I will start from the very first thing a referee needs to learn, "it is a referees job to enforce the rules" and this is no different at a disabled championships, but the rules allow a referee to give a disabled armwrestler some allowances, (WAF Rule 5.2.7 The referee¹s may give a disabled puller some allowances for their handicap.) so this is where it becomes harder for the referees as there are so many ways and amounts someone can be disabled, how does a referee make such a decision?

Well a very big part of this is resolved with the new classification system used for the first time in Poland this year at the IAF World Championships, this is handled very professionally By Guzel Idrisova from the Olympic Committee and divides the armwrestlers into separate classes (both standing as well as seated) according to their disability.

So in 95% of matches it is very normal refereeing, but in the other 5% it is harder for the referees as they must consider how much tolerance to give to be fair to both armwrestlers, and as there cannot be a fixed point

for this it is hard, but we had a very good team of referees, and I spent a lot of extra time both in the referees seminar and throughout the championships discussing this with the referees and athletes to try to get the fairest balance we could. Their is also a psychological difference doing this championships and I (and many of the referees) found it a very nice championships to do and look forward to the next one.

David Shead

IAF Head Referee