here is an idea. let those refs that are doing good know about it. also maybe list their names here so tournament directors can see them and try and get the best refs. those that arent doing so good rather than yelling at them like i do haha talk to them and let them know how you saw it and it will probably ease things in the long run. i know i have talked to several refs after yelling at them and they majority of the time understand the heat of the moment thing but talking about it in a calm manner may help both parties the next time they ref one of your matches.

Check out this website: It is used in Wisconsin - just an FYI

http://www.refranking.com/

It is an evaluation system that ranks the officials.

I agree with Bockover. There are several good young officials in the kids level. This is my first year coaching kids wrestling (coached 3 years at the high school level), but I have seen some good officiating. There might be a few calls I don't agree with, but with the young officials they are learning.
I tell some of my parents and wrestlers this "Don't leave the match in the officials hands", Some respond, "If they are a good wrestler, I might not be able to pin them". I tell them 4 things:
1) make sure you have the takedown fully secure so the official has no choice but to call it
2) if your upset because you got pinned and you don't think your shoulder was touching, don't get put to your back
3) Don't give up penalty points
4) Shake the match off and continue to wrestle your hardest and have fun, In the end its not about winning the trophy or medal, its about what you can take from the match and learn from it, so that you are better the next match

Great idea. People that want to do well are always up for constructive criticism. Had a ref state that some of the hardest matches to officiate are the 10 & 12 y.o.'s and kids because they are so flexible and identifying. the wrestler in control can be brainstraining! Keep in mind refs continue on through the course of the day @ Salina they were having to walk across the street as well for their breaks. If you don't think that type of work after near 12' can be brain straining think again!!!

I just wanted to commend the officials from the Oakley tournament yesterday on a great job! I watched several matches on different mats and as always were a few calls questioned by coaches but both Refs and coaches dealt with their disagreements with respect and professionalism. I was especially impressed with the official on Mat 4, the mat my son was on. I know her maiden name is Sara Woody, ( daughter of Steve and Lisa Woody) , not sure if she has a married name. Regardless, I was thankful for a day of good officiating. It makes a day of wrestling so much more enjoyable!

I'd cut kids officials a lot of slack...its not easy to officiate at that level of competition. There is no instant replay. You are on small mats, the coaches are sometimes parents, the kids are sometimes not sure in their moves, and they make a lot of mistakes.

In every day of officiating there are going to be close calls that if broken down on tape might have gone another way. Having a coach or parent yelling and carrying on doesn't help and can end up eroding the officials' confidence or distracting him so that the calls don't get any better.

Coaches, if they really know the rules, can visit with officials about the rules and interpretations. But the time and place isn't right after a "blown" call. Give it some time.

I would agree with Kristy. The officiating seemed pretty good, and consistent across all mats at Oakley. Of course there were some calls that could have went either way. The main thing I seen at Oakley that stood out for me with the officials is that they remained professional, and was willing to listen to the coaches questions without acting as if they were offended. Good Job overall officials at the Oakley tournament.

I so agree with you. I have always told my son that when he walks out on the mat that he should treat the other wrestler like he is the best wrestler in the world. That his mindset must be to make it clear who the winner is.
Now, that being said, Hunter wrestled at St. James on Saturday and was the first wrestler of the day. The young ref. used the edges of the mat as the boundaries instead of the blue circle... nobody knew this going in and I felt like that young ref.'s calls affected the match in a negative way for my son. The next match and from then on the blue circle was used as the boundary. My son beat his first opponent on the backside for 3rd place. Which was probably a more valuable lesson for both of them. I rarely blame refs... it's the wrestlers job to make the outcome clear.