Is there a weight limit for refs who cannot get down on one knee to count for back points or look for locked hands? My son didn't run into this problem but i noticed it at several other matches. The bad refs who have power trips and behave just as unsportsmanlike as some of the fans, give the very good and ethical refs a bad name. Thanks goes out to those great refs and a shame on you to the bad ones.

I tried to resist but I just can't!

There are several officials around the state who need to work as hard at staying in shape as our wrestlers do. The competitors are busting their butts five to seven days a week to become the best they can be while a good number of our officials don't.

It takes more than reading a book, attending a meeting or two, and passing a test to be a good official. You can't be a good wrestler by just showing up on Saturday to compete and the same can be said of our officials. It takes practice, and lots of it, to be a great official. If you want to be an official and you have never wrestled then you better do lots of kids and jv before your ever allowed to do varsity. If you haven't wrestled it is VERY DIFFICULT for you to be qualified to be able to judge.

For years now the good ole boy system has controlled who gets the nod for the prestigious weekend events and it is time for that to stop! This is directed to coaches and AD's who rely on the unfficial "assigners" who give out the contracts. Our pool of officials is old and stagnant because of this failing system. We should not have to see the same officials every year at the same events. It is time for some official evaluators instead of the recommendation system presently in place. The more I think about it the more I feel this should be one of the TOP items the KWCA needs to push KSHSAA for.

Every year we need to be grooming new officials and keeping a fresh pool available that cycles good officals through regionals and state. It shouldn't be the same old group of teachers, ex coaches, and administrators every year. There must be accountability and the blunt truth is that there should be a system to "weed out" the unqualified, out of shape, controversial, and incapable.

Back to the GC refs. This is the toughest tournament in the state and it deserves the best officials possible. I have attended it for two years now and there are a few of the best but there are also a few shat are not good. If you are too slow to get in position or to get down and back up from the mat then either get in shape or quit! The boys deserve better than that. I am so sick of hearing "ARE YOU QUESTIONING MY JUDGEMENT?" The coaches can't so someone has to start because unfortunately there were far too many terrible calls this past weekend that will go on and on if not corrected. You DO NOT return the wrestlers to the mat when the defensive wrestler has reached the standing position when you warn the offensive wrestler for stallilng. It is not stalling on bottom when a wrestler secures the arm and leg for a Peterson but cannot turn the offensive wrestler. It is not stalling when the offensive wrestler pulls the defensive wrestler off the mat to get a restart it is a technical violation, a count is supposed to be a second, and 45 degrees is not just breaking the perpendicular plane (do we need to buy protractors for these guys?), the pinning area must be in contact with the mat for two seconds to achieve a fall, etc.

A few years ago the KWOA invited the NCAA Evaluator to our meeting. He stood up in front of the group and stated that Kansas has a good ole boy network thriving in our state that was harming the quality of officiating. He made several recommendations and to date not one of them has been put in place. It is time to start doing something about this problem.

Great post!!

I think there has be a balance in regards to the officiating situation in Kansas. I have coached and officiated in several other states. No where else I have been allows the verbal abuse and beratement that takes place here.

I have helped several high school wrestlers get their officials certification over the years. I have seen coaches and parents on the kids and middle school level treat them horribly. Sure there will be mistakes with these young people. We have to create an atmosphere where they can be mentored, encouraged and supported. If we transitioned about 10 percent of the our high school wrestlers and former college wrestlers to becoming officials, we would have the steady flow of new blood necessary to de-stagnate things.

Great post Mr. Cokeley, It is sad that some of these kids loose a close match due to bad refs. I have a complain that I can not just help but put it out. I know that it will not change the outcome now and in no way is it against the Scott city wrestler, cause he is very good. But this ref could not even make good calls in kids wrestling let alone in varsity high school. And that was quite evident in the 145pd. match between Rodriguez and Numrich. If anyone else was watching it then they know what I am talking about. And again this is not towards Numrich. It's towards the ref., who needs to learn how to be an official.

As in every sport my son has ever played, there is good and bad officating, but as I have always told him -"You have to be good enough that you cannot let the official determine your match for you!"

carl has decades of experience

It is interesting that you are bagging on the officiating at the GC tourney. Coaches from Rio Rancho, Roosevelt, Ponderosa and Alamosa all told me that the refs at this tournament did the best job they've seen at any tournament this year. These are teams that go to Reno, Minnesota, and Top of the Rockies. I saw refs defer to the second ref on the mat who had a better angle and change their call. How many times have you seen that. As far as refs being in shape relating to doing a good job...I have seen a lot of bad calls made by refs in excellant shape.
Why not focus on the positives of a fun weekend of wrestling with nationally-ranked wrestlers being beaten by farm boys from Western Kansas? The GC tourney allowed Kansas wrestlers to see several different styles of wrestling. What a great precursor for our boys getting ready for regionals and state.

