A match meet is a tournament-style wrestling meet where several teams come together with both their novice and advanced wrestlers.

The coaches from each team meet before the match meet to determine the matches, which are based on how old each kid is, how much each kid weighs, and how many years of experience each kid has. The goal is to match each kid with a competitor who is the same age, weight, and experience level.

A fee is charged to attend the match meet. This money, the concession money, and 50/50 money are used to support the host school's youth wrestling program. The wrestling coaches pay their own fees when attending match meets and tournaments as we realize it's a good cause to support local youth programs.

Several matches go on at the same time as the gym will have more than one mat. The USC match meet will have two wrestling mats, each divided into two sections for a total of four mats. Each mat is numbered (1 through 4), and each mat will have a referee and a table for keeping score.

A list of matches is printed and usually sold at the front door for $1. Use this list to determine which mat your kid has a match on and when he is supposed to wrestle.  On each table, a flip chart will show a number indicating which match is currently being wrestled. Coaches are assigned to each mat and will keep track of the USC kids wrestling on the mat. It is recommended that you send your kid to the mat he's scheduled to wrestle on, three matches before the scheduled match. For example, if your kid is scheduled to wrestle Match 7 on Mat 3, have him over at Mat 3 when Match 4 starts, so he can warm up beforehand.

Although scores are kept for each match, there is no team score as the goal of the match meet is to get kids to wrestle, not for teams to compete.

A match meet can last three or four hours, depending on the number of kids wrestling and how many mats are set up. We try to get each kid at least two matches, but it depends on how many kids from the other teams fall into the same age/weight/ experience bracket. We may also have first year kids wrestle their team mates in order to get match time experience. 

A dual meet is when two youth programs compete head-to-head by weight class. Kids are not matched up by age or experience, only by weight. This format is for advanced wrestlers, except for the lowest weights. Team scores are tracked, similar to high school and junior high matches. The USC youth wrestling program hosts a dual meet tournament each year, always held the morning of Super Bowl Sunday.