Blade Sizes Y10 & Y10

[Perro99]

My son fences both Y10 & Y12 sabre. Can he use a longer blade for Y12 or are they "officially" the same size? Thanks!

[Purple Fencer]

My son fences both Y10 & Y12 sabre. Can he use a longer blade for Y12 or are they "officially" the same size? Thanks!

If he's over 10 years of age, he can use a #5 blade (88cm long). He COULD use the #2 length in Y12 if he wanted to (if you want to give up 3 inches of reach), but he could not use the #5 in Y10.

Of course, if you have a #5 blade with no size stamp, you could have a "2" stamped on it and it's be technically legal, as the length of the #2 is not codified like teh #5 is...but that's kinda dodgy.

[KD5MDK]

The 2007-2008 Athlete's Handbook specifies that for Y10 competitions the blades must be 32" or less.

[Purple Fencer]

The 2007-2008 Athlete's Handbook specifies that for Y10 competitions the blades must be 32" or less.

Ah...didn't know that.....it's not in the rulebook ('course, the rules are written for FIE tourneys, and there ARE no Y10 FIE tourneys! Perhaps that should be an addendum or USFA note in the next edition.).

But if the kid is over 10 he can still use a #5 at the Y12 events, regardless.

[oiuyt]

But if the kid is over 10 he can still use a #5 at the Y12 events, regardless.

If he's UNDER 10 he can use a #5 at the Y12 events, for that matter. Indeed, even if he's EXACTLY 10 he can use it for Y12 events.

-B

[Purple Fencer]

If he's UNDER 10 he can use a #5 at the Y12 events, for that matter. Indeed, even if he's EXACTLY 10 he can use it for Y12 events.

-B

Hey....i was close!! but thanks for that clarification...I keep forgetting that one.

Brad....the codification of teh #2 blade in the US REALLY needs to be in the rulebook....in fact, you might bring up to teh BOD that the rulebook and athlete handbook should coordinate on similar info....either that or combine teh 2 into one big document.

[KD5MDK]

Why are you leaving out the Operations Manual?

In any event, I think it's more important to get those documents to be internally consistent before we worry about harmonizing them with each other. At least we've documented which document superscedes which.

[Purple Fencer]

Why are you leaving out the Operations Manual?

Probably because I forgot about it.

In any event, I think it's more important to get those documents to be internally consistent before we worry about harmonizing them with each other. At least we've documented which document superscedes which.

Yeah.....but some people don;t believe the order of precedence...i think all the book should be consistent AND harmonized

[brtech]

But since the rule book is silent on the matter (as is the Ops manual), the only definition is in the Handbook, and thus we have no problem.

I for one am grateful there is a rule. Up to this change, there was no rule, and people were having problems (coaches claiming No 5 blades were No 2 blades by simply saying "I say it's a 2, show me where I am wrong")

[oiuyt]

(coaches claiming No 5 blades were No 2 blades by simply saying "I say it's a 2, show me where I am wrong")

I believe that particular line of reasoning was started by armorers.

Enough of them repeated it enough times in enough places (eg Sam's statement in post #2 here) that eventually some coaches (and parents) started picking it up.

-B

[KD5MDK]

I was incorrect. The Athlete's Handbook actually specifies that Y10 event participants must have 30" or 32" blades. It's on my list of things that probably need revising that I'm assembling for the Athlete's handbook.