| "The opinions of the individuals who submit officiating articles for this web site are their opinions and not the official position of the National Wrestling Officials Association. All of our members have the right to express their opinions on officiating topics for this web site without any form of censorship from the NWOA." |
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By Bert Lawlor-NHWOA President: February 1996
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A Proactive Philosophy of Wrestling Officiating(fall 1999) |
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Developing a philosophy as a wrestling official is just as essential as a teacher developing a good classroom environment, a coach having a certain method to present his style of wrestling, or a parent raising his/her child. All of these elements have a common educational goal — the positive development of our youth through a philosophy to which they are exposed. Athletes will adopt philosophies or traits from persons they are surrounded by and will emulate those traits, both good and bad. In the pure and perfect world, we would hope that the student-athlete is surrounded by positive nurturing traits in which they select those who help them develop their own philosophy. Unfortunately, this is not always the case, and as educators, we have tremendous influence on young people. We need to direct a proactive positive philosophy toward student-athletes. As officials, we need to continue this positive philosophy not just when dealing with the athletes, but also with the coaches and fans who will also influence the ideals and perception of what the official is all about. Sometimes officials are their own worst enemies, especially those who walk into arenas with the attitude that "I am the boss and you had better listen to me." This officiating approach is not at all acceptable and will make your job a lot tougher when you have to make the difficult call on the mat. By its nature, the wrestling community is very close-knit and the reputation of an official spreads quickly — both positive and negative. When you enter a gym, you would like people to say, there is "so-and-so" and have them feel confident and comfortable that you will call a fair match. Paul Keyshaw, an NCAA Division I national champion from Bakersfield, California, commented that when he saw Pat Lovell step on the mat for his semifinal match at the national championships, he breathed a sigh of relief. He knew that Pat was competent and would call a fair match — he could then concentrate on his wrestling. What a great compliment for an official to receive. So ... how do we develop this philosophy and how do we communicate this proactive approach to the people that we immediately affect? Developing a philosophy begins with knowing, observing and working with officials who have reputations of being excellent wrestling officials. Try to emulate those characteristics that make them great. I am more fortunate than most in knowing wrestling officials who are and continue to be outstanding role models. The following are some of the officials who have taught me many positive traits that I attempt to bring to the mat. They have also been a positive influence on my personal life. • Lynn Dyche, my high school coach, is one of the founders of the California Wrestling Association and the head evaluator at the NCAA Division I wrestling championships. From Lynn, I acquired a great love for the sport of wrestling and the passion to be the best that I could be in the sport. As officials, we should always strive to be the best we can be. We owe it to the athletes, the coaches and the fans and to the sport of wrestling to officiate every match as if it was our last one. Remember that you are only as good as your last performance. • Pat Lovell has refereed the NCAA Division I championships for 20 years and is a very accomplished international official. He has shared with me his ability to be in the right place all the time. Pat's ability to position himself in the correct place to observe the action was always confusing to me until he shared many of his officiating techniques. Use crisp, clean mechanics at all times and always ask yourself where the movement is going to take the wrestlers. Anticipate and get there before they do. We can all learn to anticipate so we are in the correct position to see and make the correct call. • Charlie Douglas has worked 16 NCAA Division I and 10 Division II championships. He is a compassionate man who loves to officiate wrestling, always showing his deep concern for the athletes. He would carefully observe the competitors during the match and communicate to the athletes and coaches to ensure the match was called correctly. His dealings with coaches were positive in nature and he never raised his voice in anger or disrespect. His calm approach in dealing with people gave me the inspiration to be patient and to deal with people honestly and with complete integrity — he was a great listener. I learned that winning is not the most important thing; the most important thing in officiating is the ability to deal effectively with people. These attributes are ones that make a person succeed in every aspect of his life. • Leroy Evans is one of five officials with an International Category FILA 1E rating. Leroy inspired me to develop an officiating philosophy that worked for me. Leroy's mentoring has helped me develop the philosophy to view the entire match and take into account all aspects of the action. The lesson of never going into a match with a predetermined winner in your mind reminds us of what a disservice it would be to the wrestlers. Never try to speculate who is going to stall or commit an infraction — if you look for it you will find it. He is constantly reminding me that the athletes are the most important people out there and that you are there to facilitate their actions, not to be antagonistic — a lesson we should not overlook. Again, it has been my good fortune to have learned some vital lessons from these outstanding officials and human beings. Because the wrestling community is much smaller than other sports, a young official could do no greater service for himself than to find out who the movers and shakers are in their local association and OBSERVE, LISTEN and WORK HARD to follow their lead. Communication is another key to projecting a proactive philosophy to the athletes, coaches and fans. Here are a few suggestions that may help you when you walk into the wrestling arena filled with fans: 1) Use a smile and shake the hand of coaches when enter the floor. Use discretion on time spent with each side and remember you are being watched by a grandmother in the top row who doesn't know who you are and just wants a fair match called. You would not want to taint this by being too friendly. 