Ankle Scrambles

[BruceyB]

Should there be some kind of rule in place to reduce the ease of gaining a stalemate by desperately holding on to an ankle when you have no way to improve your position?

I'm not talking about ankle scrambles where there is action, but more precisely about the position (I hope you all can picture it) where Wrestler A. has sat the corner, scoops the leg with his own, and is pressuring forward to try to get his ankle that is trapped (clung to by Wrestler B.) underneath. Wrestler be has nothing to do in the position but hold on for dear life and hope that Wrestler A. doesn't get his ankle free. I would say that Wrestler A. has 95% control in this position, but because Wrestler B. hasn't given up 100%, Wrestler A. gets nothing out of the scenario, regardless if this happens 10 times in a the course of a match.

For anyone who watched the match, this is basically the story of Bouzakis vs Knox in the R12. Bouzakis spent the majority of the match in a better position than Knox, but because Knox was able to hang onto an ankle, the position would eventually get stalemated and Bouzakis would have nothing to show for it. 

It's not uncommon that in a match you see one wrestler doing the majority of the work in attempts to score only to be narrowly stopped by a desperate clinging to an ankle while a wrestler hopes to be saved by a stalemate. 

I'm curious how the rest of you feel about this situation? I have an idea of how I would change things, but I don't know if I'm in the minority that feels like a change is warranted.

[Scouts Honor]

yep, said this in more than one thread.

someone else said a 5 count like on top.

 

[WrestlingRasta]

If we take away the defenses, even the ‘boring’ last ditch effort defenses, we take away the incentive to improve the technique to beat, or stay clear of, those defenses.  
 

Up the bar…up the skill it takes to reach said bar. 

[Caveira]

Folkstyle is mad entertaining.  The scrambles are great.  The defense is crazy.  The product is amazing.   

[Scouts Honor]

i love it too... 

but we won't have the 'scoring' we 'want'

or the more 'exciting' matches 

until guys aren't 'sure' they won't score when they attempt a shot.

I love the sport as it is.

i am using these things as a counter to all the people calling to implement freestyle into folk.

NO.

[BruceyB]

15 minutes ago, WrestlingRasta said:

If we take away the defenses, even the ‘boring’ last ditch effort defenses, we take away the incentive to improve the technique to beat, or stay clear of, those defenses.  
 

Up the bar…up the skill it takes to reach said bar. 

It goes both ways. If we allow a simple defensive technique like clinging to an ankle to be acceptable, why is the defense going to learn how to actually improve their position from there? Much like the neutral danger was established because hanging out on your back while not giving up points didn't make sense, rewarding someone for hanging onto an ankle is nearly the same thing.

[Caveira]

Just now, BruceyB said:

It goes both ways. If we allow a simple defensive technique like clinging to an ankle to be acceptable, why is the defense going to learn how to actually improve their position from there? Much like the neutral danger was established because hanging out on your back while not giving up points didn't make sense, rewarding someone for hanging onto an ankle is nearly the same thing.

I consider hanging out on your back a little way ton bit different than defending a takedown.   

[larry_bird_enthusiast]

yes the burden should be on the person hanging on the ankle to improve and if they don’t it should become a takedown 

offense is already so disincentivized with how strong counterattacks are becoming, and the cherry on top is once you finally take the risk and get a good shot off, now you don’t score it because someone was able to hold their pinky onto your ankle for 20 seconds while flat on their butt

[Hammerlock3]

4 hours ago, Scouts Honor said:

yep, said this in more than one thread.

someone else said a 5 count like on top.

 

thats an insanely bad idea.