Information
for parents and fencers
The following guide was developed by the USFA parent committee. Modified for British fencers, edited & added to by Neil Brown October 03, edited Oct 05.
Parental Responsibilities
Firstly, get your child to
the club to train regularly.
Have realistic expectations
of your childs ability. Start competing in local competitions. Local should be
within 3 hours drive.
Remember the most robust
improvements are made in small steps. Fencing is a very complex sport, it takes
years to learn properly; the most important thing is to persevere & get
good coaching. Many of the senior National team were not the best fencer of
their age in the country or even in some cases their club. Lots of fencers are
talented, most choose not to train for long enough & never get anywhere
their potential.
Be careful not to impose
your goals for success onto your child. Your child is the athlete.
Ensure your child has a
small snack before training & takes a water bottle to the club.
A mask, glove, & weapon
are the best starter equipment. Birthdays & holidays are excellent times to
add to your childs equipment.
A Guide for
Parents at Fencing Events
Parental Behaviour
Parents should be seen &
not heard at competitions. You should be accessible to your child with water,
food & support, but not interfere with coaching or team activities.
Your child may or may not
want you next to the fencing piste. Some youngsters find it reassuring; most
find that they put added pressure upon themselves when performing in front of
parents. Some fencers may change their minds about wanting parents around
during the course of the competition or even during a fight; they may or may
not remember to be polite when requesting that you leave. Please don't take it
personally - let them know you understand and then disappear. Talk with your
fencer about what he/she would like before you go to the competition, but be
prepared for several changes of mind.
A parents primary purpose
at a competition is to support their child. That means you are your childs
mode of transport, a gofer and the mobile cash machine. (The fencers
primary function is to focus on his/her event, fence to the best of his/her
ability and have fun. Remember: Chauffeur, gofer, card or cash.
Children may have strong
emotional responses to the stress of the competition, whether winning or
losing. Keep tissues handy. If your child wont take them from you, send
someone you know & trust to comfort your child.
At a local event the
seeding, pools, direct elimination will probably be announced. An organiser
will tell you who your referee is or which piste you need to go to. You must
listen carefully to all the announcements.
Do not ask the organisers
lots of questions during the event; when is the next round, whats my childs
seeding, does he/she get points etc. They are almost certainly busy trying to
make the event run smoothly & questions will only slow the events down.
Educate Yourself
- Learn fencing terminology.
- Learn & watch the referees hand signals
& know when your child has scored a hit.
- Volunteer at local event so you know what is
involved in running events.
- Learn how to keep time & score.
- Learn how to repair & maintain the equipment
Be Prepared to Wait
Fencing events generally
take all day. Unless your child gets knocked out after the first round, you can
expect to spend some time in the venue. Generally events will have 1 or 2
rounds of pools followed by DE for everyone, all Leon Paul series events have 2
rounds. Be patient, the organisers are generally trying to get the events
moving fast. Bring a book.
Encourage your child to
rest, drink water, & eat a small amount of food between rounds or DE
fights. His/her anxiety may be high, your job is to provide a calm environment.
Ranting about results, referees, the venue, etc will diminish the experience
for everyone.
Bring your own food &
drinks. Catering can be anything from good to inedible to non-existent.
Useless Things You Should Avoid at Competitions
NEVER say anything
disparaging to your youngster. It is amazing how easy it is to relieve one's
own anxiety by telling a fencer he/she did something stupid. However, if your
fencer has been less than brilliant in a fight, he/she is probably aware of it.
NEVER offer your youngster
rewards for competing well. This only adds unneeded pressure in an already
tough situation.
DON'T talk all the time.
Fencers need time to prepare themselves mentally, without distractions. If you
don't understand what is going on, ask someone who isn't fencing that day.
DON'T aggravate the
officials or other coaches, fencers or spectators. If you think there is a
problem, quietly find a coach.
AVOID doing or saying
anything that will put pressure on your fencer to win. Remember that we are all
in this for fun.
DON'T try to be the coach.
The coach is there to give advice and point out problems. The coach is better
experienced to handle problems that may arise on the piste. Your role is more
important! You are there to give unconditional support and love.
Useful Things You Can do at Competitions
Make sure your fencer drinks
enough water - refill his/her water bottle whenever necessary.
Repair equipment when
necessary if you know how, or bring it to someone who can (team manager, event
armourer, etc)
If things are going badly,
find your youngster's coach. (Remember, the coach is often trying to watch
several fencers at once.) Many parents have expressed surprise that their
children, who look to them for support in all other aspects of life, only seem
to want their coach at time of fencing crisis.