2) When you introduce yourself to the timer and scorekeeper, smile and be positive about having a good match and explain the them, that if there are any problems, let's call time-out and solve them. Remember that you need to "team" with the head table personnel. They will be a tremendous assistance to you. 3) When you have your conference in the middle of the mat with the captains, introduce yourself, shake their hands and have them introduce themselves and also shake hands. Sportsmanship needs to be of paramount importance. The athletes need to know who you are and that you are a regular guy who wants to his best job of officiating for them. Review the rules and any questions they may have, then direct them back to their benches to inform their coaches of the odd or even selection and any specific instructions you gave. 4) Always use book mechanics and signals. There is nothing worse than an official making up signals and confusing everyone in the gym. Sell your calls, be firm and clear, use a good solid voice, but not overwhelming — just enough to get your point across and the job done. During the match, verbalize the important commands such as "contact-action-center." 5) Other officiating tools can be used when there is dead time. For example, during an out-of-bounds situation, remind the wrestlers what position they will take when they return to the center of the mat. When wrestlers are returning to the center of the mat, keep an eye on them, preferably following them so that they are in your view at all times. If stalling is called during the match, it is a good idea to remind the wrestlers that there was a call for stalling. 6) Communicate with the coaches during time-outs. If a wrestler is injured, inform the scorekeeper and both coaches of the time-out status and the time used for the time-out. This will be appreciated by the coaches and will keep open the lines of communication with them. When a coach gets excited, the worst thing an official can do is to react to his outbursts. If a coach begins to get out of line, telling the coach to "sit down and shut up" is not the correct approach. Remind the coach if he has a question to go to the scoring table and request a time-out. At the conference, do not try to read his mind and guess what he is questioning before he asks a question. Listen to him, explain what you saw and why you made the call and go on from there. If the coach is questioning judgment, you must give him the warning according to the penalty chart — that usually deters any further unnecessary conferences. Be courteous and have the proper officiating demeanor to demonstrate chat you are trying to work with him and his athletes — this will help you avoid penalties and warnings and especially any abuse from the coach. Don't misunderstand me — sometimes there are situations in which an official must assert his authority to control the match and the situation. Don't abuse the authority and don't flaunt it. As a coach, it is always important to explain to the wrestlers that the sport is not that difficult. As a supervisor of wrestling officials, the same approach will be successful — don't make the sport more difficult than it is. Study your book, know the casebook backwards and forwards, and never call what you think should happen, but what actually happens. Developing a proactive philosophy to officiating wrestling takes many years of practice, mat time and studying of the sport to be the best you can be. Continually observe good officials. Once you develop confidence in your officiating, you will find it to be an enjoyable experience and your association with the athletes and coaches will be positive for all. Find an officiating mentor and stick to him like glue — be a sponge for information and keep the lines of communication open at all times. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Duane Morgan, who currently is dean of education at San Jose (California) Santa Teresa High School, is in charge of the Northern California College Association and the California Interscholastic Federation-Central Coast Section Wrestling Association. In those capacities, Morgan makes the officiating assignments for both levels of competition and instructs at the college level. Morgan accumulated a 101-6 record and coached 10 state tournament place-winners while coaching high school wrestling for 18 years, mostly at San Jose W.C. Overfelt High School. He also is first vice-president and the national junior chairman of USA Wrestling, which is the national governing body of the sport in the United States. |
High School Wrestling
Coaches Need a "Dress Code"
By
Lynn Dyche
(Article written for Wrestling USA Magazine)
Having been involved in high school wrestling for over fifty
years, I have observed many wrestling rule changes including modifications
of the wrestling uniform. When I started wrestling, we wore full
length leg tights with tight fitting shorts over the tights without a
top or headgear. We eventually added the shirt with suspender shoulder
straps and a button down crotch so that the shirt would not slide up during
the match. And now, our wrestlers wear singlets with headgear and
all types of fancy shoes, some without shoe laces. We also went
from horsehair mats to Resilite and Polvonite mats and now the lightweight,
easy to carry mats.
