David Richards just screwed Conner Ward like I have never seen a kid get beat by an official before. He gave a three count and then decided it might have been potentially dangerous. AND TOOK THE POINTS AWAY!!! Newton please look over your review sheets. There were some good officials and some terrible officials. If some aren't replaced, Ark City will not be back. Conner, keep your head up. You'll get another shot, and hopefully with a better official.

That is quite possibly the loudest I have heard someone cry without getting wet.

I didn't even have a dog in the fight. It's impossible to get a count and not get points. And if you think I was crying, then there wasn't a dry eye in the gym. This was beyond a bad call.

Head up to Basehor!

Know the rules and be consistent!

What were the specifics? Was the head official brought to the table? Was it an official who was physically unable to do the job? KSHSAA works for the schools! Lobby your AD and assemble a proposal to have officials evaluated and hired by someone who seeks quality officials and not just rehiring last year's crew. There is not a stronger good ole boy network than the present day cast of officials. The recommendation process is broken and the pipeline is running dry because new officials are not given opportunities. There is no development and succession plan. I say name names and make sure they don't get invited to state or back to the tournament next year!

160 at Basehor was a travesty

"There is not a stronger good ole boy network than the present day cast of officials." No truer words have been spoken.

Wow Beeson, that must have really been a bad call for you to say it was the worst you have ever seen because I have seen a lot of bad calls thru the years. The worst part is when everyone knows its a bad call and the other officials won't come out and say it was a bad call. A couple of times I had an official make a bad call and actually admit to it. I can respect that and move on. Heck, I made a lot of bad calls coaching.

Some guy from Ark City, once told me in a past post, from a couple years ago, and I quote, "Don't leave it up to the referee!" Just wondering if that still holds true?

Holds true 100%. There is a difference between an official making a judgement call in a close match and an official totally blowing a by the book call.

One wrestlers back was exposed and a three count was given. The the match was stopped for Potentially Dangerous. By rule everything that happened up until the match was stopped has to be awarded. 2 nearfall was awarded. Then a coach questioned the call. The officials talked and decided it was PD before he was turned. If that was true the officials blew the call by allowing the match to continue and giving a three count. If it was not true they blew the call by taking away points already awarded. The only call they could have made to at least save face was an illegal hold and awarded a point to the other wrestler, which they did not. This was a match between two very good wrestlers and officiated by officials that were not prepared for the match. This was not the first blown call of the tournament, the kids deserve better officials, bottom line.

Agree. But bad calls are made weekly. Can't fix stupid, and move on, it's not State. Now if same refs are at State, LOOK OUT. Coaches, need to put the best in. IMOP.

I also think that the 2nd ref that is in most finals matches have to grow a pair and over rule the main ref at times.

I have seen where the 2nd ref is not giving input during these types of confusion.

They should be counting, looking and acting they are calling the match. It would help in challenges and close calls.

I seen one ref make a horrible facial expression this weekend to another refs call, they should have the ability and the guts to talk it over.

I know they don't want to "make each other look bad" but it isn't about their ego it is about the kids busting their humps out there.

I also agree that it shouldn't be left to the officials, but in high powered matches like most finals saying is a lot easier than doing. Matches that are 1-2 point matches can have a heavy influence by one bad call.

The official involved has been at state every year I have been to Wichita for 5a/6a state.

Coaches should know that not only can they select the best, they can BLACKBALL officials anonymously using the same form. Coaches need to exercise this option and get some new blood at state. Experience doesn't mean expertise. Age can mean diminished physical skills. We need a balance of experienced and new officials or there will be no succession plan.

"The good ole boy system" is the understatement of your life Will, one certain official in southeast Kansas throws a kid across the mat and gets no more than a slap on the hands from KSHSAA and usawks. Are we really so short handed that we need to keep people like that? Jarred creach

I wondered if all the officials were doing a great job this year. Guess not. The original post raised an odd situation for sure. I've seen back points waived off, and I've done it, for a variety of reasons, but never for a delayed PD call.

I turned 61 this year and I'm retiring. A few years ago I starting giving up varsity dates because I knew I was not physically up to the task any longer. The last few years I've worked only weekday JV and middle school matches and I think I could keep that up for several more years and I've really enjoyed it. Less pressure, less at stake, more tolerant coaching.

I have over the years complained, in private and public, how officials are assigned in this area. I've heard Mr. Cokeley's position at our meetings and always thought he was accurate in his assessment of the "good old boy system." It is a system where a select few get the lion's share of good assignments, two day events, and weekday matches to the exclusion of everyone else.

Anyone that knows me knows that I think I know everything and I'm sure I don't. One change in how assignments are made would correct the current situation. Rank officials by skill level--A, B, C, and D. Then rank tournaments and assignments the same way. Then, put all the dates in a hat and draw dates. Every "A" ranked official would get a crack at the Bob Cat Classic and it wouldn't be the way it now, a lifetime assignment. Two day tournaments would be treated as two dates with a draw for each day.

Everyone would get about the same amount of work. You could give an extra pick or two for years of service. There would have to be a ranking system, of course, and that would have its own problems, but I think everyone knows who are the A officials and who are the D officials.

Also, currently, a tournament's host school's coach now has the ability to call the assignor and tell the assignor that a certain official may not be assigned to that tournament next year. So, for example, the coach could call and ask that I not be reassigned to the tournament because of a "bad call" I made in his match and that's what will happen. There's no review or appeal. How do you suppose that affects officials working those big, high-paying, two day events when the home school is on the mat? Under our current assignment system, once you've been assigned, its a lifetime assignment unless you move on to something better or you get removed at the request of the host school coach.

A similar issue exists with the post-season assignments which are determined by the number of coaches that recommend you. You have to make sure a coach knows who you are, lobby him by giving him a card. Officials who want to get to state learn early on that they need to socialize with the coaches to advance. That just never seemed proper to me.

I've enjoyed the sport and will continue to do so. I can't change the system, I've tried, perhaps not hard enough. t

Get some young ones that can move and train them. Please tournaments give them a chance

Yes, still holds true but...



So true, wrestlers make bad calls, coaches make bad calls, everyone makes bad calls, but for some reason, Kansas high school wrestling officials don't. Totally illogical. I love it when a ref admits he blew it. I will respect him much more than all these lily white refs who "never make" a mistake. Well at least they don't admit it. Somehow they believe it maintains their credibility. They have more credibility in my eyes after they admit they have made a mistake. They have no credibility if they have "never made" a mistake or not admitted it. There is a reason they have review in college sports, and now even wrestling.