Another baffling HS reffing decision

[Tom McAndrew]

In Wisconsin, a returning state champion received two unsportsmanlike conduct calls at the end of a match in his conference tournament. Per rules, that's a one-match suspension. Since it took place at the conference tournament, the state body (the WIAA), has ruled that he can't compete in the sectionals, regionals, or States. And yet, they are allowing him to wrestle in the team sectional dual meet. Consider me baffled.

The below video of the match where the disqualifications took place is only 3 minutes long. The actions that appear to have caused the WIAA to keep the wrestler out of the postseason individual tournaments all take place at the end of the match, and just after the match. I've watched the video multiple times, and I can't see why the ref awarded a 1-point escape after the final whistle, which precipitated all the issues. (Potential escapes where the wrestler tries for a reversal are always tough, as if the wrestler doesn't get the reversal there's often some dispute as to whether they met criteria for an escape. IMHO, he does not in the video.)

It appears that the ref hit the winning wrestler with unsportsmanlike conduct after he awarded the escape, and the winning wrestling questioned it. It's impossible to hear what the wrestler said to the ref that caused the call. The rules for unsportsmanlike conduct include two components that may be applicable here:

(From the rules, Sec. 4, Art. 2. Unsportsmanlike conduct involves physical or nonphysical acts and then can occur before, during or after a match. In includes, but is not limited to, such acts as

1. failure to comply with the direction of the referee
2. swearing

The second unsportsmanlike call appears to be for the winner flexing his muscles after having his hand raised. Continuing with the above rules, it appears the call was based on:

1. taunting (there is also a note in the rule book that says "The NFHS disapproves of any form of taunting which is intended or designed to embarrass, reduce or demean others under any circumstance")



Some articles about the incident, and subsequent actions taken by the family, have been posted by the The Journal Times, and can be viewed at these links:


Waterford's Halter disqualified from individual competitions

Waterford coach says disqualified wrestler Hayden Halter could be back on mat in wake of controversy

Halter family files lawsuit against WIAA

Injunction hearing scheduled for Waterford wrestling trying to compete

Credit to @smalls103 -- he retweeted a link to this, which enabled me to learn more about the situation.

 

[a_mshaffer]

In Wisconsin, a returning state champion received two unsportsmanlike conduct calls at the end of a match in his conference tournament. Per rules, that's a one-match suspension. Since it took place at the conference tournament, the state body (the WIAA), has ruled that he can't compete in the sectionals, regionals, or States. And yet, they are allowing him to wrestle in the team sectional dual meet. Consider me baffled.

The below video of the match where the disqualifications took place is only 3 minutes long. The actions that appear to have caused the WIAA to keep the wrestler out of the postseason individual tournaments all take place at the end of the match, and just after the match. I've watched the video multiple times, and I can't see why the ref awarded a 1-point escape after the final whistle, which precipitated all the issues. (Potential escapes where the wrestler tries for a reversal are always tough, as if the wrestler doesn't get the reversal there's often some dispute as to whether they met criteria for an escape. IMHO, he does not in the video.)

It appears that the ref hit the winning wrestler with unsportsmanlike conduct. It's impossible to hear what the wrestler said to the ref that caused the call. The rules for unsportsmanlike conduct include two components that may be applicable here:

(From the rules, Sec. 4, Art. 2. Unsportsmanlike conduct involves physical or nonphysical acts and then can occur before, during or after a match. In includes, but is not limited to, such acts as

1. failure to comply with the direction of the referee
2. swearing

The second unsportsmanlike call appears to be for the winner flexing his muscles after having his hand raised. Continuing with the above rules, it appears the call was based on:

1. taunting (there is also a note in the rule book that says "The NFHS disapproves of any form of taunting which is intended or designed to embarrass, reduce or demaen others under any circumstance")

View embedded media

Some articles about the incident, and subsequent actions taken by the family, have been posted by the The Journal Times, and can be viewed at these links:


Waterford's Halter disqualified from individual competitions

Waterford coach says disqualified wrestler Hayden Halter could be back on mat in wake of controversy

Halter family files lawsuit against WIAA

Injunction hearing scheduled for Waterford wrestling trying to compete

Credit to @smalls103 -- he retweeted a link to this, which enabled me to learn more about the situation.

Askren was talking about this on his show earlier this week. They were possibly alluding to different bias' by the ref

 

[nitlion6]

In Wisconsin, a returning state champion received two unsportsmanlike conduct calls at the end of a match in his conference tournament. Per rules, that's a one-match suspension. Since it took place at the conference tournament, the state body (the WIAA), has ruled that he can't compete in the sectionals, regionals, or States. And yet, they are allowing him to wrestle in the team sectional dual meet. Consider me baffled.

The below video of the match where the disqualifications took place is only 3 minutes long. The actions that appear to have caused the WIAA to keep the wrestler out of the postseason individual tournaments all take place at the end of the match, and just after the match. I've watched the video multiple times, and I can't see why the ref awarded a 1-point escape after the final whistle, which precipitated all the issues. (Potential escapes where the wrestler tries for a reversal are always tough, as if the wrestler doesn't get the reversal there's often some dispute as to whether they met criteria for an escape. IMHO, he does not in the video.)