When cheering for your
fencer, use encouraging words, and only in between actions, not after the
referee says "fence." If you're not sure who scored the hit, keep
quiet.
Explore the venue and know
where the armoury, first aid (if there is one), changing rooms, toilets, cafι,
and water fountains are located.
Bring food or know where you
can get some for your fencer to eat between rounds.
Be Positive! Remember that
no matter how well your fencer is competing today, he/she is your child &
needs your love & support.
Entering Competitions
Communicate with your
childs coach & make sure you find out the exact dates of all events your
child will be doing. Discuss with the coach which events are suitable. Its
your job to get the entries in on time.
Make sure you get to the
competition in plenty of time if you are responsible for the transport. You
should arrive a minimum of half an hour before check-in closes. If you arrive
after the check in closes your fencer will not be allowed to compete.
The
fencer must check in! Not a
parent, not a sibling, the fencer. Preferably half an hour before it closes.
The fencer should have ready at check-in his/her British Fencing (or
equivalent) membership card. Once the fencer has checked in, he/she should
not leave the venue. If the fencer is not at the piste at the start of his/her
event, they will be scratched!!! This means they will not be allowed to fence
in that event.
During the event
At the end of each pool or
DE fight the fencer must sign the pool sheet. Once it has been signed it will
not be changed so it is important to check it properly it before signing. (This
sounds obvious, experience has proved otherwise!)
Listen to the announcements
carefully. This is often the only way you have of knowing which piste to go to.
Direct elimination. Format
varies slightly with different events. Most are 15 hit fights with no repechage
but younger events can be 10 hits or have shorter time limits. Check with the
referee at the start of each fight.
Weapon Control
The fencer must get his/her
equipment checked at the weapon control if there is one. What to expect from an
equipment check:
Masks will be checked for:
Holes
Breaks in the mesh
Tears in bib
Bib must be sewn in and conform to regulation size.
Sabre masks will also be checked for electrical continuity
Two body wires will be
tested to make sure they do not exceed 1 ohm. Body wires should be unravelled
before presentation for inspection
Lamιs will be checked for electrical continuity, tears
and bad fasteners
In addition to the above,
sabre fencers overlays and mask wires will also be checked for electrical
continuity
Equipment is tested for
safety and to make sure it is in proper working order. The referee will check
all equipment that was subject to inspection by the armourers for that
competition's identifying control mark at the beginning of each fight. Make
sure you know what the control mark looks like.
You only need to get your
equipment checked once at a competition. Your equipment will be stamped or
marked and will be valid throughout the competition. New equipment bought at
the event also needs to be controlled. You may be able to get your equipment
checked before the day you fence.
Equipment for Competitive Events
Mask
Plastron
Chest protector(s),
compulsory for women
Jacket. Right or left handed
or back zip
Breeches
Lame jacket. Right or left
handed or back zip
Glove
Long socks. Must be white
& reach your breeches
Fencing shoes
2 (minimum) working weapons.
Foils & epees must be legal for weight & travel
2 (minimum) body wires
Fencing bag. For all kit
& weapons
Water bottle
Tool kit. Should include
spares & test box.
Note:-
For all fencing in the
CHART OF 2006 CLOTHING RULES
These safety standards are to be in force from January 1, 2006 except,
very importantly, as noted at the bottom of the chart, and are:-
A) Those fencing with size 3 or
smaller blades, electric or non-electric, all 3 weapons (both fencers) AND
those fencing with non-electric foil blades (both fencers)*
|
|
Jackets |
Plastrons |
Trousers/breeches |
Masks |
|
Either |
CEN 1 350 |
CEN 1 350 |
Trousers with openings/pockets zipped/sewn/taped closed, or fencing breeches - not shorts |
CEN1 (350N.bib)# |
|
or |
350 |
As above |
CEN 1 (350.bib)# |
|
|
or |
CEN 2 800 |
NA |
as above |
CEN 1 (350.bib)# |
|
B) FIE official
competitions (A-grades and Satellites, World Championships) |
|
|
||
|
|
CEN 2 800 |
CEN 2 800 |
CEN 2 800 |
CEN 2 (1600N.bib)# |
|
C) All other
fencing, all weapons |
|
|
||
|
|
Jackets |
Plastrons |
Breeches |
Masks |
|
|
CEN1 |
CEN2 |
CEN1 |
CEN1 |
|
|
350 |
800 |
350 |
(350N. bib)# |
'Non-electric foil blades' does not mean
dummy electric foil blades fitted with a button. To qualify for this level of
clothing standard, both fencers must be using the traditional lightweight
'steam' foil blade as, for example, used universally before the invention of
electric foil.
