Be the Referee: Wrestling Start Position

By Brent Rice
MHSAA Assistant Director

February 24, 2022

Be The Referee is a series of short messages designed to help educate people on the rules of different sports, to help them better understand the art of officiating, and to recruit officials.

Below is this week's segment – Wrestling Start Position - Listen

Today we’re on the mat, ready for the next wrestling match.

We’ve got a wrestler ready to get into the offensive starting position. Which of these should he or she do?

► Place their head on or above the mid-line of the opponent’s back

► Place their arm loosely around the opponent’s body with the palm of the hand placed loosely over the defensive wrestler’s navel

► Not have their legs or feet in contact with the defensive wrestler.

If you said yes to all of these things – you are correct. The wrestler in the offensive position should do all three of those things.

Do that – and you are ready to wrestle.

Previous editions

Feb. 17: Hockey Delayed Offside - Listen
Feb. 10: Basketball Timeout - Listen
Feb. 3: Basketball Video Review - Listen
Jan. 27: Wrestling Inspections - Listen
Dec. 16: Ball Over Backboard - Listen
Dec. 9: Winter Officials Mechanics - Listen
Nov. 26: Instant Replay - Listen
Nov. 11: Tourney Selection - Listen
Nov. 4: Receiver Carried Out of End Zone Listen
Oct. 28: Volleyball Back-Row Block Listen
Oct. 21: Soccer Disallowed Goal Listen
Sept 30: Field Goal Falls Short Listen
Sept. 23: Volleyball Obstruction Listen
Sept. 16: Catch or No Catch  Listen
Sept. 9: Intentional Grounding – Listen 
Sept. 2: Pass Interference – Listen 
Aug. 26: Protocols and Mechanics 
 Listen

Be the Referee: Primary Areas

March 7, 2019

This week, MHSAA officials coordinator Sam Davis explains why sometimes the official farthest away from the action is the one with the best angle to make the call.

Be The Referee is a series of short messages designed to help educate people on the rules of different sports, to help them better understand the art of officiating, and to recruit officials.

Below is this week's segment – Primary Areas - Listen

In just about every single basketball game ever played, there are times where fans will turn to each other and wonder, “Why did that official make the call when there was another member of the crew that was a whole lot closer to the play?”

The most important thing in all of officiating, and especially basketball officiating, is the angle for an official. There will be many times during the game that the official that is closest to the play actually has the worst look or the worst angle.

Many times the player is going up in the lane for that shot, and the whistle will come from one of the two outside officials because they had the perfect angle to see all the elements of the play and can rule correctly.

Past editions

February 28: Under the Bus - Listen
February 21: You Make the Call - Listen
February 14: Because They Love It - Listen
February 7: Coach/Official Communication - Listen
January 31: Backcourt Violation? - Listen
January 24: Required Hockey Equipment - Listen
January 17: You Make the Call: 10-Second Clock - Listen
January 10: Tripping in Hockey - Listen
January 3: Sliding in Basketball - Listen
December 27: Stalling in Wrestling - Listen
December 20: Basketball: You Make the Call - Listen
December 13: Basketball Uniform Safety - Listen
December 6: Coaching Box Expansion - Listen
November 29: Video Review, Part 2 - Listen
November 22: Video Review, Part 1 - Listen
November 15: You Make the Call - Sleeper Play - Listen
November 8: 7-Person Football Crews - Listen
November 1: Overtime Differences - Listen
October 25: Trickery & Communication - Listen
October 18: Punts & Missed Field Goals - Listen
October 11: What Officials Don't Do - Listen
October 4: Always 1st-and-Goal - Listen
September 27: Unique Kickoff Option - Listen
September 20: Uncatchable Pass - Listen
September 13: Soccer Rules Change - Listen
September 6: You Make the Call: Face Guarding - Listen
August 30: 40-Second Play Clock - Listen
August 23: Football Rules Changes - Listen