Sabin Badulescu vs Levan Saginashvili, Referee Grip, EuroArm 2017 │ Collage made by XSportNews using images from the videos
I have to say this was funny, and I believe many armwrestlers who know Sabin Badulescu are happy it happened this way (myself included). I posted both original videos at the end, scroll down.
But there are some deeper problems with this match:
1. It was a false start for Sabin Badulescu.
2. The referee let the match continue although Sabin started before the referee lifted his hands.
3. The referee not only let the match continue, but he said GO after the match already started, he was aware that Sabin Badulescu made a false start but he didn’t stop the match. I showed in the capture I made when the referee said GO.
4. It was a Referee Grip.
5. What would have happened if let’s say Sabin would had won the match ? I never was a fan of Arsen Liliev because he won many matches like this, on false start.
6. On running foul rules used by ARM WARS or WAL maybe this would have been ok, but at EuroArm we use WAF rules.
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” 8.2 Referee Grip
8.2.1 Competitors have 30 seconds to “Grip Up”. If in that time, they have not gripped up, they will be given a “referee’s grip”. A referees’ grip consists of the following procedure. (2013)
8.2.2 Competitors’ hands are placed palm to palm by the referee, the thumbs are pushed down by the referee, the fingers are wrapped by the referee, first one competitor, then the other. As they are wrapped referee asks competitor if he/she wants their thumb covered or not. Thumb knuckles will be showing, forefingers level, wrists straight and arms centered. Competitors are not to move
from this set up.
8.2.3 Examples of movement are fingers re-gripping, back pressure, bending wrists, early start or elbow lifting off the pad. 8.2.4 Any movement by any competitor will result in a foul being given against the one that moves. ”