#All masks must be fitted with safety back
straps.
NOTE: 800
NOTE: Level B is already required for all FIE
official competitions (A-grades and Satellites, World Championships).
Sources of Equipment and Information
Your childs coach should be
the first person to ask for advice on: training, equipment, competitions, etc.
If the coach does not know he/she should go to the relevant weapon captain or
coach.
Most coaches will sell equipment;
many will be able to find second-hand equipment.
The following will be
valuable sources of information on the net:-
British Fencing www.britishfencing.com
Federation International
dEscrime www.fie.ch
Leon Pauls Fencing Forum www.fencingforum.com
Fencing Sucks www.fencingsucks.com
Fencing FAQ from
rec.sport.fencing http://sitka.triumf.ca/morgan/faq_FENC.html
British Sabre Rankings www.sabrerankings.com
British epee, foil &
sabre rankings http://www.britishfencing.com/ranking_lists.html
The Sabre Club www.thesabreclub.com
UK Sport http://www.uksport.gov.uk/
British Olympic Association http://www.olympics.org.uk/
French
Federation http://www.escrime-ffe.fr/
German Federation http://www.fechten.org/
Italian Federation http://www.federscherma.it/
American Federation http://www.usfa.org/
eBay www.ebay.co.uk
Version 1 01/05/03
ADVICE TO
POSITION
STATEMENT of
Paralympic
Association (BPA), National Sports Medicine Institute (NSMI), and the Home
Country
Sports Councils (HCSC)
guarantee can be given that any particular
supplement, including vitamins and minerals,
ergogenic aids, and herbal remedies, is free from
prohibited substances as these products are
not licensed and are not subject to the same
strict manufacturing and labelling requirements as
licensed medicines.
Anti
-doping rules are based on the principal of strict liability and therefore,
supplements
are
taken at an athletes risk and personal responsibility.
Always consult a qualified medical
practitioner, accredited sports dietitian and/or a registered
nutritionist before taking supplements, and if
a vitamin or mineral supplement is recommended,
pharmaceutical-grade products may reduce the risk of using a
contaminated or poorly labelled
product.
What
is the difference between a medicine and a supplement?
Athletes should be aware that any product that
claims to restore, correct or modify the bodys
physiological functions should be licensed as a
medicine, according to current legislation.
Licensed medicines can be identified by looking
for a product licence number on the
label,
which will look like this: PL0242/0028 (numbers will change with each product). Supplements
will
not contain a product license (PL) number as
they are not licensed medicines.
Additional
risks to athletes and sporting bodies
In the absence of an internationally approved
quality assurance standard for supplement
manufacturing and labelling, athletes and
sporting bodies should be cautious of the commercial
incentives associated with supplement
manufacturers, for example, sponsorship and promotion
deals.
Athletes
or sporting bodies who accept sponsorship from supplement manufacturers do
so
at their own risk.
Without an approved quality standard, a
guarantee cannot be given about the reliability of the
manufacturing or labelling process, despite
claims made by some manufacturers.
Advertising that claims to improve muscle
growth and assist weight loss are also cause for
concern. The Advertising Standards Authority
(ASA) Director General reinforced this concern in
saying: Many
of these advertisements are making ambitious claims about products, but when
challenged
to produce satisfactory evidence to back up these claims, advertisers are
unable to.
We
are concerned not only that consumers may be losing money, but also that these
advertisements
can be irresponsible in their approach to weight loss and dieting.
Version 1 01/05/03
Nutritional Supplements Information
Sheet
Here
are answers to some questions that are commonly asked about nutritional
supplements.
What
are sporting organisations in the
poorly
labelled supplements?
sports Medicine Institute and the Hoe Country
Sports Councils are committed to supporting
athletes in the
this problem with contaminated and poorly
labelled supplements may not be possible, we will
continue working towards achieving a better
situation for
intended to protect the integrity and
reputation of
supplements may contain prohibited substances
that are not listed on the label.
How
do I know if I need to take vitamin and mineral supplementation for my health?
