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How is the rule to be interpreted and enforced? There seems to be an impression out there among some coaches and some refs (based on calls I have seen made) that the rule is anytime a wrestler gets to his feet and an arm is trapped the call should be made. However, I was trying to look up the actual rule and everything I found states "is placed in a body lock with one or both arms trapped and then is lifted". The plain language of this suggest simply having an arm trapped is not potentially dangerous and that it only becomes potentially dangerous if the offensive wrestler lifts the defensive wrestler whose arm is trapped. I am curious to know how the referees are being instructed to call the situation.

Guard0544, If you scroll down about 14 topics to Potentially dangerous rule and read single leg trump and Dr Welker's posts it should give you a clear understanding of how the rule should be called this year. That does not mean we do not have a few officials he may make up their own interpretation and make a different call

"Single leg trump?" LOL Is that like anything a Hillary High Crotch ... shudder!

At its April 6-8 meeting in Indianapolis, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Wrestling Rules Committee added another maneuver to the list of potentially dangerous holds in high school wrestling:

"The new potentially dangerous hold occurs when a wrestler, from a standing position, is placed in a body lock with one or both arms trapped and then is lifted and is unable to use his arm(s) to break the fall."

As mentioned previously, West Virginia and Illinois are using a different interpretation to further protect the wrestlers.

This needs to be addressed statewide because officials are calling it differently. Most are letting action continue. In only a few occasions have I seen action stopped with a trapped arm. It has been made well-known by now that West Virginia will be going beyond the NFHS rule and stopping action as soon as the hold is applied, however, that is not what I see happening. Hypothetically speaking, if WV officials all agreed they are going to enforce it according to the NFHS interpretation, what would happen? Just curious.

What if you have a 2 on 1 or a cross wrist with an elbow pry? Lots of standing tilts off of these. Will the ref blow the whistle and restart them?

What if you have a 2 on 1 or a cross wrist with an elbow pry? Lots of standing tilts off of these. Will the ref blow the whistle and restart them?

Yes and no.
We have different Officiating Boards in WV. Reference to Coach70:

Hypothetically speaking, if WV officials all agreed they are going to enforce it according to the NFHS interpretation, what would happen? Just curious.

Well aware we have different boards. We were given the interpretation as WV will apply the rule beyond that which the NFHS requires, so I assume that means all boards should be calling it the same. To say "No", doesn't reference my question. If officials stick with the NFHS rule and basically require a lift or trip, or just ignore it all together, will they have to answer to anybody? Would be nice to have consistency in the call.

That is why I quoted your "Hypothetically" situation. Wrestlers, coaches, and fans want consistency. Especially at the state tournament when officials are brought in from these different boards.

I should have moved my reference to Coach70 below his quote.

It's probably a good question to ask an official, or Dr. Welker: How do the various officials boards receive a particular rule and coordinate so that officials across the state are informed and calls can be more consistent from one board to another? Is it more than just the rules test and officials meetings required each year by WVSSAC, or is that pretty much it? I know, for example, that some boards may call stalling a little differently from one board to another but may be fairly consistent within their own board. This rule is different. It states specifically what is required and how it is to be called. The reason I'm asking is because we've already wrestled in a few different places and I don't think I've seen a match stopped on a trapped arm/2 on 1, even though I saw this position many times. Wrestlers are going on as they always did and officials are calling it like they always did and we are doing fine, but the fact remains, it isn't being called as prescribed. I think nobody really wants to keep restarting matches over and over when it doesn't appear to be potentially dangerous, and make matches/tournaments last even longer than they do now. I don't know. Would just like to know what to expect from one match to the next on this.

Safety Safety Safety, always make the call on the side of safety in my book, even when it is disadvantagious to my wrestler in possibly scoring points. I would be happy to never see protruding arm bones at an elbow or watch an athlete writhing on the mat from pain in which a knee was hyper-extended in an unnatural direction. No more concussion protocols to observe please. In fact, please give me an official who's number 1 goal is to have athletes compete safely.

mscoach4 wrote:Safety Safety Safety, always make the call on the side of safety in my book, even when it is disadvantagious to my wrestler in possibly scoring points. I would be happy to never see protruding arm bones at an elbow or watch an athlete writhing on the mat from pain in which a knee was hyper-extended in an unnatural direction. No more concussion protocols to observe please. In fact, please give me an official who's number 1 goal is to have athletes compete safely.

Safety safety safety should always be a strong concideration in any activity, but not to the point where it completely rules out competition. And I don t want to see anyone injured either. I want to health wrestlers walking on the and two health wrestlers walking off the mat.

grapple158 wrote:At its April 6-8 meeting in Indianapolis, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Wrestling Rules Committee added another maneuver to the list of potentially dangerous holds in high school wrestling:

"The new potentially dangerous hold occurs when a wrestler, from a standing position, is placed in a body lock with one or both arms trapped and then is lifted and is unable to use his arm(s) to break the fall."

As mentioned previously, West Virginia and Illinois are using a different interpretation to further protect the wrestlers.

Please clarify:

1. So if no arms are trapped, then there is no problem?

2. Does the new rule apply only when the offensive wrestler is behind the defensive wrestler(chest to back) or does this apply when both wrestlers are chest to chest?