In order to provide more and stronger competitions for our members, the Division strives each season to negotiate member clubs’ schedules to achieve a minimum overlap of the same types of events. For example, we actively work to avoid having two foil opens on the same day. *** schedule mediation resumes post-Covid with the 20-21 season
For your competition to be sanctioned — that is, recognized as an official USAF event eligible to allow fencers to earn classification changes — you must submit your event to the division for schedule approval, pay the annual sanctioning fee, and send the division your classification changes (if any) upon completion of the event. Read on below for details of how to do all of these things.
Currently David Galler oversees scheduling and sanctioning, please contact desolationangel0000[at]gmail.com to submit events.
The Chair oversees reporting of new classification changes, so if you have questions, problems, contact desolationangel0000[at]gmail.com
Annual scheduling | Qualifiers | Adding events during the season | Classification changes
SCHEDULING
2024-2025 season schedules are due to David Galler by 6 pm on September 1st. Competitions planned for July 1 – October 31 are first-come, first-approved, so that early schedulers don’t have to wait for the last-minute planners to get their events up. Competitions November 1-June 30 are subject to schedule optimization – that is, you may be asked to change a date in order to accommodate another club as we try to keep from having exactly two of the same event on any given day.
How to submit your dates:
E-mail your proposed dates to David Galler at desolationangel0000[a]gmail.com. Please include the date, type of event, and time(s) for close of registration if you know them. Do not send your clever, cute competition name – just the weapon, age group, and gender (or mixed). For example:
- Sun 7/4 Foil Open – Men’s Foil, 10 am, Women’s Foil 12 pm
- Sun 7/4 Youth Epee – Mixed Y10 epee 8 am, Y12 men’s/women’s epee 10 am, Y14 men’s epee 11 am, Y14 women’s epee 12 pm
In planning, be sure to consider national events (NACs etc). If you have not received the annual scheduling reminders and how-to’s email, please request it.
If you are interested in hosting a qualifier, see below under Qualifiers.
Schedule mediation period:
Mr. Galler will mediate any schedule conflicts via e-mail during September 3-8, and then send around the final schedule at which point you can post your dates on AskFred. Do not post any events to AskFred until they have been cleared and you get the official go-ahead. Use the “hide this tournament” link in your bout committee panel on Fred if you want to set your events up ahead of time. Events without conflicts will generally be approved a day or two after the September 1st deadline. Once an event is on the master calendar, other additions must then work around what’s already in place.
Annual sanctioning fee
There is an annual $120 ($60 for 2021-22 season only) sanctioning fee due to the division by September 15th; clubs submitting events will be invoiced via Paypal after the August 1st deadline.
Non-USAF events do not incur a sanctioning fee and will not be considered for schedule mediation; however, the division appreciates being informed of your plans to run these events.
QUALIFIERS
If you are interested in hosting a qualifier, you must submit specific date(s) that you are able and willing to host that particular qualifier. Qualifiers with only one requesting club will be assigned to that club. Qualifiers requested by multiple clubs will be awarded at the division meeting in September. In order to be considered, please submit your dates by August 1. For qualifiers, all referees must be USAF-rated with at least one supervising referee of R2 or better.
Adding or Changing Events During the Season
Over the course of the season, you must clear changes and additions to your competition schedule with Mr Galler before posting to AskFred. In general, planning around what’s posted on Fred already will give you clear dates and quick approval, but keep in mind other clubs are also adding and changing, so you must check first. Additions and changes after the master schedule has been generated are first-come first-served.
EVENT REQUIREMENTS
– SafeSport
All individuals who are part of an event and who have regular contact and/or authority over minor athletes must hold a current SafeSport training certification and have passed the background screen process. It is your responsibility as an organizer to verify information for all of the applicable adults at your event (coaches, staff, referees, armorers, etc).
To ensure all individuals working or volunteering are compliant, their status must be confirmed in the SafeSport database. To do so, enter the member’s name into the SafeSport member list at https://member.usafencing.org/search/safesport. If the individual’s name is not found, he or she is NOT SafeSport compliant and may not work at the event (Please Note: Minors do not need to be SafeSport trained).
Event organizers must communicate to all participants and officials, no earlier than 30 days prior to the start of the event, that they must adhere to the USA Fencing MAAPP for the duration of the event. This communication must contain a link to the MAAPP. Event organizers must be able to provide proof of this communication if requested by USA Fencing.
The communication also should contain a link to the SafeSport reporting form as this is the means for members to report MAAPP, SafeSport Policy or Code of Conduct violations (USA Fencing SafeSport Reporting Form and USA Fencing Code of Conduct Violation Form).
Additionally, event organizers must post the MAAPP to the public tournament page on AskFred for each event.
– Referees
Currently, at least one rated referee must be present for the duration of each event. All used referees must be SafeSport cleared and background checked, and included in the referee reporting form and/or the Fencing Time results for the event.
Failure to comply with any of the outlined procedures may result in your event being desanctioned. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask.