Following each of the British Junior and Senior Championships, which have taken place over the past six weeks, a Competition Discipline Panel has been held. The Panel’s role is to review any disqualifications, yellow and red cards issued by officials in line with the Competition and Events Discipline Policy and issue further sanctions where necessary.
British Wrestling is determined to create a better competition environment for officials and competitors alike and officials have been briefed to clamp down on poor behaviour. We continue to provide additional training for officials, who are vital to all our enjoyment of the sport.
Contact With Officials
In two instances, one from each competition, a wrestler has purposely made contact with an official. The only time wrestlers should ever touch referees during a match is at the beginning and end of match ceremonies when hands shake and the winner’s hand is raised.
Any contact initiated by wrestlers or coaches will not be tolerated and we implore coaches to ensure this message is passed on to their wrestlers. The intention of this contact is irrelevant, officials have the right to feel safe and secure in their role.
To be clear, contact with officials outside of the sport’s formalities is unacceptable and will be subject to disciplinary action.
