoring. Session ended at 1:00pm. leisurely lunch, and return for a 2:30 meeting. Another great session, but we still had to really encourage the cadets to score. Session ended at 5:00pm, and we went to dinner. I had not caught up on my sleep, but I went ahead and washed clothes after dinner so that I would not be caught up in the day 4 rush to do laundry.

4th day. Junior Greco Weigh-in. I repeated my morning routine which I would perform every morning of Fargo. 25 minutes and done. Breakfast, meeting, split session with cadets, and Juniors. I worked the junior tournament in the morning, but was selected to work the cadet finals after lunch. The juniors were much more offensive. After lunch I whistled another final, and managed to watch Rivera between responsibilities on the 7th place mat. Went straight to the evening session with Juniors. Got to bed right after dinner.

5th day. Junior Women's weigh-ins. Morning routine. 20 minute weigh-ins. Breakfast, 8:30 meeting, and off to work the Women's tournament. It was a pleasure to work the Women's tournament because they put it all out every match. They are constantly trying to score, and willing to take risks. I was off for the Junior Greco finals, but worked the Women's finals right after. I judged a women's final, and called several 3rd place matches. I was through with dinner by 9:00pm, and did some reading before I fell asleep.

6th day. Cadet Freestyle Weigh-ins. Almost 1000 wrestlers in under 30 minutes. We had a second weigh-in for women's duals, but it was only a few girls that were only here for duals. Worked Cadet freetyle in the morning, and the cadets were still a little tentative on the scoring attempts. Worked women's tournament after lunch, and got shuffled around due to state conflicts. Ended up working the 7th place match. The duals were a good change of pace, and the competition was strong. Early night, so I spent some time talking to officials in the dorm.

7th day. Junior Freestyle Weigh-ins. Over 1000 wrestlers in 30 minutes. I got the morning session off, so i spent time with our Georgia coaches, and wrestlers. I was not scheduled to work Cadet finals, but was asked by one of the tournament directors, and I did not say no. I judged a finals match, and worked the third place matches. I made sure that I got to see Chip's podium match, as well as Rivera's match. They were both very tough. We rolled straight into an evening session of Juniors all the way up to the finals.

8th day. Last weigh-in, and I was not assigned. Being in the Fargo spirit, I went anyway. I was not assigned a 1st place match, but worked several 7th place matches. I made sure that I was able to watch Brooks' final. I was mat-side with that big throw coming right at me. The officials called the action just as we had been taught in our clinics. I still wanted the call to go the other way.
After the finals we ate one last lunch in Fargo, packed up, and hit the road. We got home th following day after driving through the night, and I turnned in the van 1 day early saving us another $100.00.

That is how busy you are as an official. I did not mention the fact that the entire time you are there you are being reviewed for recommendations of upgrades. You always do your best, but you try just a little harder in Fargo.

Prep for State

Guys, i am going to review some commonly missed points, and reference your rulebooks, so get them out, and let the debate begin.

Locked hands calls. 7-3 art 3
Remember to give reaction time on takedowns.
If the defensive wrestler is in the process of scoring an escape or reversal, keep the match moving. As soon as the offensive wrestle beats the move in progress, stop the match, and award the point for technical violation.
The hands do not have to be locked, just overlapping.
Offensive wrestlers can not lock hands around two legs after control has been established, unless the defensive wrestler is on his feet.

Fall/near fall 5-11

For a fall to occur, any part of both shoulders, or scapula must be in contact with the mat for a silent two second count.

2 points near fall are awarded when near fall criteria has been met for a period of 2 seconds.

3 points near fall are awarded when near fall criteria has been met for a period of 5 seconds or longer.

Near fall criteria is as follows.

Any part of both shoulders or scapulas within 4 inches of the mat.

One shoulder or scapula touching the mat, and the other shoulder or scapula forming a 45 degree or less angle.

A high bridge.

Both elbows on the mat.

Remember, only the wrestler with advantage can score near fall points. Defensive wrestlers can be awarded a fall, but can not achieve near fall till they have earned a reversal. Near fall points can not be awarded during a scramble for a takedown (a takedown must be awarded before near fall points can be earned).

Near fall points are awarded when the defensive wrestler gets out of the near fall situation, and achieves a clearly defensible position. You can not award 2 sets of near fall points for the same situation (even if it is David Taylor).

Potentially Dangerous

Any legal hold that becomes illegal due to the action of the defensive wrestler should be stopped for potentially dangerous.
As a wrestler steps in to front trip on a trapped arm side, stop the match for potentially dangerous.

Anytime a joint is moved to the limit of the natural range of motion with a legal hold, you should consider stoppage for potentially dangerous.

If anyone wants to argue a stoppage for potentially dangerous give an immediate coaches misconduct. Safety of the wrestlers comes first.