For athletes consuming a normal, varied and
balanced diet, that meets their energy
requirements, there is no evidence that vitamin
and mineral supplementation is necessary to
enhance health or performance. In fact,
excessive ingestion of vitamins and minerals can be
dangerous to health. There are some practical
situations in which qualified medical practitioners,
accredited sports dieticians and registered
nutritionists, may recommend specific vitamins or
minerals for certain individuals (e.g. if iron
stores are low). However, these should be taken with
qualified expert advice and only used as
directed or prescribed. Caution is needed because
evidence has shown that some multi-vitamin,
mineral and nutritional supplements may contain
prohibited substances that are not recorded on
the label. Taking additional vitamins or minerals
supplementation above the recommended dietary
allowance is not likely to improve
performance and for some substances could
actually have serious side effects such as:
- Niacin
(vitamin B3) - large doses can cause itching, flushing, tingling and headaches
- Vitamin
A - large doses over a prolonged period of time can cause headache, nausea,
diarrhoea, dry and itchy skin, hair loss, loss
of appetite and kidney and liver damage.
- Vitamin
C - although excess vitamin C is usually excreted in the urine, mega doses
can
result in diarrhoea, nausea and stomach cramps
- Vitamin
D - large doses can result in side effects such as weakness, thirst,
increased
urination, gastrointestinal upsets and
depression. Prolonged mega doses can result in
calcium deposits in soft tissue, blood vessel
walls and kidneys
- Vitamin
E - large doses can result in nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting and
diarrhoea.
Is
it safe to take an ergogenic aid to enhance performance?
Ergogenic aids are agents which are used in an
attempt to improve performance. Many
ergogenic substances are banned in sport, for
example, caffeine, which could result in a positive
drugs test if the concentration in the urine is
greater than 12mcg/ml. One ergogenic aid that is
widely used and is not on the banned list is
creatine monohydrate. Many ergogenic aids,
including creatine products have been found to
contain prohibited substances that were not
identified on the label.
Version 1 01/05/03
Do
herbal remedies contain prohibited substances?
Herbal remedies, such as ginseng, guarana and
echinacea have also been found to contain
prohibited stimulants or other substances which
may not be listed on the label. These products
are difficult to quality assure and therefore a
guarantee cannot be given as to their safety or
legality. Ginseng
has been used for centuries in
ginseng, each having varying effects. Some
forms of ginseng have a stimulant like effect in that
they reduce fatigue. Ginseng is also claimed to
be beneficial for improving concentration and
immune function as well as anti-ageing. There
does not appear to be any conclusive scientific
evidence supporting these claims or ginsengs
effect on sporting performance. Ma Huang
(Chinese
Ephedra) is a plant that contains the prohibited
substance ephedrine taken from
ephedra. Guarana
is a form of caffeine that is frequently found in herbal or nutritional
supplements, including energy drinks. Caffeine
is prohibited above levels of 12mcg/ml in the
urine, and guarana is reported to contain up to
5% caffeine whereas other sources of caffeine,
such as coffee, tea and chocolate contain
between 1-4% caffeine.
The
manufacturer has given you a guarantee that their product is IOC PERMITTED.
Is it
true
that supplements have been endorsed by the I nternational Oly mpic Committee
(IOC)?
Although some substances found in supplements
are not on the list of prohibited substances
and methods, this assessment can only be made
of the substances listed on the label of the
product. In the absence of a quality assured
standa rd in manufacturing and labelling, the
substances listed on the label may not be a
true indication of what is actually in the product.
Some supplement companies target sportspeople
by using the words IOC PERMITTED to build
confidence in the product. The IOC does not
endorse any supplements and advise caution to
athletes wanting to use them. Do not believe
everything you read on the label! Manufacturers
are often aware of the competitiveness of sport
and the continual striving to achieve. Many
market their products by relying on personal
endorsements by well-known sportspeople or
anecdotal evidence, neither of which may be
based on scientific studies or reliable evidence.
Can
I get my supplements tested to make sure they are safe to take?
Getting your supplements tested by a reliable
laboratory is extremely expensive and does not
provide a guarantee to the safety or legality
of your supplements. It is not just a case of testing
one bottle of supplements and knowing that your
supplement is safe. You would need to test
every single batch of supplements you take to
ensure that each batch had not been
contaminated or poorly labelled. This is not a
guaranteed method of identifying safe products.
Where
can I find a registered nutritionist or accredited sports dietitian?
British
Dietetic Association - telephone 0121 200 8080 or visit their
website at www.bda.uk.com
Dietitians
in Sport & Exercise Nutrition mail to DISEN,
Nutrition
Society telephone 0207 602 0228
Drug -Free Sport Directorate
Email: drug-free@uksport.gov.uk
Website: www.uksport.gov.uk
Drug Information Database:
www.uksport.gov.uk/did
Drug Information Line: +44 (0) 800 528 0004
Fax: 020 7211 5248
DRUG-FREE SPORT BRITISH FENCING
Oct 2005
GUIDE TO THERAPEUTIC USE EXEMPTIONS
(TUEs)
Fencers entering competitions who are taking a substance on the WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) banned list for a genuine medical reason may need to obtain a TUE. Please follow these guidelines to work out what to do.