It appears that the ref hit the winning wrestler with unsportsmanlike conduct after he awarded the escape, and the winning wrestling questioned it. It's impossible to hear what the wrestler said to the ref that caused the call. The rules for unsportsmanlike conduct include two components that may be applicable here:

(From the rules, Sec. 4, Art. 2. Unsportsmanlike conduct involves physical or nonphysical acts and then can occur before, during or after a match. In includes, but is not limited to, such acts as

1. failure to comply with the direction of the referee
2. swearing

The second unsportsmanlike call appears to be for the winner flexing his muscles after having his hand raised. Continuing with the above rules, it appears the call was based on:

1. taunting (there is also a note in the rule book that says "The NFHS disapproves of any form of taunting which is intended or designed to embarrass, reduce or demean others under any circumstance")

View embedded media

Some articles about the incident, and subsequent actions taken by the family, have been posted by the The Journal Times, and can be viewed at these links:


Waterford's Halter disqualified from individual competitions

Waterford coach says disqualified wrestler Hayden Halter could be back on mat in wake of controversy

Halter family files lawsuit against WIAA

Injunction hearing scheduled for Waterford wrestling trying to compete

Credit to @smalls103 -- he retweeted a link to this, which enabled me to learn more about the situation.

Just my take on it. I think the kid was a tad frustrated with the quality, or lack there of, of the officiating.
First the Technical violation for the first point. I could not tell what that call was about and I didn't see anything to make me go "oh, yeah there it it".
Second, the kid has done all the scoring and he is working for the wrist from the top position and the bottom man is kind of lying head and belly on the mat doing very little and the top kid is hit with a top stall.
Third, the false start was the correct call, but the kid with the green anklet is already getting frustrated with the ref, so this probably just ups his frustration a bit.
Fourth, there most definitely was at no point any separation that would warrant an escape call. That call was beginner, elementary level referee quality. At this point the kid is probably thinking "WTF man" and let his emotions slip away from him. The corner continuing to bark at the referee instead of focusing on their wrestler and gaining control of his focus did not help the situation.

I have no idea what the kid did or said, but all in all the referee was not very good and IMO seemed to already have a bit of an edge for the kid. It appeared to me to be something an experienced and higher quality referee could have easily deescalated.

 

[a_mshaffer]

the bystander referee sitting at or near the scorers table, also turned around and said some words to someone in the crowd...

 

[nerfstate]

And that flex was not in any way taunting. Just crazy. For the sake of the sport I hope that ref just had a bad day, and there was no ulterior motive driving from an easy to call conflict of interest.

 

[Lyons212]

Just watching the video no idea what the ref was looking at. No way that was an escape, and it was a pretty weak flex to hit him with unsportsmanlike conduct.

That being said, no idea why the wrestler would question the ref, the bogus escape point did not take away bonus points or a shutout. Let the coach ask the question as to why an escape was awarded.

I believe I read somewhere that he was warned out the flexing.

If he had only listened to my high school baseball coach. We were allowed to say three things to the umpire:

1. Hi Mr Umpire
2. Yes Sir
3. No Sir

Anything other than that was left to the coach.

I would definitely question the ref's motivation.

 

[m.knox]

Just my take on it. I think the kid was a tad frustrated with the quality, or lack there of, of the officiating.
First the Technical violation for the first point. I could not tell what that call was about and I didn't see anything to make me go "oh, yeah there it it".
Second, the kid has done all the scoring and he is working for the wrist from the top position and the bottom man is kind of lying head and belly on the mat doing very little and the top kid is hit with a top stall.
Third, the false start was the correct call, but the kid with the green anklet is already getting frustrated with the ref, so this probably just ups his frustration a bit.
Fourth, there most definitely was at no point any separation that would warrant an escape call. That call was beginner, elementary level referee quality. At this point the kid is probably thinking "WTF man" and let his emotions slip away from him. The corner continuing to bark at the referee instead of focusing on their wrestler and gaining control of his focus did not help the situation.

I have no idea what the kid did or said, but all in all the referee was not very good and IMO seemed to already have a bit of an edge for the kid. It appeared to me to be something an experienced and higher quality referee could have easily deescalated.

I used to coach kids. Of course, you have 20 - 70 pounders and 1 everywhere else. In the JV tournament, one of the hardest working kids at 70 on the team got jobbed. At practice, I'd order up 50 push ups, 99% of the team would laugh while this kid got down and got ready..... Anyway, at the tournament, he clearly got out for one, then took the other kid down. The phucking ref called a reversal for 2. I went ballistic. The bastard pointed to a cop and threatened me.

It was then that I lost a sense of respect for officiating. They had way too much influence. That said, I'm glad to see the way college does it these days. The refs have a chance to make the right call and be accountable.

 

[nitlion6]

I used to coach kids. Of course, you have 20 - 70 pounders and 1 everywhere else. In the JV tournament, one of the hardest working kids at 70 on the team got jobbed. At practice, I'd order up 50 push ups, 99% of the team would laugh while this kid got down and got ready..... Anyway, at the tournament, he clearly got out for one, then took the other kid down. The phucking ref called a reversal for 2. I went ballistic. The bastard pointed to a cop and threatened me.

It was then that I lost a sense of respect for officiating. They had way too much influence. That said, I'm glad to see the way college does it these days. The refs have a chance to make the right call and be accountable.

Without officials we can not have the competitions and I do appreciate the fact they show up.
What does bug me is the collective thought process that "they always get it right."

Instead of a collective review process that would allow for improvement, instead of any internal critique it is internally a slap on the back and great job.

 

[Dogwelder]

Judge rules Wisconsin state champ can defend title

http://intermatwrestle.com/articles/21396