info@USFencing.org
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US Fencing Online info@USFencing.org |
General Questions | ||
Q. | How can I contact the US Fencing Association? | |
A. | Email: info@USFencing.org Phone: 719-866-4511 Fax: 719-632-5737 Mailing Address | |
Q. | Your fax is busy, not working etc., what should I do? | |
A. | Keep trying. The fax receives an incredible volume of paper around a deadline. Yours is just one among the hundreds that are being sent. If you are entering a tournament, and if you do not wait until the last minute to send your entry, you will be more successful. Remember to always request confirmation of receipt by including a confirmation of fax receipt to be faxed back, or by enclosing a self-addressed-stamped postcard to be returned as confirmation of receipt! | |
Q. | I am having trouble contacting someone in the office. | |
A. | Please leave a message on that person's voice mail. Be patient. Your call will be returned. We have 20,000 USFA members and 9 people working in the office. Please do not call everyone else in the office and leave messages for them also. That will lead to multiple phone calls back to you, after your question has been answered. This is frustrating for you and those returning your calls. | |
Q. | I need to talk to someone in the office, and I cannot reach him or her. | |
A. | Call the main number again; this time choose option one. Explain your situation to the Administrative Assistant, and ask him or her to connect you. The person you are trying to reach may be in a meeting, or away from his or her desk for the moment, or most likely, on the phone with someone else. | |
Q. | Why haven't I received my refund yet? | |
A. | Refunds are processed following every tournament. Processing time, depending on the size of the tournament, is usually around 2 weeks. Please be patient. | |
Q. | Why haven't I received my expense report reimbursement? | |
A. | Reimbursements are processed following every tournament. The turn around time is usually around 2 weeks. | |
Q. | How can I get more information on fencing in my area? | |
A. | Under the Info for Members link you may select Clubs and Divisions, which will give you the option of selecting your state from a map of the USA. You may then visit your Division's website for local schedules and information. | |
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Q. | I have lost my membership card, how do I get a new one? | |
A. | Please contact us at the phone number or email address above. There is a fee of $10 to replace the card. | |
Q. | How do I become a member of the USFA? | |
A. | Download an application from our website, fill it out and send it in with payment by fax or by postal mail. The application is located here. You can also get an application from your local club or division, fill it out, send it in with payment. If neither of these methods applies to you, contact our National Office, and we can fax or mail you an application. | |
Q. | How can I pay for my membership? | |
A. | The USFA accepts credit cards, checks or money orders. No debit cards please. | |
Q. | The information on my membership card/data correction form is incorrect | |
A. | Please either return the data correction form by fax or mail, or contact us at the email address above. | |
Q. | Can I change clubs/divisions mid-season? | |
A. | The US Fencing Operations Manual states the following: When you renew your membership in the USFA, you must state the Division for the year and the one from which you must qualify to Championship tournaments. Within the same fencing season, no fencer may represent in competition more than one club without special permission of the Board of Directors. | |
Q. | Can you check and see if my membership has been processed? | |
A. | If you call the National office, the Administrative Assistant, or Member Services Assistant, (phone extension #1 or #2), we can search the database to verify whether or not your membership is current. If it looks as though it has not been processed yet, that doesn't mean that we don't have it. It may be making its way through processing. Remember that including a confirmation of receipt page/postcard is the best way to know that we have received your application | |
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Q. | Can I register online? | |
A. | Not yet. We are working on some legal issues involved in online registration. As soon as those issues have been resolved, we will initiate online registration. | |
Q. | How do I sign up for a National tournament? | |
A. | If you do not already have an entry form, download the entry form; fill it out; send it to the USFA National Office with payment. If you are unable to download the entry form, or do not have Internet access, please contact us at the phone number or email address above, and we can fax or mail you an entry form to be filled out and returned. | |
Q. | What about smaller, regional events? | |
A. | Please visit the website for your Section or Division. | |
Q. | Did you get my entry? | |
A. | This is a popular question, especially around deadline time. You can answer this question yourself by including a confirmation of fax receipt to be faxed back, or by enclosing a self-addressed-stamped postcard to be returned as confirmation of receipt. When you get that confirmation of receipt; you will know that we have received your entry/application. Note that our stamped confirmation or confirmation letter for that tournament is the only acceptable proof of receipt. Confirmation letters should be brought to registration at each tournament. | |
Q. | Do you know the start times for [fill in the blank] tournament? | |
A. | As soon as we know these, they are posted on our website. If they are not posted, we have yet to receive them from our Tournament Committee. Questions about this process may be referred to Tournament Services. | |
Q. | I haven't received any confirmation for [fill-in-the-blank] tournament. | |
A. | Chances are it is in the mail en route to you as you are reading this. If you are concerned that there may have been an error in the process, please contact us at the phone number or email address above. We would be happy to send you another packet via fax or email. | |
Q. | Am I or is my son/daughter eligible for [fill-in-the-blank] tournament? | |
