Looking for input, should 1/4 mats for a qualifying tournament be allowed? Or just shut up and wrestle!!! IMOP not many points can be scored if you keep going out of bounds due to the mat size. 8u maybe (lighter weights) everyone else should get at least 1/2 mat. If not put 1/4 mats at state and the the 6u in. just my opinion!!!

Totally agree Spexy should not be 1/4 mats. if that is the only way you can make it happen then split the format and give them bigger mats.

looks like a long day with 12U up to 215 lbs wrestling on 1/4 mats at 1:30 periods...lots of restarts...

Rule 2-1-2
The wrestling area of the mat shall be based on the age group competing, as follows:
Under 11
must have a minimum wrestling area of 15'x 15'
11 to 14
must have a minimum wrestling area of 20'x 20'
15 & 16
must have a minimum wrestling area of 24 feet square or a circular area of 28 feet in diameter

I think it is very rediculous and not thouhgt out at windfield to have quarter mats at subs & makes me feel a little better i am not the only 1 feeling that way. I feel it can definitly be the differance in the way a match pans out.

And not only that but they were only 12 X 12!
It definately can make the difference.
I thought that it was a very smart move for Beeson to move the Deshazer match to a half mat.

Very Savvy Chad!

If the rules were correct stated by Jeff why would they be allowed to have 12x12 mats at a state qualifing tournament? I was not there and didnt see the mats but I don't see how that would be allowed if they were.

So I guess my question is if the mat was 3 ft short on each side per rule, then every time a kid went out of bounds and was not awarded points then it was not correct. Does that mean that every match on a 12 x 12 mat can be contested? I would think ALOT of parents would be in an uproar if they knew this. Not trying to ruff feathers, just curious.

Jessica Cassaboom

I would also think that with larger mat space the whole tournament would get over faster. So many out of bounds calls.


There was sooo much talk before the tournament started about this but I guess no one did anything about it.

I spoke with Jeremy after the match had been moved. He told me that he had measured the mats in question and they were 15x15. When I stepped the mat off I came up with 12x12. From what Jeremy told me the mats were in fact 15x15.

When they busted out the tape measure to split that one mat in a half mat, that guy measured one of the other 1/4 mats and it was NOT 15X15

Beeson why did you wait until the finals to buck up against the mat size? IMO since the rest of that bracket wrestled on that mat size, what made you decide that you shouldn't have had to? Why didnt you do this right up front?

There were several reasons, and it was addressed at the beginning of the tournament.

There was TONS of talk about it.
That is what helped in the slightly later start.
ALOT of coach knew there was an issue (or possible issue)!
Its just Beeson had motzy to step up and make sure the mat size did not decide the outcome of the match.

Beeson, I 'm not sure I understand. If you addressed this @ the beginning of the tournament, and it was wrong then, why did anybody have to wrestle on those mats?

We hate wreslting on little mats because you can't run the same moves as you can on a larger one.

and some people hate big mats because you can't RUN the same as you can on small mats!
OSCAR! OSCAR!

Me being a mom of a 12&U on the bigger side was a little more than shocked when I heard these boys would be on a 1/4 mat, but apparentley there was some discussion in Winfield in the coaches meeting about this and it was resolved and all 12&U went to a half mat, they did do away with the 1/4 mats. If that's the rule then it shouldn't have even been an issue. We have one boy in our bracket that is 6 ft, can you imagine him on a 1/4 mat?? I was pleased that Winfield fixed this. Thank you Winfield!

Why all of the sudden is this a big concern. My 14U son wrestled on a 1/4 mat last weekend as did all 14U up to 125lbs and nobody said a word about it. So why you all bitching about this week. The mat in question was a 36ft X 36ft mat, 3ft boundries on both sides and that makes it 30ft, cut it in half and that makes it 15 X 15.

Stop crying! The mats were all within the state rules. If you were not trying to "ruff feathers" you would not have posted!! I am guessing your son did not make it to state? And now you are looking for someone to blame???

If you do not know the facts, keep your comments to yourself!!