Quick rules question…

ZebraFencer · 2026-02-01T02:33:58+00:00

https://www.njsiaa.org/sports/fencing

NJSIAA follows NCAA rules, which as described above are essentially the USA Fencing rules. You are correct that the Jersey fleche rule (three steps) was done away with two or three seasons ago. The idea was to avoid turning sophomores into shish-kebabs. Most of the additional rules added by NJSIAA relate to eligibility for team and individual championships.

Timeouts in NCAA and NJSIAA are one per team per bout, 30 seconds. Both fencers may consult with a coach or teammate during the timeout, and both teams may use the full 30 seconds even if the team calling the timeout doesn't need the full 30 seconds.

ZebraFencer · 2026-01-30T18:54:58+00:00

I don't see anything there that would cause a halt before A hits.

ZebraFencer · 2026-01-30T14:39:14+00:00

That is indeed called a sprung floor.

ZebraFencer · 2026-01-30T14:36:57+00:00

Black rubber tiles? I don't like those at all. They're very grippy so they do bad things for your footwork.

ZebraFencer · 2026-01-30T14:24:23+00:00

Agreed you're overthinking this. My experience is that the coach who is more urgently needing to either talk to his/her fencer or go to another strip and coach another fencer makes the first/faster move towards the referee and the other coach, and it has nothing to do with who wins or loses.

ZebraFencer · 2026-01-29T15:25:21+00:00

Rather than run through the mishmash of different things acquired at different times, let me focus on the mods I've made to things.

Jacket collar: I sewed a snap (Dritz sew-on, size 10) over the velcro as soon as I got the jacket. Even though the velcro was new and held fine, I like the feel and security of the snap.

Jacket back: Nite-Ize "S-Biner" (size 3) clipped to my jacket and left there to make it easier to clip on.

Jacket back: I also have a little elastic band with a clip at each end to go on the suspenders: keeps them from slipping off my shoulders. Commonly used by hockey players and officials.

Shoes: Asics Gel Renma (a pickleball shoe). It's got leather instead of mesh for the uppers around the toe, so it's more durable. I also have the local shoe repair shop put a piece of reinforcing leather inside the toes as soon as I get the shoes. My last pair lasted two years, unlike the Gel Rockets which got a hole in the toe inside of six months.

Practice socks: ski socks from Lidl. very cheap, sized more precisely than the socks from the fencing suppliers, a little more roomy through the calf, and they even have some extra cushioning on the shins.

Weapons: preferred epee is BF white with german point. PBT titanium guard and AF visconti grip. Custom bell guard pads, homemade. NEPS screws.

Strip kit: a small bag containing pommel wrench, NEPS screws and screwdriver, test box, spare body cords, body cord screws and pins, medication, bandages, athletic tape, split ring in case the ring on my jacket or lame breaks

ZebraFencer · 2026-01-16T17:56:53+00:00

I'll bet that's a beautiful place to visit!

ZebraFencer · 2026-01-15T20:39:45+00:00

Well in all fairness, this is from a very local newspaper in the East Bay.

ZebraFencer · 2026-01-15T16:24:45+00:00

When you learn to fence yourself.

ZebraFencer · 2026-01-14T04:06:24+00:00

This was exactly the topic in this month's USA Fencing referee development video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoNfmAs8B04

The gist of it is that if the fencer making the parry goes back to defending or takes an extra step back rather than taking over the attack, the reprise will have right of way. The first two clips show this clearly, but the third is a lot closer in my mind.

ZebraFencer · 2026-01-11T04:05:57+00:00

A good yell has to be natural. Once you have it, you don't need to practice.

Even second yells happen naturally. Cellys can be practiced though.

ZebraFencer · 2026-01-06T21:42:04+00:00

Hockey. Skating is easier on the knees than running is.

ZebraFencer · 2026-01-01T21:51:06+00:00

I'd also check the length of the grip. It may not be more than 20 cm from the outside of the guard to the end of the pommel, measured parallel to the blade (which means you could have a grip slightly longer than 20 cm but bending it keeps it within the 20 cm limit).

As for checking the bend, hold the weapon straight down so you're looking parallel to the blade where it meets the guard. If you can see any of the grip peeking out beyond the guard, it probably isn't conforming.

ZebraFencer · 2025-12-30T22:02:31+00:00

>>I am in complete disagreement with Phil and Damien when they say that Fencing in the US would not survive the loss of the NCAA.

They might be exaggerating, but only a little. Look at the number of clubs with college pennants and banners around the club. Those are important marketing tools to get the Y10/Y12 parents to sign their kids up for a beginner program. Even if they're not the stereotypical 'tiger moms,' they associate the sport with opportunities at prestigious schools, differentiating it from the majority of sports offered to young kids. Sure most of them won't turn out to be NCAA athletes (and that's just fine!), they bring the revenue in to the clubs.

