Dropping to a Knee. Is it stalling?

[Winners Circle]

Just now, Interviewed_at_Weehawken said:

That is my point.  We don't need any more stupid clocks or countdowns.  Why not just make it ref's discretion? Oh, it already is?

We can agree to disagree. That's fine. Just getting a discussion going on the discussion board. 

[Interviewed_at_Weehawken]

1 minute ago, Winners Circle said:

We can agree to disagree. That's fine. Just getting a discussion going on the discussion board. 

And I am discussing it...

[Winners Circle]

Just now, Interviewed_at_Weehawken said:

And I am discussing it...

Bob Dole.

[Pinnacle]

38 minutes ago, jchapman said:

Couldn't the wrestler on two legs also drop to a knee?  And if the first wrestler doesn't hop up and attempt a FHL, he is stalling?  It could go on and on like that.

Pretty sure that was a scene from Stall Camp The Movie.

 

Edited November 19, 2025 by Pinnacle

[Hammerlock3]

1 hour ago, Interviewed_at_Weehawken said:

How about a snap down or front headlock for the other guy?

 

1 hour ago, jchapman said:

Anthony Robles wrestled from all fours in neutral.  He was not called for stalling because he stayed centered on the mat and engaged with the opponent.  Dropping to a knee needs context before we decide if it is stalling.

Were these takes jokes?

[nhs67]

26 minutes ago, VakAttack said:

@nhs67 says no, he's a big fan.

[Scouts Honor]

1 hour ago, Winners Circle said:

Big difference between being put in a FHL and dropping to a knee. 

What is try to score, Alex? If you're using a Russian 2-on-1 to prevent wrestling, you're stalling. 

how much scoring happens in FHL? 

 

[Scouts Honor]

1 hour ago, Tyler said:

I can think of 3 guys that primarily wrestle from a knee. Aj, Angelo and Ayala. I don’t know if I’d necessarily call it stalling, but none of them are prolific scorers 

antrell taylor, he is inviting him in.

i wouldn't call him a staller (most of the time)

[Interviewed_at_Weehawken]

6 minutes ago, Hammerlock3 said:

 

Were these takes jokes?

Not mine.  What do you think Dave Schultz would have done?

[nhs67]

Dropping to a knee absolutely needs context, as @Hammerlock3 says.

If you are dropping to a knee in a pre-defensive-esque format, then yes it is stalling.  If you are dropping to a knee to stay in one place and hold your hand in your opponents face (not initiating offense or defending), then yes - it is stalling.

The two primary examples I will refer to right now were on display front and center in the Oklahoma State - Iowa dual.

Locket absolutely was stalling.  He was backing up then getting down on all fours... in neutral.

Ferrari absolutely was stalling.  He wasn't initiating any offense against Ryder when he did it.  He does use that position to initiate offense against lesser opponents, however he wasn't doing that with Ryder.  He was doing it to put himself in a comfortable stance that he would be able to be more reactive to his opponent's offense.

Examples of stalling below.

[Doublehalf]

Not stalling in my opinion but context matters...I understand the rule in freestyle but it is a different style and the rules are different for a reason.

I kind of like seeing the change in position/action versus two guys tied up trying to push against each other.

Burroughs would drop down regularly and shoot his double from down low. 

Edited November 19, 2025 by Doublehalf

[nhs67]

Unfortunately I cannot upload more examples.  Watch any of DL's or AF's matches and they are rampant with them.  It's the reason that Lockett 'only' beats Cerchio 7-3 and Ferrari 'only' beats Chris Moore 7-3.  They stalled half the time in neutral waiting on something from their clearly inferior opponents.

[Interviewed_at_Weehawken]

9 minutes ago, nhs67 said:

Unfortunately I cannot upload more examples.  Watch any of DL's or AF's matches and they are rampant with them.  It's the reason that Lockett 'only' beats Cerchio 7-3 and Ferrari 'only' beats Chris Moore 7-3.  They stalled half the time in neutral waiting on something from their clearly inferior opponents.

Weren't those guys high school teammates?

[Old Dirty]

Its anti wrestling.  I wrestled in college.  When guys would try this on me, Im lowering my head and shooting at their nose.  They are stalling (fine by me) but, im not getting played by a 1 takedown game.  refs actually penalized me on this.  For shooting.  I teach my wrestlers and in college, how to use tactics.  its becoming unwatchable.  Just like greco.  I was high level in both.  Wrestling off the knees and stalling to forced  par terre is bs.  I blame Anthony Valencia.  I do like watching him.  I also liked kicking Sundevils asses.

