Grabbing the Fence Warning

[SallySueSo]

I'm in the middle of watching the latest episode of TUF 18 and I just watched Herb Dean tell a fighter to not grab the fence and it's his only warning. Why do refs afford a warning?

Not grabbing the fence is a rule that all fighters are made aware of and, without any proof to back this claim up, it might be something the refs go over during their pre-fight talks with the fighters. If the pre-fight discussion doesn't explain that grabbing the fence is a violation of the rules, then it should be implemented. Doing so would enable an instant point reduction for violating the rule and I believe we would see a very sharp reduction in the number of times fighters do reach for the wire. Just my two cents...

 

[spid3yo]

Not every fence grab is intentional, you are allowed to have contact with the fence. Refs don't like to swing a fight as drastically as taking a point unless they are positive.

 

[SallySueSo]

That's like saying Palhares holding onto his leg locks too long aren't intentional... And contact, of course; I'm talking about grabbing onto the fence. Regardless of whether or not it is instincts that cause you to grab the fence when falling, it is still a violation of the rules.

I'm just saying that if the refs automatically deducted a point for the violation, it would remove some of the ambiguities as to when they do or do not deduct a point for the violation and we would see far fewer grabs.

 

[Man1988]

JDS will grab the fence all the time tomorrow night . when Cain attacks.

 

[Bollman]

I feel one warning for a fence grab is sufficient. Unless the grab prevents a takedown thereby significantly altering the fight. In these instances the fight should be stopped, warning issued (for 1st offence) then restarted on the ground.

I feel any groin shot should have a point deducted. It's a shot that significantly alters the outcome of a fight. Only problem with that is that any high inside leg kick will have a fighter who's behind in the fight acting up a storm to try to get the opponent deducted. This would be a good place for instant replay to be utilized during the fighters recovery period.

 

[Nihilism]

Have you never tipped your chair back on two legs at school, and then fallen? What do you do the moment you realize you've lost control of your balance? You reach out to grab something. It's instinct.

Initial and momentary fence grabs should never be penalized.

And last night on TUF outlines why I like Herb Dean. He threatened to take a point away if the guy did it again, and the guy did do it again, but Herb didn't take a point away. Obviously because he felt a momentary grab of the fence is not done with the intent to cheat.

 

[Lanshire]

The big problem with things like fence grabs and eye pokes is that fighters know they're going to get a warning so they get one free action for each every fight. Some may (and I'm sure do) use this as a tactic and there's not much of an incentive to keep from doing it. At the same time, sometimes accidents happen. They should keep track of fighters who repeatedly grab the fence or eye poke and immediately take a point from them when they do such things if it's deemed significant.

 

[syntekz]

JDS will grab the fence all the time tomorrow night . when Cain attacks.

Watched this fight last night and during first couple of rounds Mr Dean warned JDS half a dozen times not to grab the fence.

 

[jhnrdn]

JDS will grab the fence all the time tomorrow night . when Cain attacks.

I think this will be a huge factor in tomorrow's fight. I rewatched that fight last night, and Dos Santos grabbed the cage at least 8 times. Many of them were the only reason he stayed upright.

 

[SallySueSo]

Initial and momentary fence grabs should never be penalized.

Regardless of how long you commit an offense, you have still broken the rules. I understand the idea behind it being instinct, but again, that doesn't change the fact that you have broken the rules. According to your argument, you should be able to consistently reach for the fence every time you are taken down and there should be no penalty, because it's instincts.

What happens if that momentary fence grab prevents the take down? It was still instinct, by you argument, so it's all good?

 

[Peteyandjia]

 

[kpt018]

I cannot stand fence grabbing. Given that takedowns/slams can dramatically alter the positioning of the fighters and ultimately effect the outcome, I hate the inconsistency in calling it. IMO, it should either be an automatic point each time (making the fighters conscious of not doing it) or make it legal. A warning for potentially changing the outcome of a fight is stupid.

 

[kpt018]

Great example of what I just said.

 

[IloveTHIS]

Im still salty about this one. Tainted win IMO. who knows what would have happened if Jose didnt blatantly cheat there.

 

[Nihilism]

Regardless of how long you commit an offense, you have still broken the rules. I understand the idea behind it being instinct, but again, that doesn't change the fact that you have broken the rules. According to your argument, you should be able to consistently reach for the fence every time you are taken down and there should be no penalty, because it's instincts.

What happens if that momentary fence grab prevents the take down? It was still instinct, by you argument, so it's all good?

Initial and momentary fence grabs should never be penalized.

If he keeps doing it, then take a point away. The ref has to make a judgement call. Herb decided last night that the second time was also instinct. He has to decide when it isn't and the guy is blatantly breaking the rule. If a repeat fence grab prevents a takedown, then it probably isn't instinctual, but deliberate.

 

[kpt018]

If he keeps doing it, then take a point away. The ref has to make a judgement call. Herb decided last night that the second time was also instinct. He has to decide when it isn't and the guy is blatantly breaking the rule. If a repeat fence grab prevents a takedown, then it probably isn't instinctual, but deliberate.

That's the problem, it's a judgement call. I don't care if it's instinctual or not, it changes the fight.

 

[countswagula]

It's an instinctive action and has been going on for exactly as long as the sport has existed, and I'm not just talking about cages either. Fedor avoided takedowns by grabbing the ropes in several of his fights.

 

[bjjwar]

Im still salty about this one. Tainted win IMO. who knows what would have happened if Jose didnt blatantly cheat there.

He did it with 1 hand in a short amount of time.DHKim grabbed the cage with BOTH Hands for like 3 seconds against Silva and no one complained about it lol

 

[0vary hugger**]

They are on the fence about it.

 

[countswagula]

Im still salty about this one. Tainted win IMO. who knows what would have happened if Jose didnt blatantly cheat there.

People who harp on this have probably not watched the fight in a long time or at all, Chad took him down with that same body lock literally less than a second later and Aldo popped right back up.