A question for those who have taken referee ratings...

[Inquartata]

I'm attending a referee seminar ( class, workshop, whatever ) this weekend. I'm getting ready to print out the rule book. In the interest of saving paper and toner, does the test draw from the material rule appendices, the publicity code, or the sections on doping and FIE competitions?

I only plan to test for a rating in sabre. Apart from the general rules, do I have to bother with the sections on the conventions for foil and epee?

[Schiavona]

When I took mine, about 6 years ago, it was just the general section and the section on your weapon. Very heavy on penalities, testing weapons and control of the strip. I'd print out the Referee's handbook from the FOC site if I were you since there seem to be changes every year

[oiuyt]

The "Study Guide" is actually a test bank of the questions that will appear on the test. Go through it and you will have seen every question that will appear on the test. Note that the study guide does NOT include the answers. Well, it includes the answers (all questions are multiple-choice), but it doesn't specify which is the correct answer.

Study Guide is available at:
http://www.fencingofficials.org/Info...dy%20Guide.pdf

Note that this study guide is marked as Jan 2003. Whether or not it and/or the test have been updated to reflect the 2003-2004 or Aug 1 2004 rules changes I can't tell you (I suspect yes to the first, possibly no to the second). An email to Bill Oliver (address in the study guide) might be able to get either verification of that point or an updated guide.

Enjoy.
-B :)

[JEC]

Questions from the study guide are the test. This applies to the general and weapon-specific sections.

[The0ne]

I personally read the whole thing on the computer a couple of times, and didn't have to print it out. I would print out the sabre section, as well as all that part before the individual sections. Don't bother with the appendices at the end, maybe read them once or twice on the computer, but the stuff you really need is the sabre section and the general part.

[peet]

I found one of the hardest parts to remember was when a touch gets annulled & when it doesn't. I can't remember how many of the questions on the test this impacted, but still, it might be good to bone up on.

The advice others have given re: the study guide is right on. If it helps, (and i remember correctly), the questions in the study guide are in the same order that the "answers" appear in the rule book. They mean for the study guide you "encourage" you to read the rulebook.

Oh, and good luck!

-p

edit:
Oh yeah, P.S.: Several of the rule changes for this year are changes in which offences annul a touch and which don't. So getting confirmation on what rev of the rules the test will be based on (as someone suggested) is a particularly good idea.

[Inquartata]

Thanks, all. I have the study guide. We were told to bring that and the rule book to the seminar with us, hence the printing out...

[JEC]

Inq.
I hope that you try to get a certification in the three weapons. As you might expect, there is a smaller number of rated referees in saber than foil and epee. Check the website of fencingofficials.org. It's up (as compared to USFA), and has quite a few additional documents such as the Referee Handbook and the Code of Ethics. Peet has added a nice section for referees at askfred.net.
Good luck in the exam,
JEC

[Inquartata]

Alas, the only thing I think I would find less interesting than fencing foil would be refereeing it. As for epee---what's to do? "Fence. Halt. Fence. Halt." I need to test for that?

[JEC]

If you are so cocky about the other two weapons, take the tests and find out what you really know about those weapons.

[Inquartata]

Cocky? By no means. I know little about them---and don't particularly want to know. They simply don't interest me very much. Well, epee not very much; foil not at all, at all. Sabre is just all I care to fence---or ref.

[oiuyt]

I agree with JEC, what does it hurt to sit the other two sections of the test? Okay, it'll be 15 minutes of your life you'll never get back, but other than that? Either you fail and the time is somewhat wasted (although I'd argue that the learning experience alone is worth that trivial amount of time), or you pass and have a pair of 10 ratings that you never use in addition to your sabre rating which you presumably desire to further improve upon.

-B :)

[Inquartata]

Don't make me explain the concept of oppotunity cost to you. You'll be as bored as I would studying about foil...

[MyraTrue]

now, now, Inq- to be able to off-handedly say "oh, yes, I'm certified, it wasn't that hard, really."??? So much more fun.

I took the written this summer at a clinic and passed all three weapons, though I will never fence foil or sabre again. Its nice to have the cert. I also took the practical in the two weapons that were available that day (foil and epee). Its just nice to have the cert, though I myself don't know that I'll ever use it voluntarily.

The questions on the directors exam are exactly the ones in the study guide, though not all of them. I actually found the sabre questions easier than the foil and epee questions. I love all the questions about "X hits off target, Y repostes to the flank. Who gets the touche?"

[Inquartata]

Why are so many people trying so hard to convince me to do something that doesn't interest me in order to get something I don't want and will never use?

[Rolls]

Of course, the argument could be made that if he did get the foil ref rating, then people would probably want him to ref foil. So, therefore, it's probably a good idea to purposely NOT get the foil ref rating.

Unless you really want to ref foil.

Rolls.

[edew]

I found one of the hardest parts to remember was when a touch gets annulled & when it doesn't. I can't remember how many of the questions on the test this impacted, but still, it might be good to bone up on.

The advice others have given re: the study guide is right on. If it helps, (and i remember correctly), the questions in the study guide are in the same order that the "answers" appear in the rule book. They mean for the study guide you "encourage" you to read the rulebook.

Oh, and good luck!

-p

edit:
Oh yeah, P.S.: Several of the rule changes for this year are changes in which offences annul a touch and which don't. So getting confirmation on what rev of the rules the test will be based on (as someone suggested) is a particularly good idea.

This year, it's simplified: if there's a card, the touch by the fencer receiving a card will be annulled. Thus, there won't be any "it's annulled if it's corps-a-corps to avoid a touch but not for simple corps-a-corps."

[oiuyt]

Why are so many people trying so hard to convince me to do something that doesn't interest me in order to get something I don't want and will never use?

Of course, the argument could be made that if he did get the foil ref rating, then people would probably want him to ref foil. So, therefore, it's probably a good idea to purposely NOT get the foil ref rating.

Question asked and answered. It's part of my secret plot to get more referees. While I don't ever expect you to actually referee in foil or epee, getting you certified as a referee increases the odds that you will. Besides which, by posting to this thread arguing that YOU should go get certified in all three I increase the odds that someone ELSE will go ahead and do so. Perhaps that person will be more likely to actually ref in all three weapons. Or even will be more likely to referee at all. And then again just posting keeps the thread alive, which, hopefully, will result in additional readership and more people entering the certification process (due to easier availability of information lowering the threshold to those who, currently, are marginally interested in becoming referees).

I also think that the more one knows about fencing, in all of its aspects, the better off for one's personal fencing. Knowing how to referee helps with fencing. Knowing something about the other weapons will help with one's primary weapon. So in adddition to my (formerly) secret plot as outlined above, I think that it would have a small benefit to you.

-B :)

[edew]

Don't make me explain the concept of oppotunity cost to you. You'll be as bored as I would studying about foil...

But in your case, the opportunity cost would only be 15 cents.

[CsmaCD]

Don't make me explain the concept of oppotunity cost to you.

So, I see you were the other person who was awake in microeconomics!

LOL!