4A State Tournament Officials

I thought the quality of officials at this weekend’s 4A State Tournament was very high. There were always 2 referees on each mat, they communicated well, stayed in good position, tried to keep the matches moving along and were all-around very professional all weekend long. This is what we expect at State and they certainly delivered with great performances, and when I say that, I mean, their goal was clearly to go almost unnoticed by doing everything they could to make every call correctly. They made it about the wrestlers, which, to me, is a high compliment to each of these guys. It is no easy job, being an official, that is for sure. Great job this weekend!

Totally agree. Well said.

Well said Thompson. Several close calls throughout the tournament were handled very professionally. They even handled the spectator "distraction" in the 106 finals without much ado.

Compliments to head ref Ross and the whole group!

I like to see that we have some younger refs coming up who are already high quality. They will be our next set of officiating leaders down the road.

I liked how if we had something to say, they listened & responded & even considered, but they made their decision quickly then kept the match going right away.

As I read these posts I felt I could not keep silent. Although I agree that the overall quality of officiating was good this weekend, 10 seconds of one match has left a sour taste in our mouths and stripped our son of his opportunity to wrestle for the state championship. He was down 7-4 with less than 10 seconds left in the match, hit a great move putting his opponent on his back. Despite the lack of time left in the match, the ref took his time getting to the mat but still gave a clear two count before time expired. We were all celebrating because we thought he had won the match 8-7 but the official only awarded the reversal not the two back points. Our coach challenged as he clearly saw the two count as well as anyone else who was watching that match, but the referee disregarded the challenge
saying " I know what I counted and it was one."

We immediately watched the video and clear as day our son steps over putting the kid flat on the mat and there is one whole second before the ref even starts counting and then he makes two clear two counts and then gets tapped to end the match. The sad thing about the whole situation is that it wasn't a judgement call at all but instead a clear two count that should have resulted in two back points. Our other concern was that the second official did nothing. He had to have seen the two count. What is the point of having a second official if it doesn't matter. This was the semi-final match at the State Championships, it would make sense that the officials would want to make the right call. This very young ref did not even consider or listen to our coach's concern or ask the other official, he ignored the comment.

The young man that went on to the finals is a fine wrestler and my comments are not meant to take anything away from his accomplishments and efforts. My son recovered from the loss and went on to place third but the sting of that match still stayed with him. He made the comment that he would rather have the opportunity to wrestle for a state title and lose than to win two more matches and place third.

Lisa Penka

Any chance he counted to "one" and then wrestler came out of criteria and he got to "one" again, but to the audience it looked like a two count? Officials know it is important to be in position to see NF points--a couple of seconds can make a huge difference in a match, as you've expressed.

Videos are useful to evaluate a call.

The ref gave two consecutive counts before time ran out. The wrestler on bottom was pretty flat on the mat. A coach from another team thought he was pinned. Both wrestlers are deserving kids, I just think in a match that big, mistakes like that should not happen especially with two officials.

Two separate posters asked the same question on two separate Topics. I think without a video the official needs to be given the benefit of the doubt on this call. Even with a video, it is the call that the official made. I think your son is a very good wrestler, so nothing at all against him. But, as I said in a previous post, the wrestler who loses the match will see it as a bad call, and the one who won the match will see it as a good call.

Before we tar and feather the official, will there be any discussion of the first 5:50 of the match? At 7-4 with ten seconds left, it sounds like A LOT of wrestling occurred prior to the last :10...

You know that's how it goes, you can go an entire season without a cross look sideways and all the sudden you are the worst official ever because you make a call that someone doesn't care for....I know that officials working these matches are putting forth their absolute best effort. They know what it means to the kids and they don't want to be deciding the outcome.

On NF calls, there's another factor here, and its happened to me...I have been swinging my arm and just before I finish my swing and count, and mean by a cat's hair, the kid comes out of criteria or time expires and even though it looks like I've hit the two count I haven't...that's really not all that uncommon, at is was a topic at one of our meetings....to make sure you are accurate on your counting.

It should not matter when the points are scored and the issue is not about a judgement call. The official showed a two count and did not award points. When challenged about the call the official could have easily conferred with the other official who had a clear view of the action to make sure the right call was made especially in such a big match. It seems pointless to have two officials if they are not used in instances like this one.

With that said, my son stated that if he had not made a mistake early in the match he would not have been in that situation. His solution is that he works as hard as he did the last 9 months to make himself better so that no official can determine the outcome of his matches in the future.

