Nigel, isn't your philosophy like police officers that don't enforce all laws? "Ah, that would be a lot of paperwork, I'm not pulling him over until he's 10 miles over the speed limit."

The problem with that mentality is that it is a rule, it is the official's job to enforce it. The intent of such rules is to eliminate such behavior. If it means removing the wrestler, you are doing exactly what the rule is designed to cover - elimination of behavior. The wrestler can either quit the tantrums or not wrestle. Pretty cut and dried.

When officials decide which rule they would rather enforce or not enforce, we're looking at chaos. I don't tolerate that behavior and have pulled kids out of tournaments because of it. Realisticly the official should have done it, but because he won't step up, I do it.

Does it upset parents? Sure it does, but if you're wrestling for a club that I'm affiliated with, I expect exceptional behavior on and off the mat. I know I'm not the only one that has done this and if a parent is truely bent on "it's just a phase, he'll grow out of it," then I encourage them to seek places where such growth is tolerated. Such behavior is not tolerated by the rules we govern ourselves by (though enforcement is suspect)in wrestling.

Granted, kids are kids, but it seems that the ones that throw fits are the same ones that do it time and time again. We have no room for babies in this sport.