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Need help with wrestling

Discussion in 'Writers' Workshop' started by csludwig16, Nov 26, 2017.

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  1. csludwig16

    csludwig16 New Member

    Hey y'all, next weekend I'm being sent to cover a high school wrestling tournament. I've never watched a single wrestling match, let alone covered one, or a whole tournament for that matter. Are any of y'all able to give me a crash course on the basics and how tournaments work? Any help would be much appreciated.
     
    csludwig16, Nov 26, 2017
    #1
  2. Moderator1

    Moderator1 Moderator Staff Member

    Is it a team tournament, usually labeled something our other Duals, or an individual tournament?

    I got my start in the business MANY years ago covering high school wrestling for a local weekly.
     
    Moderator1, Nov 26, 2017
    #2
  3. daytonadan1983

    daytonadan1983 Well-Known Member

    Write more about the wrestlers than the wrestling as you learn the sport.

    Ask a lot of questions. You will never find a sport more cooperative.
     
    daytonadan1983, Nov 26, 2017
    #3
    HanSenSE likes this.
  4. jr/shotglass

    jr/shotglass Well-Known Member

    If you're a wrestling neophyte, the biggest mistake you can make is trying to impress your readers by describing moves you don't understand. Just featurize, humanize the athletes and learn the sport at your own pace if you're going to be doing it for a while.
     
    jr/shotglass, Nov 26, 2017
    #4
    daytonadan1983 likes this.
  5. cjericho

    cjericho Well-Known Member

    Is it a team tournament or individual?
     
    cjericho, Nov 26, 2017
    #5
  6. csludwig16

    csludwig16 New Member

    It is a team tournament.
     
    csludwig16, Nov 27, 2017
    #6
  7. Moderator1

    Moderator1 Moderator Staff Member

    Find ONE good story on the winning team and tell it. Play by play is a no-go in most cases anyway but particularly in wrestling. Was the winning team a surprise winner? Why? Which wrestler did better than expected? Tell us about him. Was the team expected to win? Why? Which wrestler has helped the team to the favorite status? Tell us about him.

    When I covered wrestling, it was five points for a pin, three for a decision and two for a draw. Now there are other options and I can't keep all of them straight.

    Wrestling always had some interesting characters.
     
    Moderator1, Nov 27, 2017
    #7
  8. jr/shotglass

    jr/shotglass Well-Known Member

    Match scoring, at least for Pennsylvania:

    Takedown - 2 points
    Escape - 1 point
    Reversal - 2 points
    Near fall - 2 or 3 points
    You can earn penalty points too.

    If you win by 7 to 14 points, it's a major decision, which is worth four team points rather than three.
    If you reach a 15-point advantage, the match ends by technical fall, which is worth five team points.
    Six team points for victory by pin, injury default, disqualification or forfeit.
    Three team points for regular decision (fewer than 7 points).
    Two team points each for draw.
    And unsportsmanlike conduct can lead to a one-point team deduction.

    Somebody correct me if I'm wrong.
     
    Last edited: Nov 27, 2017
    jr/shotglass, Nov 27, 2017
    #8
    franticscribe likes this.
  9. MisterCreosote

    MisterCreosote Well-Known Member

    A pin is 6 points.

    In individual matches, just watch the ref, who will signal all the points. Just watch for near falls, as there is a point's worth of difference between a 3-second one and a 5-second one. But, in near fall situations, the ref will visibly count them off.

    Watch for stalling. It gets warned a lot, but doesn't get penalized a lot.
     
    MisterCreosote, Nov 27, 2017
    #9
  10. HanSenSE

    HanSenSE Well-Known Member

    And make sure you have the colors on the ankle straps right.
     
    HanSenSE, Nov 28, 2017
    #10
  11. jr/shotglass

    jr/shotglass Well-Known Member

    At least once while you're there, stand up in the middle of a match, point and scream, "SPLADLE!"
     
    jr/shotglass, Nov 28, 2017
    #11
  12. franticscribe

    franticscribe Well-Known Member

    Watch Vision Quest tonight.

    And then again tomorrow night.

    And then again Friday night.

     
    franticscribe, Nov 29, 2017
    #12
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