why do they not allow the kids to get the ankle band and take it to the corner by the coaches at the state tournament. they do it all season long at every tournament cause there are no full size mats. then you expect the kids to not do it at the state tournament and penalize the kids when they do it. then i see some refs do it and some that dont. either do it every time or not at all. i think its a stupid rule anyways but thats my opinion. but to watch a kid lose a match because of it was sad. i do want to say that the garden city coaches that were matside handled it well and apologized. The entire Garden City club is top notch. That rule really needs to be thrown out unless you enforce it the entire season which you cannot due to very few tournaments that even have 1 or 2 full mats.

Thanks Scott for the complements to our club (Greater Gold). There are a lot of very good coaches and parents involved in the club. From a coaching stand point, you hate to see that be the deciding factor in a match. Those two kids have gone at it all year long and every match has been close. It's not easy to take a win like that believe me. Mr. Willert found me after pictures and shook my hand like a gentleman and we talked about it. He, too, is a class act as he stated that a rule is a rule and now they know that one better. I hope Trenton and Hadley get a chance to be teammates now at the Elementary Duals in Fremont. There are some very fine people involved in this great sport.

I heard the ref say that the kids can't leave the cirle without permision. I don't mind the rule itself what I question is why it hasn't been called all year at any tournament I've been to and all the sudden they decide to enforce it at the most important tounament for the kids? And I only witnessed the call on one mat by one ref. Not cool to ding a kid on a call like that. Think the ref just liked the drama.

I agree this should have been called all year if it was going to be a enforced at state, but as far as district 4, I know this was emphasized at the coaches meeting at district 4 north subs, at the the coaches meeting. So we were aware of this, but it would be much better if this was enforced all year, so it does not catch anyone off guard. JMO

it didnt catch us off guard really. we knew of the rule. the kids i guess knew of the rule but how many times throughout the season was it allowed then at state they expect a 10 year old to actually follow directions. i really dont think thats whats going through their head right before the match. they are pumped up and ready to wrestle not worrying about stepping out of a circle.

3rd and 4th place match...Our both kids are banded, but Ark City does not have a coach. While waiting on a coach he steps out of the circle and is dinged for 1 point. I show up and he is already down 1 point. Ridiculous.

two years ago we "cautioned" away a match, because we weren't lined up properly??? this isn't enforced consistently all year then at state the refs enforced the rule???

this year we actually had a referee start the match with NO coach in the corner. our coach shows up and the other kids hand is raised??? should have made more of it, but didn't.

I am guessing everyone is referring to the older of the 3 female officials, I saw her make the same call on a kid when he ran to the trash can to throw up. That was the difference in the match until the final 30 seconds, would have been real sad to see a KID lose a match over something like that. I spoke with another official about it and got the “technically it’s correct but hardly anyone ever calls it”. I don’t ever recall this being called in high school to include state. I guess we need to get our kids in the loop but if there ever was a rule that should be overlooked and/or reevaluated this is one.
I also saw stalling called a lot more last weekend, I am glad to see it because earlier in the year we were told you can’t call it in 1 minute match which is total BS. I wish we could just find some consistency all year for the open kids. I understand that it is a tough job and I don’t have my butt out there but I think some of these things could be fixed pretty easily.

no actually it was the younger girl. not the one that everyone talks about but the other one. i had to also argue with her when she told me that one of our kids lost control of the kid that had his head buried between our kids legs and gave him 1 point escape. not real impressed with a lot of her calls. then when you question her she doesnt explain it she just says its her judgement. well in my judgment i will bite my tongue.

ahhh...the great almighty "judgement" word. Like I have said all along...if an official is sure of themselves in their ability to make calls...they will explain why they made the call. The ones that refer to its "judgement" with no explination, due that because they are unsure and therefore dont have to worry about being wrong. I have not nor will I ding a coach for asking for clarification on a call. I tell them why I made the call and if they dont agree I will say I am sorry you not agree, but we are going back to wrestling. Then again I have not yet had a big "judgement" debate, I feel this is due to the way I call a match. I verbalize outloud what I am seeing and inform the wrestlers of control or not what I am wanting to see. By doing this the coaches can hear what I am watching and seeing...everyone is able to be on same page and I have never usede the "judgement" word to a caoch...and I will not. Its an excuse for not having to explain and be wrong.
again this my opinion on the "judgement" verbage...

