Earning Ratings - Classification Chart updated

[KD5MDK]

Brad I dont think they make the change until after SN as that competition started on 6-29. 8-1 makes the most sense as that is the start of the new season.

There's no reason a rule can't be changed during a competition. When the SEMI commission required that all body cords that clip to lames must show evidence of solder, that change was implemented mid competition and the World Cup was stopped while all body cords were brought into compliance.

[contre-Sixte]

The BOD passed a motion to update the classification chart, which was also posted yesterday at the USFA website.

Is there any (easy) way to find a history of the changes to the classification chart? For example, what was required to get an "A" in 1985?

[oiuyt]

Is there any (easy) way to find a history of the changes to the classification chart? For example, what was required to get an "A" in 1985?

Depends on one's definition of "easy" and one's access to reliable sources for oral history.

-B

[garyhayenga]

Is there any (easy) way to find a history of the changes to the classification chart? For example, what was required to get an "A" in 1985?

Off the top of my head, 3 ways:

1) 1st, 15 Fencers, 2 A's and 2 B's (or better) finishing in the top 6, and 2 addtional C's (or better) entered in the tournament.

2) Top 8 at Nationals, or any event with 64 fencers including 12 A's, 12 B's and 12 C's (or better), with 8 A's finishing in the top 16 and 12 B's (or better) finishing in the top 24. Meaning Circuit events, which had just started in the early 80's.

3) Be a member of the team that wins the National Championship.

Hasn't changed all that much, though now 1) is top 8 instead of top 6, and believe 3) has been downgraded to B's instead of A's. Plus there are a few more avenues like Div I-A.

Now if you want to go back to the 70's, before national circuit events, I don't have any personal experience with it but, I hear things then were a *lot* different then.

gary hayenga

[arc]

Is there any (easy) way to find a history of the changes to the classification chart? For example, what was required to get an "A" in 1985?

I can't go back quite as far as 1985, but I still have my copy of the 1990 rules and the June 1990 Operations Manual (being a packrat has its advantages), which includes the following:

I.2.A A FENCER IS CLASSIFIED AS CLASS "A"

(1) by placing in the top eight of an individual competition rated as Group I-A; OR

(2) by winning an individual competition rated as Group I; OR

(3) by being selected to represent the U.S. on the official team in the World Championships, Olympic Games, or Pan American Games; OR

(4) by being selected to represent the U.S. on the official team in the World Under-20 Championships AND placing in the top 8; OR

(5) by being selected to represent the U.S. on the official team in the World University Games AND placing in the top 6; OR

(6) by attaining distinction in another country as a competitive fencer which in the judgment of the Board of Directors is equivalent to that involved in the preceding clauses of this paragraph.

For cross-reference, a Group I-A competition was defined as a competition that was either the U.S. National Individual Championships or met these requirements:

(1) There must be a minimum of sixty-four participants in the competition of which at least twelve must be Class A, another 12 must be Class B (or higher), and another twelve must be Class C (or higher); AND

(2) At least four of the top six finishers must be Class A and at least another four of the top twelve finishers must be Class B (or higher).

A Group I competition had these requirements:

(1) There must be a minimum of fifteen participants in the competition of which at least six must be Class C (or higher); And

(2) At least two of the top six finishers must be Class A and another two of the top six finishers must be Class B (or higher).



And yes, the wording is (for the most part) direct from the original.

As a historical sideline, it is interesting to read the rules from that time period, which reveals such little quirks as the one about how age-group restricted events other than Sectional and National age group championships were entirely ineligible for ratings. Also, in mixed gender competitions, for purposes of seeding and rating the competition, women's classifications were lowered one level, i.e., a woman with a "B" would be treated as a "C" in a mixed competition ... and since you had to qualify for Sectionals through the Divisions back then, the Division qualifying rounds were counted as part of sectionals to determine the number of rated participants.

[KD5MDK]

Fascinating. At the BoD meeting when this ruling was discussed, it was mentioned that the A classification was intended to indicate one had reached the finals of a Circuit event, a expectation which is certainly not in effect anymore. However, if we rejiggered our seeding system to account for that, I suspect there are a lot of people who would suddenly become unhappy about the Bs and Cs in their pools.