If you do not have a TUE and the banned substance is detected by a drug test, a doping infringement may be impossible to defend.
[ MA Medical Advisor,
|
Category of competitor |
Testing possible?....................... |
TUE needed? |
TUE form to be sent to |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 Under 13s |
|
|
|
|
In |
No |
No but be aware of requirements for future |
|
|
NB For FIE events must be 13 on 1st
Jan in year of event |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2. Under 17s (cadets) competing in |
|
|
|
|
2A U17 domestic events |
No |
No but be aware |
|
|
2B Cadet events abroad |
Some countries may test |
If in doubt -Yes |
MA |
|
2C Commonwealth Junior Championships |
Yes |
Yes |
Non-FIE licence holders to MA. FIE licence holders to MA and will be sent to FIE |
|
2D Cadet/Junior World Cups or Championships |
Yes |
Yes |
MA + will be sent to FIE |
|
2E Senior major |
Yes, normally L8 |
Yes if any chance of reaching L8 |
MA |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Category of competitor |
Testing possible?....................... |
TUE needed? |
TUE form to be sent to |
|
3 Under 20s (juniors) competing in |
|
|
|
|
3A U20 domestic events |
No |
No but be aware |
|
|
3B Commonwealth Juniors |
Yes |
Yes |
As for cadets |
|
3C U20 World Cups/Championships |
Yes |
Yes |
MA + will be sent to FIE |
|
3D Senior major |
Yes |
Yes if any chance of L8 |
MA |
|
|
|
|
|
|
4 Any fencer competing in |
|
|
|
|
4A Senior major |
Yes |
Yes if any chance of L8 |
MA |
|
4B Any non-veteran
FIE event ie. World Cups incl satellites, World + European Championships, Olympics. Also Universiade + Commonwealth Champs. |
Yes |
Yes |
MA + will be sent to FIE |
|
|
|
|
|
|
5 Veterans 40+ In veterans events only |
|
|
|
|
5A |
No |
No |
|
|
5B Commonwealth Championships |
No, unless host nation decides to test |
NO Unless host nation decides
to test |
If necessary to MA |
|
5C World Championships, European Championships |
FIE do not require testing. A few host nations may do
not |
No, unless host nation decides to test |
As above |
|
|
|
|
|
|
6 Elite fencers subject to out of competition testing |
Yes random |
Yes |
MA + FIE |
|
|
|
|
|
|
7. Fencer without TUE who is tested due to an unpredictably high placing |
|
See 5 below |
|
PROCEDURE TO FOLLOW IF YOU NEED A TUE
1. Obtain the CORRECT form
from the FIE website, BF website or office.
NB There are 2 forms abbreviated TUE form (ATUE) for beta-2
agonists (eg salbutamol asthma inhalers) or glucocorticosteroids by
non-systemic routes( eg steroid asthma inhalers)
- TUE standard form for
everything else
Glucocorticosteroids applied
to the skin only, eg steroid eczema creams, do NOT need a TUE.
2. Complete it CLEARLY and
ask the appropriate doctor to fill in their section. Normally your GP can do
this.
Please put a note of your
weapon, category (see chart) and date of first event requiring a TUE with the
form.
3. Send the TUE form to the
Hon.
Dr C. Halsted 46 Dartmouth Park Rd, London, NW5 1SN clarehalsted@blueyonder.co.uk
For Domestic competitors the MA is currently responsible for approving
TUEs and issuing certificates.
For competitors in FIE events the TUE form needs to be sent to the FIE for
approval. This will be done by the MA
after checking the form and approving it for domestic events. The approval certificate is normally sent to
the MA for forwarding to the fencer.
In an urgent situation the
TUE form can be sent directly to the FIE office in
Duration of approval
Currently the maximum
duration for FIE TUEs is only one year so TUEs must be
re-applied for according to each approval certificate. Hopefully this period will be extended in the
future for some medications.
Domestic approval may be for
longer than one year.
4. If you have not received approval after 4
weeks, please notify the MA.
5. Retrospective or emergency TUE approval may be given only where:
a. emergency
treatment was necessary or
b. due to
exceptional circumstances, there was insufficient time for the fencer to
submit, or the relevant
organisation to consider, a TUE application prior to
doping control.
In this case, inform the
event organiser and contact
NB Take a copy of your TUE
approval to any relevant event.
Remember to declare any medication or supplement if you are tested.
