PIAA NW Class AAA Regional
Altoona Area High School - Altoona Field House
March 4 & March 5, 2005

Qualifying: District 6 (top 4), District 8 (top 2), District 9 (top 3), District 10 (top 3)

Pairings for 2005 Tournament

Pairing Criteria:
1. No District Champions (2004) shall meet in Rounds I or II
2. A District Runner-Up shall be placed in the opposite bracket from the District Champion (from same District)
3. Separating of returning champions in the same weight bracket shall be avoided, provided both have won their respective District Championships.
4. Consideration for returning state placewinner to be positioned in opposite brackets shall have consideration.

The bracketing/pairings are the same the coaches proposed a few years' ago at Clarion. There are six (6) separate brackets. They will be used at random with exceptions noted above.

Should any wrestler not make weight or become ill the day of the tournament and his qualifying position is the LOWEST place from his District, i.e. 6-4, 9-3, 8-2, or 10-3, that position will become a FORFEIT (it is not a bye since a wrestler qualified for this position the week before).

Should any wrestler become injured or ill earlier in the week to the extent that his coach knows he cannot participate in the Regional Tournament, that head coach is REQUIRED to notify Tom Elling and the head coach of the school with the next highest qualifier from his District. Thus, if the 8-2 is injured and cannot compete, the 8-3 placer would be next in line and invited to compete in the Regionals at the 8-2 position. Mr. Elling’s phone numbers will be given to coaches at the District Tournament along with this information. The cell phone number is ONLY for emergencies the day of the tournament.

Three years’ ago, the coaches requested that the pairings not be released until after the District Tournaments have been completed. In respect for that request, the tournament director will make the pairings and have them available on the Pennsylvania Wrestling website http://pasportsbeat.com  on Monday morning, February 28, 2005. You may also direct news media to this source.

Rules, Regulations and Procedures

National Federation Rules will be used for scoring. Note the following from the rule book.. it pertains to a question as to why byes are not used in consolations in the 12 (16)- man bracket.. only score byes for a round that has at least one bout somewhere in it. In the consys for a full 16 man bracket, you would have the eight losers wrestle each other in four bouts and then the winners wrestle the losers of the 1/4s in the second round. As you drop below 16 men, you lose a 1st round cons bout for each bye in the championships. When you get to 12 you have 4 champ byes AND 4 cons byes. Since there were only 4 bouts in the cons and all four of them are byes, there are no bouts in that round and hence no byes to be scored. If in a given weight, you only had 8 men you would then lose that second round likewise.

Medals shall be awarded to the TOP 4 placers, however, only THREE (3) wrestlers will advance to the PIAA Championships the following week in Hershey.

Dress- Wrestlers may appear on the floor or mat area in school-issued uniforms only. The uniforms (warm-ups) MUST conform to PIAA rules. No hats, multi-colored socks or shoes, sweats or tees that do not conform to PIAA specifications. Coaches are urged to dress professionally as well.
NOTE: In accepting awards, wrestlers MUST appear at the awards stand either in full uniform or in warm-ups. NO EXCEPTION. Awards will not be presented to anyone approaching the stand who is not in uniform and/or warmups.

Two (2) coaches per corner. You have all been really great with this and your co-operation is expected once again. Penalty for violation is applied under Misconduct of Coach rule- first offense is a warning; the second is a deduction of a team point; third- removal of the coach from the premises and a deduction of a second point. The removal penalty falls under the new PIAA guidelines.  Coaches are not permitted to sit at the media area.

Contestants/Wrestlers belong in the stands when they are not wrestling or warming-up. Warming-up should take place shortly before the match is to be contested. We will be running the tournament in the traditional weight class order- 103 first; 275 last. Wrestlers/coaches are not permitted on the floor to watch bouts. Fans are not permitted on the floor at any time during the progression of the tournament.

Trainers - Only medical personnel employed by the PIAA will be permitted to go out on the mat upon any injury, However, should a team have a trainer in attendance, the PIAA medical staff MAY call that trainer to the mat to assist.

No video-taping from the floor; no tripods permitted at all.

No banners or noisemakers.

Passes: At registration, each school will receive in their packet passes for each qualifier from their respective school, coaching passes, a pass for a manager or trainer (NOT BOTH), and one administrative pass. Wrestlers will be stamped at weigh-ins and must show pass and the stamped hand at the entrance. (Entrance for wrestlers and coaches is at the side of the Field House nearer the school complex and beneath the overhead pass. The PIAA does not permit extra passes for coaches or cheerleaders.

The head coach will be required to sign-in at registration to receive his packet. Please sign the form AND print your name legibly as your name will be forwarded to the PIAA office for use in the PIAA state program (should you qualify any wrestlers).

Radios fees are $25 for Quarter-Finals (rounds I & II); $35 for Semi-Finals; and $40 for Finals.. For the full tournament- $100. The checks must be presented at media registration where you will sign in as media, receive your passes, and other information. Make checks payable to “PIAA- NW AAA.” Requests to broadcast MUST be made at least one week prior to March 4 to Tom Elling (570) 748-8631 AND to Altoona High Athletic Director Vince Nedimyer at (814) 946-8292.

Admission: Adults $6 for first two sessions and $8 for finals; Students are $3 for first rounds.. finals are $4.

Media will be accorded passes at the event upon proper identification. The registration desk will have sign in sheets.

Postponement is unlikely. But in the event of such occurrence, the tournament director in conjunction with the PIAA office will render that decision by 9:00 AM the morning of the event. Radio and TV stations will be notified and the Pennsylvania Wrestling Website ( http://pasportsbeat.com) will post

Get YOUR Booster ad in the program..

Mail to Rich Vetock, program chairman, before Feb 21, 2005. Include your wording and any graphics or have Rich design for you.

Rich Vetock
Regional Program Chairman
PO Box 334
Revloc, PA  15948