Great post Mr. Cokely. My son speaks highly of you and your ideas. Last week I was at the Emporia tournament and watched a referee that I had never seen before. This ref worked very hard to be in good position, looked like he was enjoying his work the entire time, and was very cordial to coaches whe wanted to question a call. Instead of saying, "are you questioning my judgement" he took it as a learning opportunity for himself and others. He looked like he was in good shape and the thing I noticed the most was he had a smile on his face while he was working.

After talking to my son about him we both agreed and my son thought very high of him and said he is the next up and coming great official. Michael told me his name was Nigel Isom. I hope oler officials and younger officials start paying attention to this guy. It's about the sport and growing the sport. I hope the "good ole boy" system that Mr. Cokely is correct about does not hold this man back and he becomes the face of officiating.

Mike Church Sr.

I was and will continue to be VERY positive about the GC tourney. The positives far outweigh the negatives but that does not erase the FACTS. There is not a system in place to evaluate and rate Kansas High School officials. Until there is the hiring of officials will be a crap shoot and we will remain hostages of the good ole boy system. This can be said of every tournament in the state not just the GC tourney. It just happened that the original poster gave me a great opening to expose what needs to be fixed. While we should remain positive, if we continue to turn a blind eye to the negative we will not EVER improve the situation. It is not accptable to say "Well, we have always done it that way." If you aren't trying to improve a situation then you are allowing it to worsen.

Church Sr. thanks for the kind words!

So you want to be a good referee!
1. Do you train? It takes alot of stamina to make it through a day at a high school tournament. Referee's that are out of shape will lose concentration and start to be out of position as the day goes on. Our wrestlers train.
2. Do you evaluate yourself? Do you watch film of yourself reffing. It would be easy to get tape from coaches of you calling matches of their wrestlers. You should sit down and watch what everyone else sees. Have another referee watch it with you and ask for constructive criticism. If someone wants to show you a call they found questionable, if they approach you in a mature manner and at an appropriate time are you willing to look at it? We watch film of our wrestlers and constantly critique their performances and our coaching trying to get better. At least the good wrestlers and coaches do.
3. If a coach approaches the table in a professional manner are you willing to talk to him or is your number one goal to show him who is in charge?
4. Do you hold grudges? I know each of you will say you don't, however I feel most coaches would say they know some of you who do.
It would be great if the KWCA would come up with a standard form that could be filled out by each coach after every tournament evaluating the referee's at that tournament. That data could be compiled and used for regional and state tournament selections. It could also be looked at by tourament officials as they send out contracts each year.

I would like to point out that most of these guys are in it to make an extra buck. Obviously, one could not support a family with the income from refereeing on weekends, so they have a day job as well. I really don't think we should expect these guys to watch film of themselves, sounds pretty ridiculous to ask them to do that.
Calls never win or lose matches, I've been on both sides of the issue, and the wrestler could have always won the match at another juncture. It's part of the game that will never go away, no matter what sport. There are always the fat/old/lazy/slow refs who everyone will just have to deal with.

Good topic,wrestling requires too much time and effort by the participants to not do everything we can to get good refs.Great response Mr.Watkins,I disagree with jayhawk pride in saying "most of these guys are in it to make an extra buck"but there are some who fit into this category.These are the guys who need to be weeded out.I believe most are willing,or are already doing some of what you suggest.If you are in it just to make an extra buck,do everyone a favor and apply for a job that has less of an effect on others.If you are not willing to get in shape,find a job that is less demanding.Our kids deserve a ref. able to do their job. That is not too much to except. J elliott

Yes, Dallasjr. we always tell my boys not to leave it up to the refs. also, but it is hard to beat someone with a five point swing. 1 point stalling two back points that were not given and then two points in overtime. Come to find out this ref is from around the Scott City area, sounds a little fishy here. but I would'nt put it past this guy. Again nothing against the wrestler himself...

NEVER leave it in the officials hand. we have lost state championships on "questionable" calls, we lost a state semi match last year, on caution calls (not lining up right). now you have refs who won't get on the mat to count near fall, bend at the neck to watch for locked hands, and alot of times like to be "part of the show". you still tell your wrestlers, and yourself NEVER let the official decide the match. i don't feel that there is a big problem with the officiating, but i do like will's idea of some periodic testing, rotation, and most of all some expectations, or protocol.

I was not at the GC tourney so I will not talk about the calls made. But I will comment on a couple of Items mentioned on officials. I am a official of another sport, and yes I do have a son that wrestles and I will disagree with Jayhawk Pride that officials should watch tapes of themselves and spend the time to evaluate your mat presents. Most official clinics we attend make you ref a match/game in my case then your sent to room with another ref(supervisor) and are critiqued. You might be surprised at the way you handle your self on the mat. I have seen officials who are to big to get down on the mat and slap the mat with there foot to make a pin call. We as officials are getting paid to do a job as well as the kids are busting thier butts in practice everyday to get better. We owe it to them to be in the best shape or the best position to make the right call. If your in it for the money your in it for the wrong reason. You have to have passion for what ever sport you ref.

Amen to that...