All Referees should have to pass THIS test...

[IanSerotkin]

I can proudly say that I failed with flying colors the first time:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ahg6qcgoay4

[dekko]

Nice.

Random observer: How many parry reposte touches were in that bout?

Ref: 6

Observer: What color were the shoe laces of the fencer on the left?

Ref: Don't know, don't care.

Observer: You shouldn't be a ref because you're not very observant. You suck ref, I'm going to tell the FOC you're not very observant.

[Sabresque]

frickin bear!

[Peach]

I know this classic test (a basic research study relevant to my field), and I still had a hard time following the moonwalking bear through the action.

[bigdawg2121]

Eh, I saw the moonwalking object (didn't really register it as a bear so much as an anomaly) and then proceeded to continue counting, lest I miss a pass.

[piste off]

I would have black carded the bear for offense against sportsmanship. Even if he did not call out his name three times, the moon dance was over the top.

Rick

[freerider258]

arrrgg
stupid bear, i missed him.
i would of black carded him

oh, story
I was fencing at states and one school had an eagle mascot, or some kind of bird (It had these really annoying purple and white feathers in it's wings). So its school's fencer, (my opponent) was fencing me and the mascot was at the back of my opp., so it was in my view. I told the ref to go shoo the mascot person away, but it came back, ARGGG. It kept flapping it's wings, SOOOOO distracting, with all those feathers! If the ref had to talk to him one more time, (I prob should have made him) would the person get black-carded, or the mascot object
my guess is the person, since the mascot is used as a prop, such as a flag or a whistle. At least we beat there team!

[mrbiggs]

If the ref thinks he's disturbing order on the strip (sounds like that would be a reasonable call) then a yellow card would be appropriate.

[dcrocket]

So, if you try to meet the stated objective you fail the "test"....clearly the only way to pass the test is to have failed to have followed the ball being passed by the white shirt team...therefore proving that you have no ability to concentrate....not very good ref material....if the stated objective was to count how many passes the white shirt team makes but to raise your hand if you see a moonwalking bear, how many ref's would pass then???

[HDG]

If the ref had to talk to him one more time, (I prob should have made him)

For the record, you can't make the ref do this.

[pinkelephant]

If the ref thinks he's disturbing order on the strip (sounds like that would be a reasonable call) then a yellow card would be appropriate.

Yellow is the one colour you CAN'T give for that offence.

[mrbiggs]

Yellow is the one colour you CAN'T give for that offence.

What? Disturbing order on the strip is a yellow card for a spectator. You obviously can't red card them, so I assume you're suggesting that you HAVE to black card a team mascot because he's bothering one of the fencers? I wouldn't say that's wrong, but I will say that it's a little bit silly, especially at a high school event.

[bigdawg2121]

Yellow is the one colour you CAN'T give for that offence.

Biggs is right...they changed it from Red/Black to Yellow/Black a while back for consistency as far as Red Cards = touch against etc (I believe that was the rationale anyway).

[catwood1]

What is that, a touch for the person standing next to you?

[KD5MDK]

Yellow is the one colour you CAN'T give for that offence.

To be precise, the mascot would be disturbing order off strip.

[freerider258]

To be precise, the mascot would be disturbing order off strip.

you mean the person in the mascot, correct?

[Supermom]

Aha! You ALL failed to notice that it wasn't a bear at all! It was a person dressed in ... something that vaguely resembled bear fur!

[Mr Epee]

If the ref thinks he's disturbing order on the strip (sounds like that would be a reasonable call) then a yellow card would be appropriate.

Allow me to say this about that....

You can thank me later.

Maybe fencers should spend more time learning to focus.

[notalent]

Allow me to say this about that....

You can thank me later.

Maybe fencers should spend more time learning to focus.

Those thanks will be a long time coming

[Warrior Princess]

Allow me to say this about that....

You can thank me later.

Maybe fencers should spend more time learning to focus.

As someone who's played basketball and fenced, free throws and fencing are completley different. A momentary distraction in fencing costs you a point, where as with free throws, you don't shoot until you're ready (within a time limit).