Every season, questions arise on how to properly give wins and losses to a wrestler that has withdrawn from a tournament (due to injury
or any other reason). Most tournament software programs will automatically give losses to a wrestler who dropped out of a tournament
until they are officially eliminated (usually giving two or three extra losses). Based on the current interpetion of the rules,
a wrestler who is in a tournament must take at least two losses if they drop out for any reason.
We are doing our best to make sure the results that appear on the site correctly reflect the PIAA rules interpretion on forfeits in
tournaments. Below are some scenarios that may happen and how the forfeits are to be handled. These scenarios and rulings
have been reviewed and approved as correct by the PIAA.
| Scenario #1 - Wrestler wins quarterfinal but cannot continue in tournament. |
John Doe wins his quarterfinal match to advance to the semifinals.
Due to injury, illness, or any other reason (like missing weight on the second day of the tournament), he withdraws from the tournament and does not compete again in the tournament. |
| Ruling |
John Doe must take a forfeit loss in the semifinals and take a loss in the consolation
semifinals. Officially, John Doe does not place in the tournament and the team does not keep any placement
points already earned by him.
However, if John Doe wishes to place in the tournament (to earn a medal and for the team to receive placement
points already earned), then he must take all losses until he is officially eliminated from the tournament.
In this situation, he would receive three losses (one in the semis, one in the consolation semis, and one in
the fifth place match).
Realistically, we realize most tournaments are not removing placement points from team scores if a wrestler
withdraws after advancing far enough to place (technically they should).
Additionally, if this scenario happens in the individual post-season with a tournament where the top six
advance to the next tournament, then John Doe must take all three losses if he wishes to advance to the
next tournament. If he is unable to compete for any reason in the next tournament, then he would only
take the two losses. |
| |
| Scenario #2 - Wrestler injured in the semis and cannot compete in the remainder of the tournament. |
John Doe is injured in the semifinals and cannot continue in the match, losing by default (and counts as a loss).
He is not cleared to wrestle for the remainder of the tournament. |
| Ruling |
John Doe must take the the loss in the championship semis (since he started the match) but
also take a forfeit loss in the consolation semifinals as well.
If John Doe does not want to take additional losses, then he does not place in the tournament and the team
does not get any placement points he already earned. If he wishes to place sixth, then he will receive
a third forfeit loss in the fifth place match. |
| |
| Scenario #3 - Wrestler injured in the semis and cannot compete right away but eventually returns. |
John Doe is injured in the semifinals and cannot continue in the match, losing
by default (and counts as a loss).
He is not cleared to wrestle in the consolation semifinals but is cleared in time to wrestle in the fifth place match. |
| Ruling |
| John Doe must take the two losses (championship semis and consolation semis) because he returned to
action in the tournament by competing in the fifth place match. |
| |
| Scenario #4 - Wrestler advances to placement round but chooses not to wrestle. |
| John Doe has advanced to the placement round (any place) after having wrestled in all scheduled matches. John
decides not to wrestle in that placement match (the reason does not matter). |
| Ruling |
John Doe must take a loss in the placement match. When a wrestler withdraws from a tournament, they must take at least 1 forfeit loss
on their record. If withdrawing prior to the placement round (see Scenarios 1 and 2), the wrestler has the option on whether or not to take the placement
round forfeit loss. However, if the only match being forfeited is the placement match, then the wrestler must take that forfeit loss.
In the post-season, if a wrestler has qualified to advance to the next tournament and choses not to wrestle their placement match, then they MUST take
that forfeit loss on their record. If a wrestler in the post-season withdraws from a tournament they are withdrawing from the entire post-season. |
| |
| Scenario #5 - Wrestler injured during match in pooled tournament. |
| In a pooled individual tournament, all wrestlers in the weight class are
scheduled to get five matches. In the second match, John Doe is injured and cannot compete the rest of
the tournament. |
| Ruling |
John Doe must take the loss in the second match due to it being a default but would not take
any additional losses. His scheduled opponents in the remainder of the tournament would receive forfeit
wins (against no opponent).
If John Doe skips matches three and four but returns for match five in the tournament, then he would have to
take forfeit losses in both of those matches. |
| |
| Scenario #6 - Wrestler unable to compete in pooled tournament (not injured during match). |
| In a pooled individual tournament, all wrestlers in the weight classes are
scheduled to get five matches. After the second match has completed, John Doe becomes ill and cannot compete the
rest of the tournament. |
| Ruling |
| John Doe does not have to take any additional losses as there is no advancement in a pooled
tournament. His scheduled opponents in the remainder of the tournament would receive forfeit wins
(against no opponent) because the matches were scheduled. |
| |
| Scenario #7 - Wrestler unable to compete after weigh-ins. |
| John Doe weighs in for the tournament but before the first match becomes ill and cannot compete. |
| Ruling |
In a bracketed tournament, John Doe must take two losses (one in the championship bracket and one
in the consolation bracket) because he weighed in and is an entry for the event.
In a pooled tournament, John Doe will get no losses. All his scheduled opponents would receive forfeit wins
(against no opponent).
If a wrestler does not weigh in for a tournament, they do NOT receive any losses even if they appear in a bracket. Some
tournament brackets show a wrestler forfeiting out of a tournament when they didn't weigh in. That is incorrect. Those
matches should be considered byes and don't count as a win or a loss for any wrestler. |
| |
| Scenario #8 - Wrestler has 6 matches in a single day but is scheduled for another match. |
| John Doe wrestles 6 matches in a day and is scheduled to wrestle 1 more, likely a placement match. |
| Ruling |
NFHS and PIAA rule 1-4-3 states that wrestlers are limited to no more than
six matches in a day, excluding forfeits. Prior to the 2023-24
season, the max number of matches was five. In the event that a
wrestler is scheduled for a seventh match, the wrestler must forfeit that
match.
Rule 1-4-3 has the following section regarding this
possibility:
"If one wrestler had wrestled in five matches and
the other wrestler in six matches, then the wrestler with five matches
would be the winner by forfeit. If it was the match for third place and
both wrestlers had been in six matches, then they would both receive
points for fourth place. There could be no third-place finisher."
If the match was actually wrestled by mistake, the result would have
to be changed to a forfeit. |