I have even heard the official say 2 out loud then waive it off. Going back to accurate on your counting, the two should come after the arms has went out, that way if you hit the verbal 2 it is good.

I also like the verbal part of it, I am not sure it is required, but in close tilts or scrambles sometimes as soon as they hear the 1 they get moving.

But yes consistancy is the key.

I have had this happen A few times this year. Where A Official says he only counted to one but was swinging his arm for the two count.In his mind the two comes at the end of the swing. To me it is easy ,No one goes ttttwwwwwwwwooooooo.There should never be any arm moment with out the two count 1st.If the Official shows a two count There is no way he should ever say it was only a one count.Saying two at the end of the Officials stroke is one thing that could be easily changed,it would save a lot of headache with coaches.

With no video its all just opinion. And even with the video it might be all opinion.

The mechanics of calling near fall are important, and in part to prevent confusion. There was an article in our officials' journal this year on this topic. The rules contemplate both a visual and a verbal signal. The proper method is to have your arm count accurately timed to the second, so when you finish your swing, you have counted (one-thousand one, one-thousand two). Now, you don't say that, you just say "one, two, three.....as your arm hits the end of its swing. I'm sure there are guys that are behind the action and some that jump the gun and are too quick.

You need to have it timed and show it properly, so the coaches and fans know what is going on. Kids can and do get out of criteria on a "one count" all the time if they hear it or if the coach sees it and shouts...if you are behind in your count then you've not alerted the wrestler he is in criteria. For the wrestler, he needs to hear "one" loud and clear. How's he supposed to know if he's in criteria if he's not told?

There are many instances where the official will not award points even though he may have inadvertantly counted. Happens all the time, there's too many examples to even start listing them. But the important thing is to be in position, see the NF, and start counting so you can properly award points earned.

There are situations where you just can't do the arm swing and the verbal count per the book, but you still must award the earned points. The points are not earned by either the arm swinging motion or the verbalization, they are earned by holding your opponent in criteria for the amount of time necessary.

I'll give you an example that I've run across. Every once in a while I have called falls after time expired in the period. It happens like this, the kid gets taken directly to his back, he's flat, as I am dropping to the mat I'm watching his back and he's stuck and I'm counting (1, 2) in my head and when I get into position to make sure everything is legal the buzzer sounds. Kid is pinned, and was pinned, before time ran out. So I slap the mat. It's the correct call, its not very good mechanics. But my choice at that point is to make something up or take my lumps when the coach starts complaining that time had run out. Time had run out, but not before he was pinned.

The other situation that once in a while causes some heartburn is where there is a takedown or scramble and a kid ends up in criteria...at that point should you score the takedown, reversal, etc. or start counting NF? I think clearly you shout out "one" so the wrestler knows he's in jeopardy rather than taking the time to score the takedown or reversal and then hold up the two for the NF. You can always catch up--he know's he's been pointed if you are counting back points. Makes sense to me, but I've had coaches complain that until the kid knows he's been taken down (by awarding/verbalizing the points) you can't start counting. It's a chicken or egg argument tempered by experience.

But there are actually some situations where calling the takedown first is necessary....for example, locked hands on a takedown, if the official hasn't scored the takedown, how can the wrestler know that he's to release his locked hands?

Here's another heart-breaker--this usually happens with a head and arm takedown. They hit the mat, the official starts the NF counting and then the bottom kid rolls through or gets to his feet and the official does not call a take-down and no NF either because he decides there was no control to begin with. But if the kid did have control, and was able to hold his position, then you needed to be counting.

I know most everyone thinks officiating is a piece of cake, and it is 98% of the time, the other 1% doesn't matter because even a bad call doesn't affect the outcome. Its the 1% that always ends up causing the heartburn, and those aren't usually "easy" calls although in hindsight they might seem like it.

Also, as they say, "without video it didn't happen."

SO if I get this strate the count happens at the end of the stroke? Not to be an but head but some of us have longer strokes than others.If this is how it is in the rule book,I am in shock.I do very little arguing on the mat.I do however chat with Officials after. I have found if I do it at the time of the match Alot of officials are very fast to be the boss.I do not know and will never know all the rules [interpretation is the key].

To me if you start the two count it is two.If not I think this is one that should be looked at.If it is two one thousands,than I am betting the two hits be for the half way swing of the arm.

Now with all that being said.Very seldom will I fight over points.

And thanks mr ford some times what I think and what is right are different.

Charles Bradford