Anyone that has wrestled in both MO. and KS. much knows how inconsistant the calls over there are.

Look on the MO. web site and there is a petition to get some sort of guidelines.

The FIST!
By Nick Purler

Written below is my analysis of what is done by Missouri’s officials and how it actually does just the OPPOSITE of what it is intended to do. This is my opinion of the aggressive use of the stall call (the fist) in an attempt to make wrestling more exciting for us fans. I don’t expect you to agree, but please take a few seconds to clear your thoughts and promise that you will read this with an open mind.

What you are basically doing is using the stall call as a tool to force action.
This sounds good in your meetings, but let’s look at what it actually does:

For starters, you are no doubt intimidating the winning wrestler. After the first hit, you are letting him know early on in the match that he is being watched. This is the first stall call. Usually followed rather quickly by a stall fist to the losing wrestler…just to even the score and pacify the crowd and coaches. After all, I’m a fair official! This first stall call initiates a sense of panic into the mind of the 14 year old boy. What is being accomplished is letting him know that he is not out of the woods yet, so don’t get too comfortable out there kid. This match is not yours yet. You’ll have to fight for this one!
Now, as for the stall warnings, many bold officials will not feel pressure to hit in the 2nd period but will be confident enough, fearless enough, to hit the winning wrestler twice in the 3rd…usually close to the final buzzer. Mind you, this is only the season veteran…the green official only dreams of this bold behavior! When done this late in the match, they always display VERY confident body language. Fist slams through the air like a rocket. Also, an angry look and intense stare doesn’t hurt. In fact, it lets the coach know that he better stay back in his chair. After all, I’m in charge and I’m pissed! Your wrestler is a staller!!!! He won’t make a fool of me!!!! Just look at my face. Can’t you see how serious I am about this?

Meanwhile, the losing wrestler senses that he may actually have a shot. Even a defeated, broken wrestler will somehow muster up some explosive energy that had seemed all but gone just a split second ago. This explains why the losing wrestler will often score immediately after the winning man is hit with stalling. He is feelin’ good and there is light at the end of the tunnel. His spirit is no longer broken and he is full if fire!


Now, back to the winning wrestler:
This 14 year old boy is feeling the momentum swing away from his favor. He sees this match begin to slip through his fingers. Funny how the better wrestler can spend 4 or more minutes beating and emotionally defeating the other boy and in a matter of an instant, the official has the power to take all of that hard-earned momentum away and give it to the other guy. Panic sets in. He chokes. He loses.

Bottom line is that you are giving the losing wrestler (the lesser wrestler) a
‘get out of jail free card’. Your intentions may be good and you may believe this creates a more exciting environment, but I beg to differ. I came to watch the boys hash it out. Not so see an official use the fist as a way to create chaos on the mat for my enjoyment. In fact, I will go as far as to say that anyone who enjoys that sort of entertainment is sick. What’s more. You say you initiate these stall calls as a way to improve MO wrestling and add excitement to our sport…for entertainment you say. I’m sorry, but watching a grown man taunt a 14 year old in the State finals with a stall call, breaking his spirit for our pleasure, is not entertaining to me. I will buy a movie ticket. Thanks anyway.

By hitting the winning wrestler, you are giving the losing man a second chance and forcing the winning wrestler (the better wrestler) to win the match TWICE. Some can do it, most cannot. Especially not in the State Championships verses a great opponent. It is very sad. The loser gets a second chance and the winner must win twice.

There is no doubt that we love nothing more than to see the losing wrestler come from behind for the last second win. This is exciting stuff and most
Americans love an underdog. Ever watch a Rocky movie? However, trying to alter the flow of a match with the stall fist by inducing panic into the heart of a 14 year old boy is not what it is all about. The ‘come back kid’ is really not a come back kid at all. He is actually nothing more than the receiver of a gift. This wrestler is rewarded by the official for being behind late in the match. He is rewarded for losing. This is no different than if a boxing official was to move the winning boxer back and allow the losing boxer out of the corner, letting him off the ropes. What the fans and coaches REALLY want is for the losing wrestler to get off of the ropes himself, or be beaten. He got into the corner, now let him fight his own way out! This is all we fans and coaches want to see. If the losing wrestler does have the balls to alter the momentum of the match and steal the momentum and energy of the match away from the winning wrestler and take a come-from-behind victory, then that is true entertainment. That is what champions are made of! However, if all the points he scores were given to him by YOU either by awarding stall points or forcing the winner to cut the loser, then does not make for good sport. Let it be the ATHLETE that does this…without your help. Sure, it won’t happen often, but when it does, we will be talking about it for decades and you may have been the man fortunate enough to have officiated this match. Isn’t that what athletics is all about?

Our officials are as capable as any other in the Nation and we appreciate the thankless job you do. Let me be the first to thank you. However, you will be much more appreciated and much more noticed, by staying out of the match and by doing your very best to go UNNOTICED.

Sure, we all know you will need to use the fist. It is part of our sport and well within your domain to use it. In fact, we greatly appreciate it when you use it to keep an athlete from avoiding wrestling. But when we see the flow of the match and worse yet, the outcome of the match interrupted because of the stall call, we get sick to our stomachs.

Thanks for listening.

Sincerely,

Nick Purler