Thanks for all the clarification on this. My family is new (4th year) to kids wrestling and have had some very fortunute success with our son. We have also, more importantly and with the help of some awesome coaches, been able to give and show many, many important life lessons through wrestling. This post, however, brings me to the most disappointing and unbelievable thing I have witnessed yet.
At Hays on Saturday in the 8&U 67# class, we, along with many others watched a young man, with the coaching of who I believe is his dad, avoid being pinned on two occassions by screaming that his back was hurt, being allowed to restart on the bottom and ultimately win both matches by a single point. In the case of my son, only 3 points were awarded, which I understand should have been 4 (3 for back and 1 for "tap out". Anyway, I have no problem at all with the official for the mistaken amount of points. Mistakes happen. My problem is the parent who was literally pointing to his back and got the child to start yelling. I mean he was dead in the water both times with little time left in the match and ended up winning by a single point. He tried it again in the championship but complaints had been so many by fans and coaches from several clubs who witnessed this that it didnt work and he ended up in 2nd place. What are we teaching our kids!!!!!!!! Now I see the same child has, with im sure the benefit of these two extra wins, been given the number one seed and a bye at a sub-district.
Anyway, back to the rule. I think it is a great rule with the safety of the wrestler in mind and as long as it is used within its means, fine. But parents....PLEASE don't use this as a way to avoid defeat. Someone may get hurt one of these days from someone else crying wolf too much and it will be very very sad. Hopefully that doesn't happen. Again thanks for the clarification of the rule and sorry for the long post.
By the way, again I am in no way argueing an officials call or how any of this was handled by anyone other than the father and/or coach of this wrestler. Thank You.