Scott maybe you can make some money on the side by doing ref clinics in the Wichita area. Teach those other refs things that are going to make coaches that yell at everything like me happy lol. just a thought. maybe you can put on a clinic with refs and coaches in the same room so we can all just get along.

Here is another I think is a no-no by an official. Its against the rules to taunt....so for an official to mouth and stare back..tilting there head, making comments to a coach..should be reprimanded and dealt with the same way a coach or wrestlers are dealt when they do it. I have seen many officials chirp a comment to a coach then hand them a warning when the coach says something back. The official has the easy way out..dont say a word to a coach and stand on the far edge of the mat and...IGNORE the comments. The next match will start and that coach will leave..maybe mad..but they will get over it quickly.
Again..just my opinion...lol

Oh..and Bockman... I prolly not qualified enough to do clinics. I just a new official to the area,that has rode many officials butt as a coach. I am sure there are many coaches who think my officiating is not so good, but I just make sure..every match is important and give my full interest in every match. After all that is what we as coaches and parents ask of our wrestlers... 100% everytime every match... When I officiate that what I try and do.

changing the subject a bit. i saw a wrestler slam his fists to the mat (while getting set), the young female official did not hesitate in taking away a point for unsportsmanlike conduct. very decisive in the call, thumbs up. i have seen too much misconduct in the past three weeks. consistency is key and if most refs had the guts to call this, the problems would go away.

being an official is kind of like wrestling. if it were easy more people would do it.

Good point "" the kid" does this all season and for a coach you can't even ask him a question cause if you do he holds his hand out and gives you unsportsmanlike conduct. We coaches see it differently than officials, but some of us just need an explanation but he won't give it to us. The last 3 weeks coaches can barely say anything in fear of being ejected for the next year. Why is that a rule now in qualifing? because the state board is involved? why isn't it that way at everyone's "sanctioned" tourny's? How long has this been a rule since I am new at this sport? We need to throw out the word "Judgement" because that is the easy way out for an official. Even when it comes to rules interpertation all he/she has to say is "I didn't see it" and that is "judgement" Anyway good qualifing tourny's I seen and I think most of the ref's did a great job. Just a reminder if your the secondary ref on a mat (finals) it is ok for you to call locked hands thats why your supposed to be positioned opposite of your comrad.

Scott it is the same as they don't call "stalling" on top person for riding the hips ALL YEAR, then we get to qualifing tourny's and they start calling it; atleast they did at DIST 2. but not during the season. And if I understood correctly at the officials meeting they said they were going to call "stalling" on top guy if he held onto the 2 on 1 without attempting to turn the opponent even if he was outside the hips. They throw in these rules or start calling these rules for 3 tourny's but don't inforce them for 3 months prior. Evedently the last 3 weeks is all that matters. RIGHT? My son since he was six has ran out there and got his ankelet brought it to me, I put it on his ankle slapped him on the but and said go get em. It's been a tradition for us. Now I have to say no the State Board said no you will lose a point. Glad he is 14. I watched some 8 year old I mean 6 year olds trying to put that ankelet on took more time than if every wrestler would have went to their coach. and what about the kids that go and pray? I think next year I will tell my kid to bring it back take a knee and pray I will give him a positive remark and when the ref takes a point away I will scream that he was praying. Solution: Hire another volunteer print out bout sheets, get another set of ankelets, wrestlers check in with anklet on go shake hands & wrestle. Kinda like a National tourny does. The board wants everything "UNIFORM", then quit throwing out these little rules that save 8.5 seconds per match and if you get tossed on DEC. 2nd then your done for 365 days. Oh ya my favorite satellite weigh ins.! great thing all year but not for qualifing even with certified high school ref's there??? Split session; people enjoy it all season but complain when D2 does it for qualifing tourny's.