Gutwrench,
Coach Neil is absolutly correct in his assertion that an escape can be given in a front head lock situation. NFHS rule 5-2-2 states "It is an escape when the defensive wrestler gains a neutral position and HIS OPPONENT HAS LOST CONTROL" I used uppercase on the most important part of this rule. Many people are unser the assumption that there must be a "seperation" of the two wrestlers for an escape to happen which is absolutly false. The escape comes one the offensive wrestler has lost the control that he once had.
So how do we as refs decide this? Well in the above mentioned case let me play a few scenarios. The defensive wrestler moves to a position where his torso is facing the offensive wrestler (which by the way is a commonly accepted critera for an esacape), but the offensive wrestler puts in a front head lock. Well from here the O wrestler hasn't really lost control yet because there is a good chance he can swing back behind and maintain his control. As a ref you recognize this and don't give an escape because that would give the O wrestler another point in the escape-takedown exchange.
Now in another situation the D wrestler now comes to 1 or two feet and yet the the O wrestler maintains a front headlock. ( There is an illustration of this in the back of the rule book, I believe it is number 52.) This is another trick situation. But here is the key that I'm quite sure the ref you are refering to was thinking. If the ref has decided that control has been lost he will "hold" that call until there is a definate seperation, or until the wrestlers go out of bounds, or until the period is over, so as to prevent the aforementioned escape-takedown exchange. So in a spectators eyes the ref hasn't signaled the escape yet then one of the three situations happens and the point comes, and they are outraged, because they don't understand why he didn't already give him the point.
So my point is that ref most likely had established that an escape had occured. Also another factor plays into this. And that is if the O wrestler is making an honest attempt to move back behind the D wrestler. If he does not that makes an even better case that he has had diffucltly mainting control and thus the D wrestler deserves an escape.
Now for my oppinion about this. If I see an O wrestler with a good front headlock in and the D wrestler isn't making an attempt to come to his feet or free himself from the headlock, then no way will I award and escape. On the flipside of that if the O wrestler is not wrestling aggresivly and trying to regain position behind the D wrestler, or the D wrestler snags a leg and is in the process of pulling it in as they go out of bounds, I may award an escape. Its a case by case thing.
I hope this long post has shed some light as to how and why this might have happened. And as always I encourage people in doubt abotu some of the rules to get yourself certified and go out and experiance a tournament or two for yourself and you'll find out its a world apart from both Spectating and Coaching.