The only thing that hasn’t changed in high school
wrestling is the appearance of the coaches. Since I have always
lived in
Shorts and T-shirts seem to be the preferred apparel for
many coaches during competitions. Coaches should be role models
and dress in an appropriate manner. It is not too much to ask or
require that a coach wear dress shoes, neat slacks and a polo shirt when
coaching before the public. Yes, he could also wear a shirt and
tie and really look professional. I never thought I would use the
sport of basketball as an example, but I have always admired how the majority
of basketball coaches dress when coaching their athletes at competitions.
Most wear suits or sport suits and during the game they might shed their
sport coats and coach in slacks, shirt and tie.
The NCAA took steps five years ago to insure that the wrestling
coaches appeared in a professional manner when they added a “Coaches
Code of Conduct”. It reads as follows, “It is the moral
obligation of all collegiate wrestling coaches to conduct themselves in
such a way as to reflect credit upon their institutions, their profession
and themselves. Personal grooming and appropriate dress is a standard
of professionalism. Jeans, T-shirt, sweat suits, or warm-up suits
(top or bottom), headwear, and similar apparel are not considered suitable
attire and are prohibited. Moral obligation and ethical conduct
are part of winning and losing. Good sportsmanship, appearance,
pride, honor and concern for the welfare of the competitors should be
placed before all else. These rules have been established in the
spirit of this statement”. It has also been clarified that
school medical staff or trainers will also dress professionally if sitting
on the team bench. The college wrestling coaches are setting a positive
example by dressing in a professional manner. They look good.
Is it asking too much of our high school wrestling coaches to dress in
a similar manner?
High School Coaches, I compare this Code of Conduct”
to another situation that we are encountering at the present time, and
that is the mandatory weight certification programs being instituted.
We had the opportunity to take responsibility for making some recommendations
and setting some standards for weight reduction and control. However,
we did not act. We just hoped the problem would go away. It
didn’t and now it’s being forced upon you. If you cannot
police yourselves by dressing appropriately in a professional manner,
then I recommend that the National High School Federation establish a
“Coaches’ Code of Conduct” stating the minimal dress
standards for high school wrestling coaches during competition.
I anticipate that this will be done in the near future.
High School Wrestling Coaches…it’s time you start looking professional.
Handling Coaches During the Match
by
Mike Pyle, Vice President NWOA (2002) As I have traveled throughout our region giving clinics to other officials one of the most common concerns is in regard to the actions of the coaches during a match. It appears that too many officials are worried about what the coaches are trying to say to them during the match. I have had dozens of questions start out with " What do you do when the coach says…?" or "How do you handle a coach that does…?"
My reaction was one of astonishment that these officials were giving far too much recognition to coaches during a match. Why do they care so much about what the coach is saying to them. My response is:
* Concern yourself with the two competitors on the mat and make sure they are safe and you are giving them your very best effort to assure a fair match. You could conduct a match with 2 competitors, scorer's table personnel and yourself and everything else is inconsequential to the running of a match.
* The coaches and spectators have nothing to do with the on going match and their comments are irrelevant. Unless they are trying to let you know there is a legitimate problem with the clock or the score, there is no other reason to pay any attention to them. Unless they go to the table and request the bout be stopped.
* If you give clear signals and brief verbal comments such as "no control" or "on the line" or "only has one ankle" you may head off a coach that is looking for an explanation why his kid didn't score or was scored on during a flurry of activity.
* During the meet is not the time to run a clinic on the rules. You are not obligated to explain everything you are doing out there. Using the prescribed signals and assisting with verbal responses to your own calls is your obligation and will help immeasurably in keeping everyone aware of what is happening on the mat. And, It is ok to presume the coaches know the rules. If they don't that is their problem. Ignorance doesn't give them the right to continuously interrupt the match without some expectation of a penalty.
* Do not get into conversations with anyone off the mat. That shows you have "rabbit ears."
* If an authorized individual wants to talk to you they can take it to the table. And if they do, you are obligated to direct the competitors to stay in the 10' circle and then you can go to the table. And after all this delay to set up a discussion there are only two responses to the delay. The coach has a legitimate correction of time, score or a rule misapplication and the correction is made without penalty and wrestling resumes. Or, there is nothing to correct or the coach is questioning judgment, and the coach is penalized for misconduct (NFHS).
