Officiating at these youth tournaments has got to get better!

[Bluesdad 73]

Sorry but I'm going to vent a little here. It's probably going to be a little long.

Calling reverse halfs illegal...come on what a joke. The officiating at Nelson County and all the belt series tournaments was a travesty to the sport and state.

A kid clearly pins a kid while in a mount with a reverse half in a championship match that would have gave him the belt championship. The ref is at the table making the match final the kid was up 5 points then a pin. But here's comes the coach saying that was an illegal move. After the match was over for say at least 30 seconds. The kids hand was raised and the ref was at the scorers table making it official and everything. So the coach says illegal and the ref says well let me think a minute...knowing he didn't see anything illegal in the match take place. But with the guy in his ear the whole time he let's the coach officiate the match not him. He takes 5 points and the pin away from my son for nothing. They go to overtime. Then he calls a takedown on what was clearly not even close to one. I guess the guy paid the ref or something. I hope it was a lot to take 6 months of hard work from a 8 year old that earned that win and the belt. It was so bad the other boys mom said she didn't understand the all either because nothing illegal took place.

I also have it all on video if anyone would like to see it with USA wrestling. I tried to ask if they were anyone I could speak to about this ref but the USA rep there didn't know anything. The head ref was nice and said I had argument but he couldn't do anything because he didn't see it. But if youth wrestling in Kentuky expects to keep improving these refs have to be trained right and know there jobs.

This ref and others like him have to be trained to understand the sport and ref it correctly. If not kids will never know what moves to hit and what moves not to hit. This reverse half that is suppose to illegal my son has used all year. Wrestling middle school in Ky, youth in OH, PA, WV, and Va and it has never been called illegal because its not.

I'm typing this because my son was so heart broke that grown men would do this to him and take something away from him that he has worked so hard for. I also hope it never happens to any other kids out there that put there heart and soul into something and ge cheated by adults. Let's make our refs better so our kids can compete with the best.

[kyor74 0]

I agree with this comment. My son had a double arm bar and went to run it towards the ear, in order to stack the kid for the pin. The same move he has ran for the past 3 years, also ran it in national tournaments and the way the move is intended to be run. Only to be stopped by the ref twice and told it was an illegal move because of torque on the shoulder. In return they are stood up and his oppenent runs directly at him, they bump knees and now we are seeing a ortho surgeon tomorrow. I realize this could happen at any time but wouldn't had happened at this time, had the ref made to correct call. With the time and effort these kids put in, it has to be addressed.We were scheduled to go to a national tournament in 2 weeks and now that is in question. All of this could have been avoided with the proper call. Truely unfortunate. This is above and beyond a kid losing a belt, this is about an injury that could have possibly been avoided all together.

[Bluesdad 73]

I agree with this comment. My son had a double arm bar and went to run it towards the ear, in order to stack the kid for the pin. The same move he has ran for the past 3 years, also ran it in national tournaments and the way the move is intended to be run. Only to be stopped by the ref twice and told it was an illegal move because of torque on the shoulder. In return they are stood up and his oppenent runs directly at him, they bump knees and now we are seeing a ortho surgeon tomorrow. I realize this could happen at any time but wouldn't had happened at this time, had the ref made to correct call. With the time and effort these kids put in, it has to be addressed.We were scheduled to go to a national tournament in 2 weeks and now that is in question. All of this could have been avoided with the proper call. Truely unfortunate. This is above and beyond a kid losing a belt, this is about an injury that could have possibly been avoided all together.

First let me say I'm sorry your son suffered an injury I truly hope he recovers quick and gets healthy. Not sure if you remember but when they carried your son off the mat and placed him next to the bleachers I was the guy that came over and touched his head and wished him well. You may not remember and that's understandable with the situation. I watched the match your talking about with your son. I never saw anything wrong with the moves your son was running. In fact I looked at the coach I was with and ask why they stopped it. Neither one of us could figure it out. These refs have to be trained what an actual move looks like period.

I'm not complaining only because my son lost the belt. I'm complaining because 6 months of blood, sweat, and tears was taken away from my son because of an incompetent ref. He did what he was suppose to do. Wrestled and wrestled well. Up 5 points then pins the kid. Now a ref takes that away because he feels like it with no evidence to back him up. That's not right and it happens to kids every weekend in Ky because of horrid refs. Sure it happens elsewhere to but not at the clipit happens in Ky.

But God bless and I hope your son heels fast and gets back to wrestling very soon.

[kyor74 0]

Bluesdad, don't think I was critizing you in any way. I'm sure that situation was though to explain to an 8 yr. old. I was trying to say that the refs are causing issues in several different directions. Accidents and mistakes are going to happen but we moved here not to long ago and they are much more consistent here. I do appreciate what the refs are trying to do, because without them our kids don't get an opportunity to compete every weekend. With that said it seems to be the same couple of refs that I have witnessed making these mistakes over and over again.

[Mike Calhoun 49]

Unfortunately it happens, on all levels, in every sport. I commend every athlete that goes out there, but I also commend every official that does their best trying to do what they think is right. Never in a million years will we get every call right. UL and UK play this weekend and I'm hoping they get an oppurtunity to play and that the game isnt decided by the officials but only by the better team that day. I dont know if you watch basketball, but there has been some horrific calls made in this tournament, some of which may have ultimately changed the outcome of the game. Reffing also came into question at the NCAA wrestling championships. All I'm really trying to say is we need to support the officials and thank them for the hard job they take on, most of us couldnt do it and I'm sure if we did we would make mistakes too. (even though I say this I know I have complained in the past, and most likely still will in the future) but I still want to say thanks to those who take on this tuff task even when I boo you in the future, lol.

[Bluesdad 73]

The refs in BB have been terrible this year, I agree there. But some calls are just so horrid it's beyond explainable. To those refs that are this bad they need to bevtook off the mat. Sure some are going to make mistakes. Out of bounds calls, back points, even some take downs. But to call illegal moves when it's not even close to being illegal and then taking 5 points and a pin for it is just unexceptional. If their this bad they have no business on the mats. But to the ones that under stand the sport and are really trying and sometimes make small mistakes I really do appreciate them for doing their job.