What to expect at a tournament?
Tournaments will rank all participants in order by their current standings. POOLS: They are split into groups of 5 or 6 fencers called “pools”. Each fencer has a 5 point bout with each of the other fencers in their pool. The scores are then taken from the pool results and the fencers are placed in order based on wins/loses/point scale (all computerized of course). DIRECT ELIMINATION (DE’s): Then the fencers go into “Direct Elimination”. The top fencer is paired with the lowest ranked fencer, the 2nd fencer is paired with the next to last fencer, and so on and so on. *Other helpful tips: Bring water bottles to have with you on the strip. There is usually very limited seating available for fencers/observers, so you might want to consider bringing your own folding chair. Tournaments are not “fast” and tend to last ALL DAY. You may want to bring snacks/energy bars to keep you going. *WEBSITE: www.goldbladefencing.