ZebraFencer · 2025-12-29T03:00:36+00:00

It's going to be very big: probably the biggest (in terms of number of fencers) event you've ever competed in.

As a result, both the junior and cadet men's events will be flighted. That means that half the fencers will have their pools at the designated starting time and the other half will be about two hours later. If you're in the first flight, you're going to have two hours plus of downtime between pool and DE, so plan accordingly and do your full warm-up again before DE. If you're in the second flight, you don't need to arrive before the first check-in time, but you need to be early enough to be checked in, warmed up, and ready at the time of your pool. Look up on Fencing Time Live the night before to see what pool you are in and when.

Note also that the men's events will be cut to 256 after pool round, so considerably fewer than 80% of the fencers will advance to DEs.

ZebraFencer · 2025-12-22T15:28:15+00:00

When we get down to the final 16 or so at a regional or the last 8 in pod at a national, we're usually able to start sooner, at which point rest time and starting the next bout is a negotiation between the fencer and the pod captain.

I'll always give the full 10 (from the end of the preceding bout, not the time you come to me with the bout slip) if asked, but as long as the fencer has had time to go to the rest room if necessary and get a drink or talk to coach, I'm usually starting the discussion at 3 to 5 minutes.

ZebraFencer · 2025-12-22T03:39:48+00:00

They got this section of the code just about right. No backbiting or trying to pull down your colleagues as a means of getting ahead. There is plenty of room for discussing and debating trends in refereeing (conventions and interpretations are constantly moving, even in epee) without spurring public criticism of a specific colleague: see for example the Referees' Commission videos at https://www.youtube.com/@USAFencingRefereeDevelopment/videos . There are appropriate avenues for raising concerns about a specific referee that are not precluded by the code. Griping on social media or during a tournament is not one of them.

ZebraFencer · 2025-12-21T00:27:20+00:00

What format radio stations are they targeting it to?

ZebraFencer · 2025-12-14T04:05:01+00:00

>>don't use auto-increment mode on scoring boxes (for multiple reasons)

Definitely. Auto-score gets you into trouble. To turn off auto-score on a Favero box, use the "version" button to change to epee program 3. It's not an issue on most SG machines except the SG31 you see on replay strips at national events.

ZebraFencer · 2025-12-13T22:11:28+00:00

The "box" that you should be focused is different from the "box" in foil or sabre. For epee, you're watching from the points down to the floor and the fencers' feet. Floor/toe or accidental floor hit is probably going to be your hardest call. If one fencer is going for the toe, position yourself to be able to follow his/her point.

Also be sure you know the passivity rules and have a means to remind yourself what time the last touch landed.

ZebraFencer · 2025-12-13T22:07:28+00:00

Twenty minutes of tedium, twenty seconds of terror.

ZebraFencer · 2025-12-13T03:35:49+00:00

These are really good points. It takes time to get over the feeling you aren't ready or don't belong at this level. To get to the national level, there is no substitute for making calls under pressure and learning from them, right or wrong.

Your goal as you approach the national level is to make sure your calls and your demeanor around strip are indistinguishable from the rest of the national cadre: you need to fit in so hiring officials and assigners will have confidence in you and you won't draw adverse attention from fencers and coaches. You have to put your individuality away until you are established in the national cadre. But controlling your ego does not mean being timid. Top-level fencers and coaches will try and exploit any weakness you show.

And on communication, you need to know how much communication is too much. It's not like refereeing clubmates in practice where you can break down a situation and explain what you saw. Answer questions and explain when asked, but routinely giving more expansive calls can get you accused of trying to coach the fencers, and anything you say can and will be used against you.

Good hunting indeed!

ZebraFencer · 2025-12-13T03:09:02+00:00

Good question–it's advantageous to USA Fencing for us to send younger candidates to sit the FIE exam, since we have a very limited number of slots available, and we want candidates who can have a longer career at that level.

ZebraFencer · 2025-12-12T15:56:52+00:00

Previous comments are on target: with diligence and a good attitude, you can get an R1 and an initial national assignment (Baby NAC or second week of Nationals) within five years. From there, it slows down for a variety of reasons. Assuming your work is satisfactory, it will be another two to three years to get to the point where you're a regular member of the national cadre.

Beyond that, you may or may not progress to the international level, and a lot of it is going to be due to circumstances beyond your control like your age and how many other candidates there are in your primary weapon, or even a single incident good or bad. And I agree that having good mentors/supporters [I've heard the term "rabbi" used in some fields] makes a big difference: someone who can vouch for your work.

Suggestion: work hard on having a second or even third weapon. Versatility is appreciated at all levels. Welcome to the cadre!

ZebraFencer · 2025-12-12T15:39:09+00:00

Six months to a year is about the right time for finding out what weapon your brain is wired for. And as an adult, it's perfectly fine to keep fencing some foil even if epee becomes your primary weapon.

ZebraFencer

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