Is this move legal?

[quinn14]

I was at my nephew's wrestling tournament tonight and saw a move that I thought was illegal, at least it used to be. I will try to describe it the best I can.

Kid on top wraps his legs around the waist of the kid on the bottom. He he then cross faces the bottom kid to turn him. When he does that he stretched his legs out stiff and crossed his ankles. This was around the waist, not through the legs. Obviously he pinned the kid and could have broken ribs or injured the kid's back. The ref was on his knees on the mat looking at the shoulders but even slid back a little and made it obvious that he was looking at the legs, but called nothing.

Is that scissors body lock now legal?

(Btw- My nephew pinned the 2 seed and his second opponet too! His armbar is getting good.)

[quinn14]

I have another question now. I have tried googling a folkstyle rulebook but can't come up with one. Anyway, here is the situation.

This call actually went for my nephew's teammate in the finals to give him a 9-8 win. I just think it was called wrong. They start out in referee's position with 1min left in the match. Kid on bottom goes for a switch attempt and the top guy is trying to follow him around but locks his hands. The ref gives the "locking hands" signal and lets the action continue to see in the bottom guy can improve his position. He doesn't. Top guy ends up following him around and breaking him down to his belly with about 40secs left in the match. At this point I always thought the ref is supposed to stop the action and award a point to the bottom guy. He didn't. He let the action continue. Well, the same exact senario happens again and again the top guy follows the bottom guy around with locked hands and returns him to his belly. That is when the ref stops the action and awards 2pts to the bottom guy with only 8secs left in the match. Is that right?

I think if he would have stopped the match earlier and awarded 1pt with 40secs it would have at least let the top guy know the match was tied and he could wrestle accordingly. Again, it gave our team the win, but it just seems sketchy. Anybody know the rule for sure?

[Spider]

Scenario 1: body scissors is legal unless excessive pressure is applied. Scissors is legal on the body and illegal on the head; figure four is legal on the head and illegal on the body.
Scenario 2: you are correct. Once it has been determined that the bottom man cannot finish the move he was doing at the time of the locked hands, the ref should have stopped the match and awarded the point. If the bottom man had completed his move, the ref would have awarded the escape or reversal points and the locking hands point(s) without stopping the match. I assume that the second locked hands (2 points) was the third infraction, not including the stalling warning.

And congratulations on your nephew's great wrestling.

[mikeawise]

...figure four is legal on the head....

Didn't a figure four to the head become illegal starting this season? I'm still trying to think of a solid single bar finish now that figure fours to the head are no longer allowed.

[Spider]

Didn't a figure four to the head become illegal starting this season? I'm still trying to think of a solid single bar finish now that figure fours to the head are no longer allowed.

You are probably right. This is my first year not actively coaching and I didn't get a new Rules Book, so I may not be completely current. My apologies.

[quinn14]

You are probably right. This is my first year not actively coaching and I didn't get a new Rules Book, so I may not be completely current. My apologies.

Thanks for the reply Spider. I thought both calls were suspicious and I never knew that the body lock was legal without pressure. I am guessing pressure is subjective to each referee. As for the locking hands, I was truly baffled. But what makes it even funnier was that for the entire weekend every parent in my nephew's school section had been complaining about this particular ref. He was waaaaay to fat to get around the mat and get in position and he missed several calls because of it. But when he gave two points for the locking hands, the parents were defending his call and saying he was a good ref. I actually laughed out loud when one of them held his hand up for a high-five after the call. But I bit my tongue and let them celebrate.

As for my nephew, he blew a 1pt lead with 14secs left in the semifinals. Instead of just circling around and keeping distance, he tried to lock up and the kid hit a duck under. He was still pouting in his next match and lost to a kid he dominated just 2 weeks ago. He did rally and take fifth, but he should have finished no lower than second. Teenagers!!!!!!!

Oh, and where can I find an official rulebook? I tried googling and can't find one.

[Spider]

Oh, and where can I find an official rulebook? I tried googling and can't find one.

Click on this link:

National Federation of State High School Associations