UK Sport provide useful
information via: www.100percentme.co.uk CH 3.10.05
British Fencing
Junior or Cadet Squad
Code of Conduct
Please note
"British Fencing" shall be taken to include members of the BFA,
NIAFU, WAFU and SF
TO THE FENCER
Wherever and whenever you
are fencing you should behave in such a way as to bring credit on yourself and
on your sport. You have the good name of British Fencing to uphold and this
means a high standard of responsible and disciplined behaviour.
Your top priority is to get
your best possible result. But remember to support other British Fencers and
not to behave in such a way as to damage their chances of a good result.
1. CONDUCT ON THE PISTE
As the FIE Rules for
competitions says: by taking part in a competition, you pledge your honour to
observe the regulations, obey orders, abide by the decisions of the Referees,
be respectful and behave in an orderly, courteous and sporting manner.
Confrontations on the piste
are always unpleasant, remember that there is a proper procedure laid down in
the rules in the event of a dispute with Referees or organisers. Remember as a
member of the British Fencing you agree to abide by all rules &
regulations.
When you have finished your
event, you should support the other fencers in the group.
2. DISCIPLINED BEHAVIOUR
Officials in charge of the
party will expect you to behave in a sensible and responsible way.
a
Alcohol: Consumption of Alcohol is totally forbidden for athletes under age as
defined by
All
members of the party, if consuming alcohol, must behave in a responsible
manner such that it does not lead to any actions that could be dangerous to any
individual, against the laws of the country being visited or such as to cause
embarrassment to British Fencing or any member of party.
b.
Smoking: If you are under 16 smoking is not allowed; if you are aged 16-20 it
is very strongly discouraged. There must be no smoking in the
c.
Early Nights: You should always go to bed early before your event. Even if you
have finished your fencing, you must not disturb others.
3. BREACHES OF
DISCIPLINE
Breaches of discipline
shall be dealt with in the first instance by the British Fencing Official in
charge of the trip, who has certain powers delegated to him/her and has the
ability and authority to deal with offences immediately; including making
arrangements for the immediate return home of offenders.
Any serious breach of
discipline (whether covered by these guidelines or not) will also be referred
to the disciplinary Committee in accordance with the BFA Disciplinary
Regulations. You should remember that you are subject to BFA discipline from
the moment you set out to the moment you arrive home again.
4. FENCING ABROAD
To fence in events at home
and abroad you must be a full/junior member of the BFA.
- MEDICAL MATTERS
- Fitness to fence: The party leader must be sure that you are
fit to fence. If you are injured or fall ill prior to departure, you
must inform the Party Leader immediately.
- Dope Testing: Dope testing may take place at competitions at home or abroad.
Do not take any medicine in the week leading up to a competition, without
first checking that it is allowed. The Sports Council have produced a
handy quick reference guide, the size of a credit card, which the BFA can
supply if you send a stamped addressed envelope with your request. In any
doubt refer to the British Fencing Medical Officer or the British Olympic
Association, the list of prohibited drugs is being constantly updated and
many GPs will not necessarily know which are banned substances.
- Medicines: If you take any (permitted) medicines regularly, you must bring
adequate supplies together with full written information from your doctor
in case of any problems.
- EQUIPMENT
You will normally need
full FIE Regulation equipment to fence, though there are some junior events
where this is not necessary and these will be notified to you in the
preliminary circular. Check your kit thoroughly before departure.
TERMS OF TRAVEL AND PARTICIPATION
- The fencer will accept the authority of the
BFA's officials and will comply with the BFA Code of Behaviour from the
start of the journey until the return to the final destination.
- Travel may be by public transport (including
aeroplane) and/or private vehicle.
- The fencer and, if fencer is under 18, the
fencer's parent/guardian:
- Accepts all normal risks of participation in
a fencing event and of travelling for that purpose, and will not hold
the BFA or its officials liable for any loss, damage, injury or expense
suffered.
- Accepts the rules and procedures laid down by
British Fencing for parties travelling to events and accepts that
breaches of the rules could lead to subsequent action by the British
Fencing Disciplinary Committee after return to the
- Will indemnify the BFA in respect of any
costs and expenses incurred by the BFA or its officials for or on
behalf of the fencer or as a result of anything done by the fencer.
- Authorises any emergency medical treatment
which may be necessary and any drug testing procedures required.
MEDICAL INFORMATION
(Please see section on Medical
Matters in the code)
- The fencer must make sure that he carries
sufficient supplies of any (permitted) essential medicines, together with
full written details in case these have to be declared under anti-doping
regulations.
