Do coaches really tell kids to stay down in this situation? As in “Just stay down for 2 minutes and you’re on to the next round.” Can someone point me to proof that this has absolutely happened to them personally? The reason I ask is that I just wrapped up my 33rd wrestling season (13 as a wrestler & 20 as an official) and I’ve never personally seen this happen. I’m not saying it can’t happen – I can only attend one tournament every Saturday, but given my proximity to the injured wrestler and his coach, one would think that if it’s that common I would have experienced it by now. Like Mr. Peterson said, it’s within the rules, but it is unethical. I suppose you can argue that it’s a proper punishment for the offending wrestler, too. In the end, it’s up to the injured wrestler to make the call. Only he knows his ability to return at 100%.
I also think that it’s entirely possible to be “too incapacitated” to continue the match (after the 2 minute recovery), win by default and return to the mat in the next round and wrestle back at 100%. It all depends on the type of injury.