Note; Do not go to the table until the coach gets there first. I have seen refs move quickly to meet with the coach that is headed to the table so they can end the discussion quickly and get the match started again with as little delay as possible. Only to see the coach turn around before getting to the table and you are left standing there wondering what the coach is doing. Technically he hasn't gotten to the table and made his request to stop the match. You can't penalize the coach for thinking of stopping the match and changing his mind before getting to the table
* The first thing I ask of the coach when we meet at the table is "Where is your rule book?
There will be a penalty involved here unless you think there was a misapplication of a rule. And if that is true you better be able to show me the exact paragraph that is being scrutinized." Rarely do they have a rulebook. And now they are usually trying to come up with a quick "question" that will not get them penalized for delaying the match. If they have a rulebook listen to their question and rule accordingly.
* When a coach goes to the table and tries to use a delaying tactic involving a "clarification" of the score and I am sure that the score is correct I will invoke a penalty for the delay. If I am not sure of the correct score I will give the benefit of the doubt to the coach and check to see what the correct score is without any penalty. Any request for clarification anywhere other than the table will 99.9% of the time be ignored unless I think it is in the best interest of the match to give a quick response without interrupting the flow of the match.
* The referee does have responsibility over the entire gym and everyone that is present. But, it is unreasonable to assume the ref can pay much attention beyond the 2 competitors on the mat. If there is some outrageous action by coaches, teammates or spectators that distracts the referee and requires special attention then the match should be stopped and appropriate action should be taken to eliminate any unsportsmanlike activity.
* Focus on the wrestlers on the mat. If you do you will eliminate a lot of distractions and you will increase your ability to make the best judgment calls and minimize the chance of injury. That is the business of officiating. The rest is administrative. And the rulebook provides all the steps to take when you are not officiating and you have to deal with the extracurricular administrative activities.
* When you use the rulebook the way it is intended, and you do it from the start, with consistency, you will eliminate a lot of the unnecessary delays. The message goes out to the coaches that they better be sure a stoppage is legitimate and worth the risk of penalty.When all is said and done, the most respected and sought after referees are the ones that do the best job on the mat with consistency and fairness. Never showing any partiality to either team or coach goes a long way to identifying the best of the best.
The toughest call in wrestling officiating is "Stalling."
You have to have a philosophy that will carry through any situation. Some
guys are tough and call everything that even remotely looks like stalling.
Other guys never call any stalling. The key to being successful in calling
stalling is the consistency you maintain. A coach is less likely to be critical
of the level of toughness than the consistency. Stalling is not merely inactivity.
It is strategic inactivity. An act. If the referee feels the wrestler in
the lead is doing everything to keep his opponent from scoring and is not
legitimately attempting to score then he is probably stalling.
The consistent, tougher refs are the most sought after by the better programs. The tougher programs will thrive on officials that maintain a high level of activity. The teams that train and drill the hardest will welcome officials that expect aggressive competition. Teams that are not as physically prepared will tend to slow the action down and take the match to the edge for protection against being scored upon. The better coaches will want refs that they know will be consistent during the entire match. They can give their wrestlers a game plan that includes the type of officiating they can expect.
One aspect of coaching that always bothered me was the coach that would say "make 'em wrestle." It isn't the referee's responsibility to make anyone wrestle. He can establish the atmosphere by which the meet will be conducted. There by the coach can set his game plan and motivate his team to wrestle accordingly. The coach has the greatest responsibility to "make 'em wrestle." Establishing a philosophy on calling stalling begins with the experience of the individual referee. His competitive experience will probably dictate how he will call stalling as a referee. If he was adept at getting a lead and off his opponents without being called for stalling then he might be appreciative of a the ability of a similar wrestler and be reluctant to call them for stalling, Or he may have been defeated by a similar tactic and doesn't want to see anyone get away it. Either philosophy is heavily affected by their on the mat experience. As time goes on and the referee isfarther and farther away from his competitive years the philosophy can be softened. It is strongly recommended that an visit to a college wrestling room be included in the preseason. Get on mat have wrestlers and coaches debate with you about what is stalling and what isn't stalling. Is it a slick defense? Does the leading wrestler have the right to protect his lead that he has earned? How much does the leading wrestler have to "risk?" What is a legitimate attempt? How many ways can a block be a stalling tactic? When is the leg rider stalling and when is the bottom man just holding the leg rider off and not really trying to score? Is the stalemate called too much by unsure referees or is it being wisely utilized to take away a gray area of stalling and increase activity? These questions should be addressed in a preseason practice with other referees, coaches and wrestlers.
