Many takedowns are set up with your opponent's motion coming toward you. This is accomplished sometimes with a circular step, sometimes with a downward snap of your opponent's head, and sometimes with a step backward. The official needs to read the wrestler's body language and the circustances in the match to determine whether there is a legitimate attempt being made to gain a takedown. It is subjective, but it leaves available a great deal of offense that might be taken away if steps backwards are determined to be stalling.

There have been attempts to make neutral position stalling more objective, but most of it has met with frustration.

One state that has done this is Missouri. Talking with an official from there and they will proudly say that "they call stalling much more aggressively than Kansas". Many of Missouri's officials are dedicated to the one step backward is stalling rule. I think they are missing out on some great takedowns.

Gary Ulmer