A. | Eligibility requirements for each tournament are clearly printed on the entry forms and in the Athlete Handbook, which is available free to download on our website, or printed from our office for a fee. Further questions about eligibility for international competitions should be referred to Corinne Greenman. Further questions about eligibility for national competitions can be directed to Christy Strong Simmons. | |
Q. | Do I need to qualify to fence in a North American Cup (NAC)? | |
A. | You need to meet the age and eligibility requirements for the tournament that you wish to enter. These requirements may be found on the second page of the NAC entry form. | |
Q. | How can I fence in the Junior Olympics? | |
A. | In order to fence in the JO's you must qualify. Qualification paths are listed in the Athlete Handbook. | |
Q. | How can I fence in the Summer Nationals? | |
A. | In order to fence in the Summer Nationals you must qualify. Qualification paths are listed in the Athlete Handbook. | |
Q. | When is the deadline for [fill in the blank] tournament? | |
A. | Tournament deadlines are printed on each entry form as well as posted on our website. | |
Q. | Can I enter the tournament after the deadline? | |
A. | Late entries will be accepted until two weeks prior to the tournament (exact date will be listed on the entry form) with late fees. Late fees are equal to triple the total amount due - event fees plus registration fee times three. Entries will not be accepted after the final late entry deadline. | |
Q. | Can I petition/appeal to enter [fill in the blank] tournament? | |
A. | Yes, you can petition/appeal to enter USFA championship tournaments with the exception of the Division I Championships (this tournament is by invitation only.) Petition/appeal information is available in the Athlete Handbook. | |
Q. | What is a classification? | |
A. | A classification is a letter from A to E (with A being the highest) that is earned in competition. The classification reflects the skill level of a fencer. A classification includes the letter assigned as well as the year in which it was last earned, for example "A02", which would be an A earned in 2002. Classifications are valid for four years, at which point they revert to the next lowest letter, or unclassified, "U", if the classification has not been re-earned within the four-year period. Cards printed for updated classifications are free of charge. | |
Q. | How can I earn a classification? | |
A. | You can earn a classification at most USFA sanctioned National, Regional, or Local tournaments. USFA sanctioned means that the National Office, a USFA Section, or a USFA Division is conducting the tournament. You can view the event requirements for awarding classifications in the Athlete Handbook. | |
Q. | Why hasn't my classification changed? | |
A. | We haven't received the results from that tournament. The director of that tournament needs to send us the results for verification, and then we will change it. We change classifications only when we have official results justifying the change. | |
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Q. | Where can I find the answers to the Referee study guide? | |
A. | The simple answer is "in the rule book." The Fencing Officials Commission (FOC) designed the study guide, intentionally omitting the answers from the guide. The idea is that if you don't know the answer, you should look it up in the rule book. And if you DO know the answer, double-check yourself against the rule book. | |
Q. | Who do I talk to about my referee rating? | |
A. | The Fencing Officials Commission (FOC) is the group that conducts all testing for referee ratings. The FOC has established a web site with answers to questions regarding referee ratings and tests. Their website is available at http://www.fencingofficials.org. | |
Q. | Is my [fill in the blank] handle illegal? | |
A. | This question is very difficult to answer in that there are just too many variables. Different vendors give the same handle different names and the size of the handle in relation to the size of the fencer's hand also determines if a handle is legal. Yes, a specific handle that is perfectly legal for one fencer might be illegal for someone else.
Many people think that the rules concerning various types of grips are not very clear. The three main reasons for this are: 1, People don't know the rules. 2, The rules are all too frequently ignored. 3, Vendors sell illegal handles. One should be aware that just because some vender sells a handle or just because a referee allows someone to fence with a handle does not make that handle legal. (The complete Rules Book is easily available from the USFA web page.) If you look in the Rules Book at Article m.4, 6, you will find that the handle with attachments that does not allow the thumb to be 2 cm or less from the guard is illegal for that fencer. (Now you can understand that a handle could be perfectly legal for someone with a very large hand while it would be illegal for someone with a very small hand.) Does your pronged handle allow you to hold it in more than one position (without going into some sort of contortions)? If so, it is illegal. If there are prongs that would allow you to hold it as you would hold a "French" handle with a finger hooked around a prong so that your thumb would be more than 2 cm from the guard, it is illegal. The use of a strap to assist in holding the weapon has caused some confusion. If one has a legal orthopedic grip (including the Italian grip), one may use a strap. If one is using a French grip, one may not use a strap. (The applicable rules follow.) The basic concept here is that if one wishes to have a weapon that will allow for longer reach (French handle), one may not have a device (strap) that will give the user added strength. The main rules that govern grips are: t.16: With all three weapons, defense must be effected exclusively with the guard and the blade used either separately or together. If the handle has no special device or attachment or special shape (e.g. orthopedic), a fencer may hold it in any way he or she wishes and he or she may also alter the position of his hand on the handle during a bout. However, the weapon must not be - either permanently or temporarily, in an open or disguised manner - transformed into a throwing weapon; it must be used without the hand leaving the hilt... m.4: 1. The maximum length of the grip in foil and épée is 20 cm, measured between lines B and E, and 18 cm, measured between lines B and D. In saber the maximum length of the grip is 17 cm (see Figures 8, 9 and 13, pp. 86, 89, 94).
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