- If the fencer suffers from any condition or complaint that may cause problems, she/he must bring sufficient written information to enable the party leader to act correctly.
|
|
First Offence |
Second Offence |
Third & Subseq. |
|
|
First Group |
Leaving
the piste without permission
t.18/3 Simple
corp-a-corps (foil & sabre)
.
.
.t.20 Corp-a-corps
to avoid being hit(*)
.t.20, t.63 Turning
back on opponent. (*)
.t.21 Use
of non-sword arm\hand.(*)
..
. t.22 Touching/taking
hold of electric equipment
t.22 Covering
/ substitution of valid target
. t.22, t.49, t.72 Leaving
the piste to avoid being hit
..t.28 Interruption
of bout without valid reason
..t.31 Placing the weapon on the piste to straighten it.
t.46, t.61, t.70/d Clothing
/equipment not working or not conforming to the rules Absence
of second regulation weapon or body wire
t.45/1 & 3.b At
foil, reversal of line of shoulders (*)
t.46 At
foil & epee, placing, bending, dragging weapon point on conductive piste
..t.46, t.61 Bringing
weapon into contact with conductive jacket
(*)
.
. t.53 Deliberate
hit not on opponent
...t.53, t.66 At
sabre, hit made with the coquille (*);
any forward movement crossing
the legs or feet.(*)
..t.70, t.75/3 Refusal
to obey the Referee
. t.82, t.84 Fencer
not presenting himself at the first call of the
Referee during the competition
.t.86 Jostling, disorderly fencing (*); removing mask before
the Referee calls "halt", undressing on the piste
t.87 Unjustified
appeal
..t.122 Irregular
movements on the piste (*); hits
made with violence or
while falling (*)
.
t.87 |
Yellow Card |
Red Card |
Red Card |
|
Second Group |
Interruption
of bout for claimed injury not confirmed by Doctor
. t.33 Absence
of weapon check marks (*)
.
.t.45/3.a Dangerous,
violent or vindictive action, blow
with the guard or pommel (*)
t.87 |
Red Card |
Red Card |
Red Card |
(*) Annulment of any hit scored
by the fencer at fault.
Yellow Card: Warning valid for bout. If
a fencer commits another offence in the 1st Group then they receive
a Red Card: Penalty Hit. Black Card: Exclusion
Exclusion (1) from the competition, (2)
from the whole tournament.
A
fencer only receives a Black Card in the 3rd group if they
previously committed an offence in this 3rd Group (penalised by a
red Card)
Expulsion
(3) from the competition venue, (4) in serious cases ,Referee may
exclude/expel immediately,Suspension
(5) Suspension for
the remainder of the competition taking place and from the following two FIE
competitions in the weapon concerned. The points or titles gained at the moment
of the offence remain acquired.
Fencing Competitions
A Guide to What Happens and Why (written by Rodney
Francis)
It
is easy for organisers of competitions to forget that many young fencers and
their parents may not understand how competitions are run. This information
sheet is aimed at explaining some of the details involved.
Usually
competitions will consist of one or more rounds of pools followed by direct
elimination.
What
are the pools?
A
round of pools involves dividing all the fencers up into small groups, usually
of 5, 6 or 7 fencers. For obvious mathematical reasons it will rarely be the
case that every pool will contain the same number of fencers; therefore more
often than not there will be pools of 5 and 6 or pools of 6 and 7.
In
every pool each fencer fights every other fencer. The fights take place in a
pre-arranged order shown on the pool sheets. The winner of each fight is the
first to score 5 hits against his/her opponent. If the fight lasts as long as 3
minutes fencing time then the score at that time stands unless there is no
winner. If there is no winner the fencers draw lots (toss a coin or other
means) to decide who has priority. They then fence for a further 1 minute. The
first to score a hit wins and that is the score for the fight. If neither
fencer scores a hit then the fencer with priority is declared the winner but
the scores remain equal. The significance of this last point will be shown
in the next section on ranking.
At
the end of the pools every fencer will have the following achievements in
his/her pool:
Percentage of victories (expressed as a fraction of 1)
(shown as V/M)
Number of hits scored (HS)
Number of times they have been hit (HR)
Hits scored minus hits received (HS - HR)
For
a fencer who had won 4 fights out 5, scored 23 hits and received 15 hits, this
information would be displayed, for example, thus:
V/M HS-HR HS
Smith, John 0.8 8 23
Whilst
each fencer may be interested to know how well they have done in their own
pool, the more important fact is how well they have done in relation to all the
other fencers. The organisers will establish this (or rather the computer
program will) by calculating the information shown in the example for every
fencer and then arranging them in their rank order. This rank order is based,
first of all, on the percentage of victories. Those fencers with the same
percentage of victories are further subdivided according to who has the highest
difference between hits scored and hits received. If that method fails to
separate them then the number of hits scored is included in the calculation.
