Introduction to competing

Competing is a unique component of training, and is a great way to practice your skills and progress in your fencing, as well as to gain experience, confidence and opportunities. 

Tournaments

Rules

In general, the FIE rules and penalities apply. See FIE website to review the rules. 

Management

The Directoire Technique (DT) and referees are the officials at a fencing tournament and have jurisdiction over all participants, including referees, fencers, coaches, and spectators.

In national tournaments, semi-finals and finals bouts are officially recorded by video to aid the referees in making the correct call. Fencers may request a review of the action. At NSW state tournaments, bouts are not video recorded. If fencers believe a hit has been awarded incorrectly, they may politely ask the referee to explain the decision. If fencers genuinely believe the referee’s assessment was not by the rules, they can request intervention by the DT, who may only consider whether the referee’s interpretation of the rules is correct. NB, videos taken by coaches/spectators are not official and thus not considered when the validity of hits is decided

Format

Competitions are run as poules rounds followed by a direct elimination (DE). The fencers are divided into poules, typically 6 or 7, who fence each other in 3-minute bouts to 5 hits. When all of the poule bouts are complete, check the referee’s results sheet to be sure the correct wins/losses/points have been recorded. When the poules round is finished, the results are calculated to determine the ranking order of the fencers from the pool results, from which the DT prepares the direct elimination tableau. The DE is a ‘knock-out’ round where the highest-ranked fencer competes with the lowest-ranked fencer, the second highest with the second lowest, and so on, and progresses until the last four fencers remain. DE rounds go to 15 hits in three periods of 3 minutes each, with a one-minute break between each period. DE bouts for fencers under 14 and veterans are to 10 hits in two periods of 3 minutes each, with a one-minute break between each period. The semi-finals are contested between the top four fencers in the DE round. The winners then contest the final for gold and silver, while bronze medals go to the other two semi-finalists.

Results

Tournament results are available on Fencing Time Live.

Categories and pathways

Different levels of tournaments are available to help you gain skills, experience, and confidence.

Rankings

Whenever you participate in an eligible NSW Fencing competition, you will earn ranking points based on your results. Ranking points are used to select NSW teams for national age championships.

Tips for participants

Tips for fencers

• Review the applicable equipment standards. Ensure your equipment conforms and that it is in working order. Penalties can apply if you present to the piste with faulty equipment.
• Bring your NSW state tracksuit top, or your school jacket for schools tournaments. On the podium you must wear the correct attire. (If you don't have the correct jacket, you must wear your fencing whites.)
• Be organised. Pack your fencing bag the night before and keep an equipment checklist in your bag. Check it when packing your bag and also when you leave the venue after the competition to ensure you haven’t left anything behind.
• Arrive on time and ready. Make sure you arrive at least 30 minutes before your scheduled event to check in with DT and warm up.
• Enjoy playing the game. Competing is a learning experience! Do your best, challenge yourself, and have fun! Read some tips for players from Play By The Rules.

Tips for parents/guardians and spectators

• Positive culture. Parents/guardians play a vital role in helping create a positive environment for young people to enjoy engaging in sports. Fencing should be a happy learning experience for fencers – it’s competitive, but it’s not all about winning. Young fencers should walk away from a competition feeling they have done their best, learned how to fence better, made new friends and enjoyed the experience. Parents/guardians should always be positive and supportive of their child and others and not put them under any pressure while fencing. Read some tips for parents/guardians from Play By The Rules and 10 tips on nurturing a child's sporting development, from the AIS.
• Respectful conduct. Parents/guardians and other spectators must not interfere in any way with the conduct of a fencing bout. They must not enter the fencing area. Photos or videos of fencing bouts are permitted so long as they do not distract fencers or referees. NSW Fencing has zero tolerance for inappropriate sideline behaviour, and spectators can be penalised by tournament officials and excluded from the premises if necessary to maintain order at the tournament. Please review the relevant policies.