I vote for the rule modification. You should not be able to receive a by to the finals. As happened at D4 South in the 16 n under 125 class. Started with 5 wrestlers in a 8 man bracket.The #2 seed did not make weight allowing the #3 seed a bye to the finals. This bracket should have been changed to a round-robin but was not. Asked district 4 if it would be changed. They said no.
In the scenario you describe the bracket should have been changed to a round-robin anyway. You had four wrestlers or less! If this was done as you describe the tournament host and director violated our standing rules!
Which gets to my point of you can make all the rules you want but you can't make people follow them. Eventually it all comes back to just do the right thing.