After that fencers are declared to be of equal rank. For example, consider the
following fencers and their scores:
Rank V/M HR-HS HS
25) Ashley 0.667 4 22
26) Hilary 0.600 10 22
27) Kate 0.600 2 17
27) Jennifer 0.600 2 17
29) Gael 0.600 1 20
In these cases, Ashley was probably in a pool of 7 and won 4
out of her 6 fights. The remainder were in pools of 6 and won 3 fights out of
5. Kate and Jennifer are equal 27th because their scores are equal. Gael is
29th because her difference score (HR-HS) is only 1 although she scored more
hits than Kate and Jennifer.
Why
do we rank?
Basically
fencers are ranked so that we can move on to the next stage in the competition
in an orderly fashion. If we have another round of pools then the ranking from
this round will decide the way the next pools are drawn up. This is not the
place to explain the drawing up of pools in detail but suffice it to say that
the idea is to make each pool more or less as balanced as the next pool with regard
to the strength of the fencers.
If
we have completed the pools then the ranking will decide how many fencers go
through to the direct elimination and whereabouts in the tableau (see below)
each fencer is placed.
Direct
Elimination (DE)
This
stage of the competition is exactly what it sounds like, i.e. sudden death so
to speak, as in the FA Cup,
Let
us say there are 40 fencers promoted to the DE then there would be an
incomplete tableau of 64 in which the bottom ranked 16 fencers would fight each
other in pairs so that the next round would consist of a complete tableau of 32
(24 fencers having a bye in the tableau of 64 plus the 8 winners from the
tableau of 64).
For
all fencing competitions the arrangement of fencers in the tableau is fixed.
The top ranked fencer will always appear at the top of the tableau; the second
ranked fencer will always appear at the bottom of the tableau (so that they
meet in the final if everything works out right - which it rarely does). All
the other fencers fit into their appropriate place in the tableau according to
their ranking after the pools.
After
that the completion of the competition is fairly straightforward with the
winner of each DE fight being the first to 15 hits. The fights are for three
periods of three minutes each with a one minute rest in between each period
except that in sabre competitions the first one minute break occurs when one or
other fencer has scored 8 hits. (Younger fencers may have the winner as first
to 10 hits with shorter periods.) If the hits scored are equal after the end of
the last period a further one minute is fenced with the same conditions described
earlier in the pools.
It
is hoped this helps in some way. If you are still not clear, please ask - just choose your time appropriately!
That is to say preferably not when the organiser has just received a complaint
that a result from the pools entered twenty minutes ago might have been wrong.
Repechage
(Written by Neil Brown)
This is a system for
getting from 32 or 16 fencers to a final of 8 fencers whereby fencers must lose
2 fights to be eliminated. It used to be universal in FIE events & it is
still used for all German circuit cadet events. In these events they do 3.or 4
round of pools, fencers are eliminated at each round down to 32 fencers, DE is
then with repechage.
For the fencer the
principle is simple, you are not eliminated until you have lost 2 fights. This
also means if you beat an opponent they are not out of the event & may come
back to fence you again later.
It also obviously means
that if you win a fight in the L32 you have not yet made the L16, you need to
win 2 fights to make the L16.
The tables below show the
way the tableaux are drawn up, this should let you work out all the
possibilities. If you are still confused read the next paragraphs carefully
&/or ask your coach.
In a 32 tableau with
repechage the fencers fence according to the seeding after the pools as in any
other event, after 1 fight the winners fence each other & the losers fence
each other. 8 fencers will win 2 fights, 8 will lose 2 fights, & 16 will
win one & lose the other.
The 8 who lost twice are
out & placed 25-32.
The 8 who won 2 fights
will now fence each other & the 4 winners will be seeded 1-4 in the final
(last 8.) They now get to rest for a while.
The 16 who won & lost
fence each other in tableau E & tableau F until there are 4 left, these 4
fence the 4 fencers who lost their 3rd fight. This is tableau G; the
4 winners are in the final (seeded 5-8.)
In the last 8 there is no
repechage.
In a last 16 tableau the
principle is the same but the system is much simpler.
From the initial tableau
of 16 all the fencers have 2 fights, the winners of the 16 tableau fence &
the 4 winners are in the final, seeded 1-4.
The losers of the 16
tableau fence & the 4 losers are out.
The 8 fencers who won 1
fight & lost 1 fight fence each other & the 4 winners are in the final,
seeded 5-8.