USA Fencing Changes to Non-Combativity and Div IA Qualifications

. September 2, 2011

At the USA Fencing Board meeting the motions on adopting FIE Rules for Non-Combativity and to loosen the “Hard 8” qualification from Div IA ROCs to Div IA Nationals were approved.

What this means:
For Non-Combativity USA Fencing will be using the current (as of 8/31/11) FIE Rules regarding non-combativity. No more penalty cards will be assessed.

For Division IA ROC events the top 8 fencers who are not already qualified for Div IA Nationals will receive the automatic qualification slots. That means that foreign fencers and fencers who had already made a top-8 will not “eat up” a qualification slot.

The 1,000 points for qualifying via points for Div IA will only be totaled AFTER the last Div IA ROC, so I expect that those fencers who already have 1,000 points won’t be skipped over if they make a top-8 after they have 1,000 points.

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1 Comment

JimN, September 2, 2011 @ 7:28 pm
Here are the FIE rules on non-combativity, including the result in individual events. If applied strictly in epee, they will change the game! But then, I wonder what is meant by “approximately” and “at least.”
[t.87].4. When both fencers make clear their
unwillingness to fight, the Referee will immediately call ‘Halt!’
Unwillingness to fight (non-combativity)
If one of the two criteria below is present, there is
unwillingness to fight:
1. criterion of time : approximately one minute of fencing
without a hit
2. absence of blade contact or excessive distance (greater
than the distance of a step-forward-lunge) during at least 15 seconds.
5. Individual events
a) If during the first two periods of a direct
elimination bout both fencers make clear their unwillingness to fight, the
Referee will proceed to the next period, without the minute rest.
b) When both fencers make clear their unwillingness to
fight during the third period of a direct elimination bout, the Referee will proceed
to a last minute of fencing. This last minute, which will be fenced in its
entirety, will be decisive and will be preceded by a drawing of lots to decide
the winner should the scores be equal at the end of the minute.