This season there has been discussion about some wrestlers backing up and moving to the edge of the mat several times during a match. Apparently, this is done to slow the match down considerably, which definitely adversely affects the match. The aggresive wrestler may shoot several times only for the defensive wrestler to turn to the boundary area and go out of bounds. Some good to average wrestlers are using this tactic more than I have seen in past years. I have three questions regarding this.

1. Should or could a wrestler be cautioned for stalling when their first step is back? (Please explain any rule regarding this)

2. If this is the case, why is the rule not being consistently enforced?

3. Is there a collective effort by referees to enforce the stalling rule more aggressively during Regionals and State?

Thank you for your assistance.

Rule 5-25-1 - Each wrestler is required to make an honest attempt to stay with the 10-foot circle and wrestle aggressively, regardless of position or the time or score of the match. Action is to be maintained throughout the match by contestants wrestling aggressively whether in the top, bottom, or neutral position and both contestants are equally responsible for initiating action. It is the responsibility of contestants, coaches and referees to avoid the use of stalling tactics or allowing use of thereof. This shall be demonstrated by those responsible with strict enforcement.

Rule 5-25-3 addresses stalling in the neutral position also.

Your questions 1 - 3 can be answered with one answer.

Stalling is a judgment call. Can a wrestler be warned for stalling if he is taking a step back? Yes, he COULD be depending on the situation, if the referee believes the wrestler is not wrestling aggressively. The collective effort is to call stalling aggressively all the time, regardless of time of year.

I believe that the coaches and officials should review this rule, particularly the last two sentences. This could be done during the coaches convention at the beginning of the season. It also might be a good idea for the lead officials to remind thier staff of this issue prior to the start of a tournament (just a suggestion). As posted many times this year there is no evaluation process in place for these issues. I sincerely hope that all officials review the rule book and seek constructive criticism from their peers prior to Regionals and State. My suggestion is intended to be constructive criticim, not an insult. I strongly believe that some wrestlers (in high school and kid's wrestling) are taught or allowed to wrestle with the intent of stalling on their feet (moving to the edge of the mat and backing away from their opponent). Especially against aggresive wrestlers.

Regarding the last paragraph of your answer I don't believe that all officials are aggresively calling stalling during the year. In my opinion the lack of a response to call stalling from the official has created a situation where the better wrestler is forced to win by a small margin or in OT. The match should not come down to this, especially at the end of the season.

Official 1 thank you for your prompt response to my question.

Kind regards,

Stalling is one of the toughest calls in wrestling. Officials spend a lot of time discussing stalling, their are instruction tapes on it, coaches raise it, fans holler for it. The most common axiom I hear is "every coach wants stalling called...against the other wrestler." Playing the edge, backing, countering only without shooting, tieing up, are all stalling techniques. I've seen stalling ger called more and more each year but its still prevalent in wrestling. I honestly don't think a lot kids are in good enough shape that they could even finish a match if they didn't stall....its frustrating for officials.

We could go along way to cut down on the stalling at the edge of the mat if we used the "push out rule" used in Greco and Freestyle. Maybe that is something we should look at getting moved into folkstyle.

A. Steele

Rule 5-28-1a addresses fleeing the mat - Intentionally going out of the wrestling area or forcing an opponent out of the wrestling area.

Stalling and Fleeing the Mat are JUDGMENT calls. There are other references to these penalties throughout the rules and case books. Consistency is the key. This is developed through hours of study, attending clinics and application.

So just what does it take to get the gov. body to reevaluate the rules on stalling? There are fixes if they wish to review them.One would think they would want to make Ks wrestling as ligit as possible. Don`t fear change, the sport will be better for it.

There's a Colorado official, Dave Frisch, who has put together a stalling tape. This guy's well-respected, has officiated high school and college for years, and has recently updated his tape according to the Colorado web site at http://cwoa.us Any official, coach, parent, or fan, that wants to gain a good understanding of what stalling is and how it can occur throughout a match should get this tape and study it. The reason there is a tape, and an updated tape, by an NCAA-class official, and the reason this is a recurring issue for all of us involved in wrestling, is because stalling continues to be a chronic problem and the most controversial part of high school wrestling.