|
The way I read that rule and based on what I have read about this, and seen as TV coverage, I think both sides of this made mistakes.
The athlete may not have approached the referee upon the referee's arrival to the site about the hair cover as required in the rules.
I can say in other sports I do which "require" approval when an official arrives on site, this is something easily addressed at some point prior to competition, so very little fault lies with this.
The absolutely majority of the fault appears to fall with the referee on this.
1) His ruling on the use of the hair cover. At no point in the rule that was posted below, does the word "natural state." I am not someone who is into dreadlocks, but my understanding is that they are a type of braid. Braided hair is specifically mentioned in the rule as being permitted if it is tucked under the hair cover, which this wrestler was required to do.
2) He was apparently late to the match, which caused him to miss the weigh in, which from reports I've seen he was supposed to be at. His proper arrival would have allowed this to be addressed prior to the match starting.
3) This was apparently not the first time he had an issue like this.
I can't speak to New Jersey, but I hope my state association would suspend this official pending an investigation into this incident not only for the protection of other student athletes, but also for the protection of the official himself. I know as an officials assigner, if I had to assign an official who was involved in a situation like this, that official would not be working any events I assign in the future unless a full investigation was completed and he was cleared of wrongdoing. Even then I would have a hard time assigning that official in the future due to the public perception of this official.
|