contents
SRF expert Jörg Abderhalden supports the referee of the final course at the ESAF. He doesn’t think much of the demands for a VAR.
The wrestling community is in agreement on one point after the final round of the Confederate in Pratteln. Joel Wicki lost his grip on his decisive swing against Matthias Aeschbacher. Strictly according to the rule book, the walk should have continued.
SRF swing expert Jörg Abderhalden considers it normal that the scene is now being discussed all over the country. But he explicitly refrains from holding the referee responsible for the wrong decision.
Difficult situation for referees
“I haven’t seen it live. If you have to look for it in slow motion in the video, it’s incredibly difficult for the referee to decide on site.” Within fractions of a second, you have to pay attention to different things. Were both shoulder blades really in the sawdust? Was the swing regular?
“Perhaps the referee looked a little more at the back than at the grip. After all, it was about victory or defeat,” said the three-time wrestling king.
Stefan Strebel also shows understanding. “Our referees couldn’t see it. So they made the right decision. Wicki is a worthy king, »clarifies the Technical Manager of the Swiss Wrestling Association.
The question of whether a video referee could help in such contentious cases has already been discussed in the association at Strebel’s initiative. Due to financial and technological considerations, the decision was made against pursuing the idea further for the time being. “I can live with that very well.”
The day after, the victorious Wicki spoke out in favor of starting an attempt. “I would suggest that you test it once. But I can’t say whether it would be better or not.”
So who decides in the end?
Abderhalden also points out that even a VAR, as there is in football, would not be the solution to all problems. In the case of Pirmin Reichmuth, who actually had Bernhard Kämpf in the sawdust, he was clearly of the opinion that the result should have been given. “But maybe there would be judges who would say after the video consultation that it was too close. Who decides in the end?”
improvements in education
Strebel focuses on the training of judges. A lot had already been done in this regard before the federal government. Being able to make clear decisions in pressure situations is important and is being trained. ‘You’re doing well now. But you can certainly add one or two percent to that.”