Contraversial calls in the state tournament

[delaWarr]

Smokediver, I am not disagreeing with the jist of what you are saying. Many of the big guy matches lack the diversity in action that we see in lighter weights. I can't address my take on that much differently than in my post on 3-16 at 1:00AM. I steadfastly believe that there are big boys who physiologically are not suited for making shots, if by "shots" we are meaning to attack legs or other moves that require the wrestler to lower his level. If this assessment is accurate, then when they are forced to shoot, they often end up in the positions that we have all seen which PummelKing described in one of his posts and which you also mentioned. That mat scene has about the same level of excitement to watch as their pushing one another across the mat. I am of the opinion that if a big guy has the physiological ability to shoot with a predictable level of success, he will. He will develop those skills because they give him a dimension that he does not have without them. The strategy for many heavies is different than that for the lighter weights. Many coaches are probably somewhat baffled about how to coach heavies. Bruce Baumgartner, the most successful international heavy America has ever produced recognizes the unique requirements characteristic of heavies. He once hosted (and still may) a camp just for the big guys. A half-way educated guess is that the techniques covered in that camp were not the same mix that would be found in an all-comers camp. No doubt shots were covered, but likely the list also included a wealth of low risk alternatives.

 

Bruce Baumgartner, Tom Ericson, Joel Greenlee, even Brock Lasner, and a host of other top-end heavies shot, but their physical profiles don't exactly mirror the physical profiles that we see in some of our scholastic heavies. If what we might characterize as a rotund wrestler or a rotund former wrestler (who wrestled his career as a heavy) were to take the make-em-shoot position it would demand a far more credible influence than say a 135 or former 135 wrestler taking the same position.

 

I have always viewed an official's tasks on the mat to include, first and foremost, the safety of the wrestlers and, second, keeping the action on the mat within the confines of the rules. To actively engage in interpretation for the expressed purpose of forcing a particular behavior on a given wrestler might give the offical the appearence of having the additional task of reforming the sport to suit his own particular agendum.

 

If this issue we are discussing is a real problem, then there is a reason for its existence. Why is the problem limited principally to heavies? Why is the problem not present among the lighter weights? Are there differences that may contribute to the problem? If so, what needs to be done to address those differences to give officials relief from the pressures of applying one set of rule interpretations to different sets of circumstance? This issue if it presents a real problem should be addressed on higher levels away from the mat.

 

Most officials historically have practiced time-honored allowances for the heavies. And I know that this degree of allowance can create the problem that we are addressing in this thread. An encouraging thing is, however, that you as an official are addressing it. Just be sure that you have a good vision of the big picture and that you keep the big picture in focus.

[PUMMELKING]

EXCELLENT POINT WELL STATED delawarr

[bearlock]

How long are you guys going to spend on this? It seems like you have said enough for the rest of us. I thought this was contraversial calls in the state tournament, not differences in heavyweight style compared to the lower weights.

 

bearlock