Stalemates.
Do not hesitate to call a stalemate when the action has stopped due to an equal position for both wrestlers. If neither wrestler is able to advance, call a stalemate.

Fleeing the mat.
Utilize the flee call to force action on the mat. If a wrestler is leaving the wrestling area, to avoid a scoring situation, and they have a reasonable choice of directions to go call the flee. It is technical violation, and results in one point.
Do not call a flee if the defensive wrestler is in near fall criteria for a period of 2 seconds or more, and he forces his way out of bounds.

Stalling.
If you see stalling in the first period, call it. It will solve the problem for the rest of the match.

Communication.
Give the wrestlers plenty of verbal clues. State them loud enough for the coaches to hear. Suggested terms include ACTION, CENTER, WRESTLE. On restarts tell wrestlers that you are looking for points.

Please post any comments you have hear, or bring up other points of emphasis that you have experienced.

Head official at a youth tournament.

Being assigned head official at a youth tournament usually means you have extra responsibility, with no extra compensation. Here are some tips that should make your life easier.

Meet with the officials as they arrive. Meet with the wrestlers about 30 minutes before the competition starts, and the coaches right after.

In the officials meeting make sure you have the mats covered, and any possible rotations set up.

In the wrestlers meeting cover the following.

At Beginners.
Starting positions.
Locked hands.
Full Nelsons.

At Middle School Duals.
The pre-meet disc toss, and meeting.

At all
Aggressively trying to score in the ten foot circle at all times.
Report to the table three matches ahead of your bout.
Sportsmanship.
Special equipment. Any special equipment must be approved by the head official and includes shirts under singlets.
Report to the table 100% ready to wrestle, including secured laces.
Give them a chance to ask you questions.
Have the rest of the officials do a nail and visible skin check while you meet with the coaches.

Coaches meeting.
Ensure the coaches that the crew of officials is strong.
Ask them to coach the wrestlers, not the officials.
ensure them of the right to ask for a time out any time there is a break in the action.
For the time outs, let them know that if they question a judgment call and it is not a misapplication of the rules that they will be charged with coaches misconduct. If it is a misapplication of a rule the score will be changed.
Ask them not to distract the officials by yelling at the officials from the corner. distracting an official during a match to the point that they can not concentrate on the match in front of them is just not fair to the wrestlers, and is unsportsmanlike.

If there is a dispute, enforce the rules as they are written to the best of your ability. Settle disputes as quickly and correctly as possible. Remeber there is always somebody waiting to wrestle.

Good luck, and don't be nervous about the extra responsibility. The majority of the time you will just be officiating matches.

It's a small world.

This weekend I worked A GHSA Area Dual tournament on Saturday, and a beginners tournament on Sunday.

Saturday one of the light weight wrestlers from my High School wrestling team was coaching a team in the consolation semi-finals. I was calling that match, and he rode me pretty hard. We are supposed to do our best to ignore the coaches talking to us as a match goes on, but it is not easy. Once a coach starts saying something repeatedly, it is distracting, and breaks my concentration. If I can not concentrate on the match in front of me, I can not do my job. This behavior by a coach is unsportsmanlike, and I finally stopped the match, and told him he was distracting me, and it was unsportsmanlike. I did not make the official call which would have cost him a Team Point. After the dual I watched the finals with my old team mate, and we discussed ideas for possible rules changes, and how to make Georgia wrestling better. As an official, we do not take the coaches riding us personally, but we do try to stop them so that we can be more effective.

Sunday at the beginners tournament, I was working the 6U mat. I really enjoy working with the little guys, but it is physically demanding. My quads are sore today from spending so much time up and down off the mat. As I was waiting for the next match, I here someone from the stands above me calling out something, and I usually don't look, but it happened to be the Heavyweight from my High School wrestling team. He did not have a wrestler on my mat, but made sure he came over to give me a hard time anyway.

Once wrestling is in your blood, it is hard to get away from it. Three old men from my High School days are still involved, and I am sure there are many more.

Rules tip!!!
This one seems to sneak up on people, and I did not learn it till I was an official. Once you have control, you can not lock hands around two legs. It is locked hands. I saw this in the finals of the Area Dual tournament I was at. It is a common mistake, and one of those rules that people tend to be surprised by.

3 days full

Although I could have officiated more last week, I got my fill in the last three days.
12/28 Minion Duals
12/29 Dixie Nationals
12/30 Rockdale Duals.

