Classes Tonight! And New USA Fencing Rule
We hope everyone is safe after the hurricane. It’s fortnate the hurricane veered more towards the coast and we just got a lot of rain and public school day off. Classes are on normal schedule today.
Richmond City Rumble:
Isabelle and I will NOT be participating in the Richmond City Rumble on September 23-24 (Deadline to register is tomorrow). There isn’t a lot of pre-registered fencers in the events we would be fencing. If anybody decides to go just to check it out, Absolute Fencing Gear will be on site if you want to look at purchasing equipment.
Remember to pre-register our September 9 event. It is an Elementary and Middle School event. There is a homeschool individual event, if you plan on participating in the individual homeschool event, please let coach know as soon as possible. Pre-register here: https://www.askfred.net/tournaments/bc639e5d-ab72-4e78-b12d-309805716bec
Lastly, as we enter this new season, USA Fencing has instituted a new rule that our coaches, fencers, and parents need to be aware of. To quote a fellow coach:
Global practice is that the no-coaching rule exists, but is allowed between touches and with an occasional in-phrase chirp, as long as the coach isn’t disruptive. Refs have tools to calm down anybody who gets a little excitable. (The shush gesture is a universal non-card option.) Even folks refs know as problematic in the US behave well overseas, since they know where the line is.
Here is the new rule coaches, fencers, and parents need to be aware of during competitions:
—-
t.109
Everybody taking part in or present at a fencing competition must remain orderly and must not disturb the smooth running of the competition. During bouts no one is allowed to go near the strips, to give advice to the fencers, to criticize the Referee or the judges, to insult them or to attempt to influence them in any way. Even the team captain must remain in the space assigned and may only intervene in the situations and in the manner provided for in Article t.130of the Rules. The Referee must stop immediately any activity which disturbs the smooth running of the bout which the Referee is refereeing (cf. t.137.1-3).
Any person who, for any reason, threatens or insults an official commits an offense of the 4th group and is penalized according to Article t.169.
—-
The Referees’ Commission has agreed on the following points:
- Referees should enforce t.109 as written.
- Under t.109, no advice may be given to the fencers during the bout.
- “During the bout” is defined as from the initial salute through the handshake at the end of the bout (cf. t.122).
- There is an exception that during the one-minute rest periods in direct elimination bouts, a person named before the bout may have access to the fencer (cf. t.39.2).
- Coaching is permitted between bouts, including in pools.
- t.109 applies in the same way across all levels of competition, without exceptions for youth or local fencing.
Some questions and answers:
Q: Does this rule change mean there’s no more coaching?
A: No. The rule prohibits giving advice to fencers during bouts (as well approaching the strip, criticizing referees, or attempting to influence the referee’s decisions). Coaching may still happen during the one-minute breaks between periods of direct elimination bouts and between bouts (away from the strip), including during pools.
Q: Is the rule different for younger age groups?
A: No. The Referees Commission heard the concerns of the coaches, but felt the wording of the rule left no latitude for differing levels of enforcement for various categories of competition. Thus, application of the rule should be consistent for all tournaments, including Division I NACs, youth events, and local tournaments.
Q: Does the rule apply to spectators as well?
A: Yes, the rule applies to all persons within the competition venue at USA Fencing sanctioned tournaments that could feasibly provide advice or coaching instruction to fencers.
Q: Is encouragement or cheering considered coaching behavior?
A: No. Spectators and coaches are able to cheer or support a fencer during the bout, so long as such behavior is in adherence with the rules governing these behaviors. Any behavior that “…disturbs the smooth running of the bout…” is prohibited.
Read more here: https://www.usafencing.org/news_article/show/1282906