when is a slam a slam?

[DaveASA/FED]

I had a middle school match Tuesday night and I had two matches were one coach wanted a slam called. Neither to me appeared to be a slam. Neither wrestler was unprotected and neither offensive man used excessive force to bring them down. They were good impacts but neither seemed worthy of a slam call.

So anyway I am asking what in your minds makes you call a slam? Is it force of impact, intent of off. wrestler, inability to make it a light impact? What are you looking for to move it into a slam call??

Thanks in advance.

[woolnojg]

Dave-
I train new officials to look for elevation and/or acceleration.
If they lift them from the mat, they have elevated them and are now responsible for their safe return to the mat.
When released from a height objects accelerate with the force of gravity. Did the lifting wrestler accelerate them past this natural speed into an unsafe speed?

Many people mistakenly beleive that the sound of the impact should determine if it is a slam. The determing factor is the amount of force used to bring them back down to the mat, not how loud it is.

If I pick you up overhead and let you fall to the ground, that would be a slam.
If I use a good head & arm throw, you hit the mat harder but not in an unsafe manner, so there would be no slam.