I was contacted by the tournament director for minion duals about a month ago. He asked if I could provide the officials for the tournament. We worked out a deal that was a little better for him, than the officials because I felt confident that I could find officials that wanted to work the tournament. I had no problem booking the tournament, because officials want to work hot matches (highly competitive, high level wrestling) no matter what the age groups are. I booked the officials and put myself in as well. I assigned a head official, but at the last minute he had a family problem that he had to take care of. By default because I booked the officials, I became the head official. I don't mind being a head official for most events. You do not get paid more, but usually you do not do that much more either. That wasn't the case at Minion Duals. I felt like Santa with a line of kids waiting to tell me what they wanted for Christmas while I was trying to officiate duals myself. I worked the K-3 division which means I spent a lot of time on my knees. needles to say, my legs where tired, and I was still trying to put out small fires. It was fun, but draining.
On the 29th, I was booked to work a high school Duals event, but got a last second call to cover Dixie. I really wanted to work Dixie, so I was not disappointed. I worked with three officials on four mats which means I got lots of short breaks. That helped me focus during my matches, and I had a good day. My legs were tired when I showed up, and even more so when I left. I had very few problems, and enjoyed the day at a National tournament.
Morning came quick on the 30th, and all I knew about my assignment was that I was working with one other official,it started at 9:00am, and it was Varsity Duals. It ended up being 5 duals for each of us. I am usually my sharpest early in the morning, and fad a little in the afternoon. My legs were a little dead in the morning, and it took me a while to shake some life into them. I had one of my worst calls of the year today. There was a scramble on the edge, and I blew the action dead because their feet were out of bounds. As soon as I blew the whistle I realized that the red wrestler had the green wrestlers shoulders in bounds, and he was pretty flat. Before the red coach could complain I apologized, and admitted that I was wrong, and could not fix the mistake. I let the coach give me some grief, and offered to discuss it more at the end of the Dual. The red wrestler did not win the match, and even got pinned. The mistake could possibly have cost the red team a twelve point swing. After the dual was over, and the moment was no longer heated, the coach was satisfied, and we moved on. The rest of the duals were good, but no big controversy. The worst thing that happened was a kid getting pinned with what the coach said was a choke hold. Since I was on the backside for a good view of the shoulders, it is very possible. If I had circled around front to check the hold I would have missed the fall. It was just one of those times where you make a choice, and it may not have been the best one.

I am off till next year. Next up for me is being a spectator at The Scuffle. See you on the mats soon.

Good behavior

I was working a large JV tournament this week. I got to work with some great High School kids that worked the tables, and 3 of the 8 mats at the tournament. I called matches with kids from 17 different schools, and worked along side of 9 other officials.

This was the first GHSA event I worked this year, and everyone was more well behaved than normal. One of the big differences between a High School event, and a club/USA event is the fact that these coaches have more on the line than a Dad/coach. There teaching job could be in jeopardy if they act a fool.
It is not just the relationship between the coaches, and officials, but the behavior of the wrestlers was respectful as well.

I can only remember a couple of times in the entire tournament that were the least controversial, and although at least one person left unhappy in each of those situations, I still feel that the conflicts were handled in a reasonable respectful manner.

The worst incident I had was late in the day, on the second day. The match just started off with a bad handshake. I really did not catch what happened, so I told them to shake hands again, like men. It still wasn't the best handshake in the world, but it was acceptable. The match was competitive, but the green wrestler was clearly winning the match. While the red wrestler was on the bottom, he posted up hard, and lifted his head. he repeated it and caught the green wrestler in the nose with the back of his head. I felt like it might have been intentional, and warned him to keep the match clean during a blood stoppage. I told him that I believed what he did was intentional. Latter in the match in a scramble for a takedown, the red wrestler, who was about to give up the takedown reared back and punched the green wrestler in the head. I immediately stepped in and stopped the match. While I was stepping in the green wrestler said "what the (expletive". As I made sure the wrestlers were separated, I signaled flagrant misconduct on the red wrestler, and told him he was disqualified from the tournament. Then I held out my green hand signaling unsportsmanlike conduct on the green wrestler. The green wrestlers coach did not see the first call, and shouted out what, and before he said anything else, I explained that he had missed the first call. I told him I ejected the red wrestler, and let him know that his wrestler had used profanity. He immediately calmed down, and made sure his wrestler was OK.

I had to fill out a report to send to GHSA. I gave it to the Head Official of the tournament, and he forwarded a copy to the head of our officials association, who will in turn deliver it to GHSA. The wrestler will have to serve a suspension.

One of my goals for the year is to have a better, more positive relationship with coaches and wrestlers. I want to answer all questions as completely as possible, while keeping tournaments moving. I want to give wrestlers a quick explanation when they seem to be confused by a call. If wrestlers ,and coaches have a better feel for what I am looking for, they will be able to produce it on my mat, and I will have nothing to do but award points, and congratulate wrestlers for hard fought matches.

Good luck the rest of the way everyone. We are off to a good start.