Competition formats resistant to bad prior rating information

[keith]

Originally Posted by mrbiggs

I think it makes earning new ratings too difficult.

But isn't that what 'everyone' wants? Isn't the whole problem at the moment that any muppet can earn an epee A if they enter enough competitions............

If you are assuming there is in fact a problem that needs fixing then I like Arbe's suggestion;

It toughens up the path to letter ratings
It doesn't require any change to the record keeping of the USFA central office.
It would mean that you could attend a competition (and whatever your level) get 4 or 5 bouts against equivalently skilled opponents before the DEs.

It is a major change to the competition format though.....

[KD5MDK]

Other than the problem that any format adopted will probably be used in all 3 weapons, and it certainly isn't too easy to get a rating in Sabre.

[mrbiggs]

Originally Posted by keith

But isn't that what 'everyone' wants? Isn't the whole problem at the moment that any muppet can earn an epee A if they enter enough competitions............

Good point.

But I'm not worried about making classifications more difficult, I'm worried about them being almost frozen.

I think that underrated fencers are actually worse than overrated fencers in terms of "bad prior rating information." I can only think of one good recent example of this, a U getting third at North Atlantic Senior Sectionals, an A3 tournament. Examining his pool, the B06s that drew him had the second and third worst finishes among fencers of their classification. (And that's with one of them beating him.) Now, I didn't see the pool and I don't know either of the fencers well, so there may be special circumstances, but I think it's one good example of an underrated fencer possibly affecting the results seriously.

Neither of the Bs qualified. (As I said, I don't know if the U was WHY, but I think it was a factor.)