Competition

Wrestling tournaments is what wrestlers look forward to. This is where it all pays off.
Unlike team sports, where a school team would compete regularly against other school teams, wrestling teams compete less frequently but will compete against many teams at the same time during a tournament. Wrestlers spend more time at practices than at tournament. We hope to attend at least two tournaments each semester.

Tournaments

When you are on a school wrestling team, you will have different kinds of tournaments.
The school district will have some of its own tournaments during the school year. You are generally required to compete in at least one of these tournaments in order to compete at the regional or district finals.
Also, there are tournaments that are hosted and organized by a school for school teams, but are not restricted to a specific district.
There are also tournaments that are sanctioned by the Ontario Amateur Wrestling Association. These tournaments usually occur on a weekend and would require a membership in the O.A.W.A.

Weigh Ins

Each wrestler must weigh in before competing at a tournament. At major tournaments, each wrestler must appear at the venue the day before the tournament to be weighed in. At local or minor tournaments, you would usually weigh in at your own school a day or two before the tournament.
However, if a team must weigh in at their own gym, one or two wrestlers from each team will be assigned a "Red Dot", which means that they must weigh in at the tournament for verification. There is usually an allowance of one kilogram for a "Red Dot" wrestler. If a wrestler with a "Red Dot" is over his or her maximum allowable weight after the allowance, then that wrestler will be disqualified and the entire team must be weighed.

Arrival at the Tournament

When our team arrives at a tournament venue, we first check on which wrestlers have the "Red Dot" if this system is used. All the wrestlers will then go to the change rooms and change into your wrestling or gym attire. If a "Red Dot" system is used, then the wrestlers who have been assigned a "Red Dot" will be weighed.
Each wrestler must, then, look for their competition chart on the wall of the gym or outside of the gym. Your chart will be headed by gender and weight class, (e.g. Boys 54 Kg. or Girls 44 Kg. etc.). The chart will list all the wrestlers in your category. You must note the mat number and the number of your first match. Let your coach know your mat number and first match number. You will be assigned to one mat for the remainder of the tournament. You must also remember that there might be more than one gym at the venue and your chart and mat might be in a gym other than the main gym.
Once you know which mat you are wrestling on, do not venture far from your mat or for very long. You do not want to miss your match because you were not there to hear your name called.

The Match

For each match, you should bring to your corner your own water bottle. You will be permitted to drink some water between rounds but not during any other stoppage of action. Your water bottle should contain only water, not juices or sports drinks.
You should also bring a spare towel to dry yourself between rounds. This should not be the same towel that you use after a shower.
You will be able to see when your match is coming up. Beside the score board at the score keepers table for each mat will be a flip chart indicating the current match number. When you see that your match is two or three after the current match, you should be on your feet warming up. Do some light jogging on the spot and some dynamic stretching. Do not do any strength exercises such as push-ups at this time. You want to be warm but not tired.
When it is time for your match, the referee will call your name and the name of your opponent. You will approach the centre of the mat. The referee will verify your names and assign each of you a colour, red or blue, and position both of you on the starting circle. The referee will shake hands with both you and your opponent. You will then shake hands with your opponent and assume your stance and wait for the whistle. On the whistle, you will start wrestling.
At the end of the first round, if there is no decision in the match, you will return to your corner where you can receive instructions from your coach and take in some water. The total break between rounds is 30 seconds but you would probably have no more than 15 to 20 seconds in your corner.
At the end of the match, the referee will call both wrestlers to their feet at the centre of the mat. The referee will, again, shake hands with both wrestlers and you will again shake hands with your opponent. The referee will raise the hand of the winner of the match. You will then go to your opponent's corner and shake hands with your opponent's coach, while your opponent will be going to your corner to shake hands with your coach.

Conduct of Athletes at Tournaments

At the Don Valley practices, we hope to develop quality athletes. However, all coaches agree that good sportsmanship has priority over winning matches. Wrestlers respect other wrestlers. You will show respect for other wrestlers on your own team and other teams. You will respect your coaches and other coaches. You will respect the officials and accept their decisions graciously. Remember that all wrestling matches begin and end with a sincere handshake. Your school team will not tolerate any form of poor sportsmanlike conduct. Any such behaviour can result in an expulsion from the team and further competition.

Conditioning

It is very important to attend as many practices as possible if you intend to compete. There is a close relationship to injuries and lack of conditioning. For this reason, if a tournament is approaching and a wrestler has been missing a significant number of practices, then the coaches may advise the wrestler not to attend the tournament. The wrestler may then attend the next tournament if he or she continues to attend practices regularly.

High School Weight Classes

There are 16 weight classes for boys:

38kg 41kg 44kg 47.5kg 51kg 54kg 57.5kg 61kg 64kg 67.5kg 72kg 77kg 83kg 89kg 95kg 130kg

There are 16 weight classes for girls:

38kg 41kg 44kg 47.5kg 51kg 54kg 57.5kg 61kg 64kg 67.5kg 72kg 77kg 83kg 89kg 95kg 115kg