The referee that just goes out and flies by the seat of his pants willend up being less consistent and more vulnerable to being persuaded by the coaches and the competitors. The strongest officials, with established philosophies, will be consistent. They will hang tough in the heat of battle and not be shaken out of their mind set. They will be recognized for their consistency and the respect they earn will be demonstrated in their continued selection to the toughest and most important meets and tournaments year after year.
Good officiating rarely happens from the onset of the officials career. It takes years of paying dues, watching and learning from the top refs, sacrificing time and expense and getting involved with the organizations that support and administer the officials. All these things can be done by just about any individual. The most difficult aspect of officiating wrestling is understanding stalling and developing a philosophy that will compliment your personality and carry you through any and all situations consistently. This is where the best refs are recognized above the good referees.
Over the years we have tried different ways to
make officiating better and eliminate officiating errors as much as possible.
In the 70's we tried a method similar to freestyle. Two mat judges were added
in tournament semi-finals and finals matches. Unlike freestyle the judges
didn't effect a match's functioning, but, they helped decide a winner in case
of a tie. Obviously the mat judging wasn't as helpful as hoped because it
faded out over time without a whimper.Then in the late 80's the Assistant
Referee was adopted. The idea was to have someone opposite the referee that
could communicate activity that the referee could not see. And to give unbiased
consultations. In the early 90's we tried to beef up the duties of the assistant
by implementing the "first on, last off" procedure. Which has proven
to be very effective in policing the mat area before and after wrestling.
But it still does nothing to keep the assistant concentrating on the match.
Most assistants find it difficult to stay alert. We work all season alone
and then at the end of the season we try to inject a 2-man system. In many
situations this has been problematic in administering the mechanics as well
as the personality conflicts.There are few if any times during the season
that a school will use 2 refs for a big meet. The coaches don't feel that
the system warrants the financial expenditure. We need to make the assistant
referee more responsible if it is to have and credibility and thus survive.Today's
referee is expected to be proficient as an administrator of a site, technically
expert in match procedures, scoring and safety, a mind reader in determining
stalling and an emotionally neutral judge when implementing penalties and
sanctions against participants, coaches and fans. For all but a few exceptional
referees we may be asking too much of individual in today's high pressure
and overly demanding athletic arena to be all things to all teams in all situations.
The assistant referee is becoming more and more a necessity, if we only give
the position some realistic duties and responsibilities.I want to throw out
to you, the referees, the idea of giving the assistant referee the duty of
calling all the stalling during the match. This statement usually gets a very
cool reception from my colleagues. All these years we have had complete control
over our matches. And the thought of giving up one of the most crucial parts
of the match to someone else is quite alien. It would take some practice and
time to iron out the wrinkles of exactly how the match would be administered.
I would start with two high level refs that have worked together for years
and know each others styles. Two refs that trust each other and won't let
their ego's get in the way. As basketball refs have learned to trust each
other and give up territory to the one or two refs they work with, a wrestling
official can learn to appreciate the position of the other ref and have a
mutually beneficial officiating experience.Think about how much better it
would be to just have to worry about the technical side of a match. Giving
all your attention to the scoring, edge work and safety of the competitors.
And if you are the assistant you would be seriously involved with the match
and your presence would be as a necessity rather than just a safely net. As
the two officials do a better job the coaches will recognize the value of
a 2-man system and they will want to pay for the improved system. It would
reduce the stress and spread the responsibility around.Overall I have enjoyed
having an assistant during matches. The only times that I have had a negative
experience has been when the assistant has not been able to keep his concentration,
due to his lack of responsibility. I like the security of having a colleague
on the mat with me. And with the dwindling of meets throughout the country,
at the college level, it might create more opportunities for officials.Please
don't dismiss this idea out of hand. Give it some thought. Send me your response.
I would love to see a couple of guys go into some early season tournaments
and give it a try. Our sport is suffering dramatically at the college level
and any attempt to improve the accuracy of officiating will help to make our
sport more viable and attractive to the powers that be who are making the
crucial decisions about our sport.