Edited November 19, 2025 by Old Dirty
of as opposed to off

[alex1fly]

1 hour ago, Winners Circle said:

That's what we need, more gray area on stalling...lmao.

I mean I'm with you - OOB stall calls are the worst offender IMO. There seems to be no consistency at all with those from ref to ref. 

For the knees, I wonder about an automatic call for a condition rather than a countdown. Ferrari and Lockett both get up around the 5 count as is so a countdown wouldn't fix that. Maybe "dropping to two knees without being in contact with your opponent results in an automatic stall call" or something like that could work. Or "excessive drops to knees results in a stall call". So few people actually shoot from their knees, it wouldn't hinder offense very much to penalize it.

[Gene Mills Fan]

2 hours ago, Winners Circle said:

So just say yes. Lol

No.  if you are on the knee but:  moving in engaging in hand fighting, looking to secure an underhook or taking more frequent scoring attempts you are not stalling. it is irrelevant if you're on a knee and your opponent never attempts, just like both standing and no one attempts. yes ref will know if guy taking knee is avoiding action, period.

[Scouts Honor]

it's just carry over from being grounded in freestyle

 

oh wait

[Scouts Honor]

john smith has thoughts 

[PortaJohn]

Whatever it is it's boring 

[pmilk]

Stalling is not unique to dropping to a knee...you can stall in any position. I had a great high school coach who taught us that when an opponent drops to his knees, it should be an automatic TD. We were also taught that there are just as many many TD techniques from the knees as there were in neutral...he still has legs...just shorter ones. And he's not as mobile on his knees. Whether YOU are neutral, on top, or your opponent is on his knees, one of your objectives is to make it look like HE's stalling. Besides, Robles has already set the precedent for wrestling on his knee. Smart, well coached wrestlers will drop to their opponents level and employ the myriad of techniques available for scoring. And there are a lot of them. 

[nhs67]

22 minutes ago, pmilk said:

Stalling is not unique to dropping to a knee...you can stall in any position. I had a great high school coach who taught us that when an opponent drops to his knees, it should be an automatic TD. We were also taught that there are just as many many TD techniques from the knees as there were in neutral...he still has legs...just shorter ones. And he's not as mobile on his knees. Whether YOU are neutral, on top, or your opponent is on his knees, one of your objectives is to make it look like HE's stalling. Besides, Robles has already set the precedent for wrestling on his knee. Smart, well coached wrestlers will drop to their opponents level and employ the myriad of techniques available for scoring. And there are a lot of them. 

Robles had no choice but to drop to one knee.  Using him to justify Lockett and/or Ferrari doing so shouldn't be a thing.

[jchapman]

5 hours ago, Hammerlock3 said:

 

Were these takes jokes?

Is this take a joke?

[Winners Circle]

2 hours ago, pmilk said:

Stalling is not unique to dropping to a knee...you can stall in any position. I had a great high school coach who taught us that when an opponent drops to his knees, it should be an automatic TD. We were also taught that there are just as many many TD techniques from the knees as there were in neutral...he still has legs...just shorter ones. And he's not as mobile on his knees. Whether YOU are neutral, on top, or your opponent is on his knees, one of your objectives is to make it look like HE's stalling. Besides, Robles has already set the precedent for wrestling on his knee. Smart, well coached wrestlers will drop to their opponents level and employ the myriad of techniques available for scoring. And there are a lot of them. 

Comparing Robles to any other high level wrestler is hilarious. Also, so Zack Ryder/Dylan Fishback/Aidan Sinclair/etc. all are not smart/well coached wrestlers? Because not one of them dropped to a knee against Angelo. You should run a coaches clinic for David Taylor, Tom Ryan, and Brian Smith to attend. Sounds like it would be beneficial to a lot of coaches. 

[MPhillips]

5 hours ago, Hammerlock3 said:

Were these takes jokes?

"Wrestling on all fours" is one of the best jokes on here in a long time.

[Hammerlock3]

3 hours ago, jchapman said:

Is this take a joke?

its not worded like one, unlike your stupid allusion to a guy with one leg.