The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1910-04-07
RfFfREEINC WRESTLING
BOUTS IS TRYING TASK
Where Bad Blood Exists, Third
Man in the Ring Does Not
Have Snap.
HIS DUTIES ARE NUMEROUS

II may be interesting to the admir-
,rs of the mat game to know what
the referee looks for and what con-
stitues his duties as third man in
the padded ring A smooth, clean match
if of course, easy to referee. But Civ
ON n bout where both contestants are
ot loggerheads, there is the ever-pres-
ont danger OF foul tactics.
From the moment hostilities begin,
saws Lloyd Jones, the well known
wrestling expert, the referee aims to
keen the broadside of the men toward
him. If he has the body of one man
monopolzing his view, he is at "A de-
cided disadvantage, because he would
he less apt 10 sec a stranglc lock on
witness the occasional punch that en- .
emles are prone to slam in at one
another.
The referee also Is guided by GER
tain rules of the game and is called
upon To disph.y "a certain amount OF
discretion apart from the rules. The
guiding points set down in catch-as-
catch-can are, briefly. as follows:
The contestants must be stripped to
the waist. If they prefer going on the
mat with bare legs, that's their ar
fair, but most grapplcrs wear tights
with padded knees TO save themselves
from bruises or burns.
The men are cautioned to wear
either light gymnasium shoes or rub
-soled shoes of some kind. Going
on with bare feet is a question tina,
rather received it's quietus i'm thu
Gotch Mahmout match. when Frank
exacted forfeit to permit the Turk
to step through the ropes with his
Tribes in the breeze
It is also conceded that the men
are to trim their finger nails, because
many a wrestler is given TO scratch
ing as though he were a daughter o.
Eve rather than son of Adam.
In case the men get off the mat, thu
referee is empowered to bring then
back to the middle OF the square anC
ask them To resume the same hold, o
ms nearly the same hold as possible
The referee may find that this stage o
the game is fraught with difficultie
and the men are apt to say unkin'
things To one another and go at /
harder than ever
No bold is called If the men are of
the mat, and most wrcstlers prefer t
have the rules dictate "A resumption O
holds near the middle of the mat !
any part of TN ebody is off the pad
ding. There are reasons for this. Per
haps the under fellow wants to bridge
but finds his feet few inches lowe
than they ought to be-or else n
learns too late that his feet will sill
on the floor. and he loses the fal
through no fault of his own.
Flying falls do not count. Ever
though the under man Is on his Shout
ders he is not down If he can keel
rolling.
When ii comes to calling a fal
(Which is done by slapping the win
ncr on his shoulders), the referee is il
duty bound to be certain his decision
is just. Therefore, he is ofttimes dis
inclined to trust his sight. and insist
on putting his hands under the shoul
ders of the loser.
In the case of arm locks and re
Versed Nelson's, with the upper man S
completely covering the shoulders, hea,
and chest of the under man, judgmen
by sight alone is almost impossible
unless, indeed, the referee can Loo
around n corner.
Where bad blood exists, IL is essen
tial to continuously caution the mel
about foul tactics. Not only are dirt
methods prohibited, but lapse o
Judgment on the part of the third MAJ
may convert the ring into the vorte
of a maelstrom of bowling, fighting
advocates OF both contestants.