I have a question to ask? Mr. Cokeley, I feel you could probably answer it the best. But I would not mind input from others also. I was at the 6A regionals in Dodge City, a kid got hurt, it was knee. Injury timeout starts, he gets up walks around, goes to his corner drinks water and continues to wrestle, that seems okay cause he did look like he got hurt. Now this is a different match, with different kids. Kid gets an injury timeout, goes to his corner gets a drink of water comes back and wrestles, he does this two or three other times, during the match. The only thing is, he did not seem hurt, it looked like he was just getting a drink, or tired and taking a break. Is that legal or a ref call, I do not get it? I've seen this all over, in kids and high school, not all the time just with a few wrestlers. So I guess my question is, is that fair can you get a injury timeout, so you can get a drink of water and take a break from your match???

The same thing happened time and time again last week in the Sunflower League tournament. A few times when they were in a pinning situation....

I believe the answer is yes- injury timeout for water is OK-

The Ref is not a doctor. If a wrestler says that he is hurt and needs an injury time out, the ref has to give it to him. The first time out is free, the second time the other wrestler gets his choice of up, down, or neutral. I think the third injury time out is an injury DQ. Blood does not count as an injury time out. Feel free to clarify if I am mistaken.

Scooby is right...injury for water is ok, not very ethical, but ok.

I would agree with beeson- but the rule stands for some reason- I say lets go to UFC fighting instead- no water breaker

I thought the ref starts a timer on one's injury time. Once they have used up a minute - they have used up all their time and foreit the match if they go past 1 minute. Except for blood, unlimited time on that. Clarification from somebody that knows this better than me?

it is a minute thirty of injury time i believe

Here is what a KS HS Ref sent me via PM:

Injury time - 1:30 total, 2 time out limit, 3rd match stoppage for injury is injury default.

Blood time - 5:00 minutes total, no limit on number of blood time outs given but once 5:00 minutes is reached that match is defaulted.
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To all of you wrestlers and aspiring wrestlers, I would like to take this oportunity to say this. Taking an injury time out to get a drink, rest, or God forbid, prevent a pin is the lowest, most unsportsman like, weenie thing that can be done on the mat. You may as well go kick your opponents mom too when you get off the mat. There is no pride at all in it. IT'S JUST WRONG!!!

Now don't anyone freak out, remember, I said "get a drink, rest, or God forbid, prevent a pin".

Remember, everyone is watching and that is what you will be remembered for.

Dwelsh has the rule correct..I know in Nebraska we will NOT stop the match to take a drink of water..Only if we think the wrestler has an injury..Now if the wrestler is saying he's hurt then I think the right thing to do is stop the match and let them take injury time (and the drink).

I'm just quoting what a certified KS ref sent me in a PM.

i personally think no water breaks... its only 6 mins and most wrestlers wanna stop because they arnt in shape... its there fault there not in shape.

I believe we are speaking here of the "crybaby" rule, shameful practice to use.

I dont think it's right, that a wrestler does this, the ref does not need to be a doctor to see that the wrestler just wants a break. I know injuries can happen. I broke my thumb at the beginning of the third period and finished the match. Not once did I ask for an injury timeout, I lost because I could not hold him with my right hand, now this was many many years ago. These guys that do this and are not hurt should, heck I don't know maybe give a point or 2, to the other guy.

Again, from an official KS HS ref that has done state HS meets (I think this person brings up many helpful and good insights into this discussion):

NFHS rules state that taking an injury time out for a non injury related situation is "unethical". Unfortunately there really isn't a prescribed penalty for "unethical" behavior on the part of coaches, fans, competitors, etc. Being unethical is a somewhat different classification as being unsportsmanlike, even though the two often can go hand in hand.

As an official I am not a doctor and even if I was I certainly wouldn't be putting myself in a liability situation by practicing my craft on the mat away from a controlled situation. In other words if a wrestler indicates they are injured either through physical or verbal indications it is "neccasary" to grant an injury time out even though that competitor may not be injured. Consider the situation if I were to make a judgement that a wrestler truly was not injured but was just breathing hard because he/she was in a close match and working very hard. I tell that wrestler that I'm not going to grant a timeout and I reset them and blow the whistle. 10 seconds later they fall over, pass out, and something terrible happens to them. Guess whose butt is on the line for that? Me because I didn't grant the time out.

On the other hand when I grant the timeout and the wrestler takes some time, gets a drink of water, and comes back out and then passes out, I am not responsible for that because there is no way I could have known that was going to happen.

Now what a competitor does with their injury time is completely on them. If they unethically take an injury time out, then they and their coaches bear the responsibility and consequences of that action. They might get a letter from the State or nothing may happen to them, but I've done my duty as an official and that is all I can do. As far as what competitors are allowed to do during a charged timeout that is loosely defined in the rule book. They can drink water, their coach can coach them, they can take a puff of an inhaler, etc etc. Years back there didn't use to be a time out limit on occasions and no penalties as such. Then along came the 1 extra point for near fall situations for defensive wrestlers who took either blood or injury time outs in those near fall situations. The injury penalty would be collectively dubbed the "cry baby" rule.

If you are being turned with a basic half-nelson or say a barb-wire, two fairly common moves, and it hurts too bad that you need injury time, you shouldn't be wrestling to begin with, in my opinion.

2coach,

You say this happened two or three times in the same match. Did he go on to win that match?

If so, how? If the rule is stating that a third timeout is an injury default.

Did the referee address the issue of more than two injury timeouts in the match.

Just curious here...

I say let them take a break to get a drink, what most wrestlers do not realize is that in doing so they are also giving their opponent a chance to rest and also get a drink, the "injury time" that they are using isnt really giving them any advantage