Please read these notes thoroughly, check your entries and inform your pupils of the details
The Public Schools' Fencing Championships will be held at the National Sports Centre, Crystal Palace, Ledrington Road, London, SE19 2BB, from 16th to 18th March, 2010:
|
Tuesday 16th March |
Boys’ Senior Foil, Junior Epée & Mount-Haes Epée, |
|
|
Girls’ Senior Foil & Junior Foil, Mount-Haes Foil |
|
Wednesday 17th
March |
Boys’ Senior Epée, Junior Foil & Mount-Haes Foil, |
|
|
Girls’ Senior Epée, Junior Epée & Mount-Haes Epée |
|
Thursday 18th March |
Boys’ Senior Sabre, Junior Sabre & Mount-Haes Sabre, |
|
|
Girls’ Senior Sabre, Junior Sabre & Mount-Haes Sabre |
1422 entries have been received from 104 schools. PLEASE
ENSURE that the fencers from your school are correctly entered. Please e-mail
the organisers via the website contact page at once if there
are any errors or omissions (but note that no further entries can now be accepted).
Due to the enormous number of entries, the reporting times
for the various events have been staggered to assist with the running of the
competitions. Please check individual
entry sheets for details of latest check-in times. Fencers must report
before the quoted time or they will be excluded from their competition. Please,
therefore, make due allowance for travelling to the venue. If there should be
an unexpected delay, competitors may ring 020 8778 0131 to say they are on
their way but may be late and stating their name(s), school and event(s). A
place will be kept for such a fencer for as long as is feasible consistent with
the interests of the other fencers, after which she/he will be excluded from
the event. This rule will be strictly enforced to ensure smooth running
of the event and fairness to other competitors.
Competitors who are not currently members of the BFA must
take immediate steps to join since all fencers will be required to show
membership cards when checking-in for
each and every event. The BFA can be contacted via the website (www.britishfencing.com) or on 020
8742 3032.
It has not been possible to satisfy all requests for accommodation at the Crystal Palace Hostel this year but the schools concerned are aware of the situation. Anyone needing further information should contact Mr Nick Chapman via the website contact page or, if that is not possible, on 07980 757502. For those who have been booked into the Hostel, each night's booking starts with dinner on the day of arrival (between 7.00pm and 8.00pm) and includes a packed lunch the following day. Anyone en route on Monday evening and anticipating arriving late should telephone 020 8778 0131 giving as much notice as possible.
Refreshments will be
available for purchase at the Sports Centre during the day.
Recent years
have shown a very welcome increase in numbers of those willing to help each
day. This year it will again be absolutely essential to the smooth running of
events for both teachers-in-charge, if they are able, and school coaches to be
prepared to referee, at least in the early rounds. This particularly applies to
the girls’ events.
The
committee would particularly welcome Old Boys and Girls who might be available
to referee even on just one day but agreement from the organisers must be
sought beforehand. For students
attending solely to referee we are willing to pay up to £40 per full day
and reasonable travel costs for attending the competition. They will also be provided with
refreshments. For those able to referee for more than one day accommodations
may be provided
Please contact Jon Milner via the website contact page in the first
instance.
All those who have indicated their intention to referee or supervise should make themselves known to the organisers before the start of each day’s competitions. Further offers of assistance on each day will be much appreciated.
Equipment
All clothing
and equipment will be inspected during the competition - fencers with
non-regulation items, or items which the committee believes to be unsafe, will
not be allowed to compete. The
attention of fencers and their teachers-in-charge is drawn to Article 16 of the
BFA Rules for Competitions: fencers arm, equip, clothe themselves and fence at
their own risk. The
following table explains the minimum kit and clothing strengths we require
fencers to wear during the 2010 Championships.
|
|
Senior Events |
Junior Events |
Mount-Haes Events |
|
Masks |
350N (CEN 1) |
350N (CEN 1) |
350N (CEN 1) |
|
Jackets |
350N (CEN 1) |
350N (CEN 1) |
350N (CEN 1) |
|
Plastrons |
800N (CEN 2) |
800N (CEN 2) |
350N (CEN 1) |
|
Chest protectors |
Girls |
Girls |
Girls |
|
Breeches |
350N (CEN 1) |
350N (CEN 1) |
yes |
|
Long socks |
yes |
yes |
yes |
In addition please note:
|
GLOVES |
should not be holed and must overlap
the sleeve of the jacket all the time. |
|
MASKS |
should
not be weak or deformed or show signs of rust; they must have back-straps and
they may be tested for suitability; the bib must cover the neck adequately
during all fencing actions. There is
no requirement to use the new foil target (lamé bib) at the 2010
Championships. |
|
SHOES |
should provide sufficient grip. |
|
METALLIC
(LAME) PLASTRONS |
must be large enough to cover fully
the valid target. |
|
SABRE |
overlays are not required; however
the sleeves of sabre jackets must reach the wrist. |
All events will be fenced with electric weapons throughout. The following blade sizes will apply to the Mount-Haes age group events: Foil - 3; Epée & Sabre - 2. Weapons and body-wires should be brought in working order and may be tested on the piste.
Leon Paul will have a stand at the Sports Centre. This year their sponsorship includes over £1,500 worth of prize vouchers, the provision of all the equipment for all 28 pistes and the provision of 10 conductive pistes free of hire charge. If you know in advance of any specific items you intend to buy at the PSFC, they suggest that you order them (as soon as possible, please) by phone, fax or email (Tel: 020 7388 8132; Fax: 020 7388 8134; e-mail: sales@leonpaul.com) or via their online ordering.
Rules
BFA Rules will be applied as far as possible but the Committee reserves the right to vary these and make any alterations to the details given here if found necessary for the safe and smooth running of the competition. Fencers may be expected to referee their own pools in preliminary rounds. Please ensure your pupils are aware of a Referee's responsibilities and have had some experience at the weapon concerned.
As a result of the continuing large number of entries the Committee has agreed that there will be two rounds of pools. After the first round 20% of competitors will be eliminated and after the second round 25% of those fencing will be eliminated. This will be followed by direct elimination (in an incomplete tableau, if necessary). Points will be awarded in accordance with the principles of the system agreed and operated previously and described below. Exactly the same points will be awarded towards the champion-at-arms trophies as those gained towards the school team competitions.
The over-riding
principle is that the further a fencer gets in a competition the more points
they will score for themselves and their school.
There will generally
be more points available in an event with a large entry than in an event with a
small entry as the larger competition will have more rounds.
An individual fencer
may win the Master/Champion at Arms trophy for their age group without entering
all three weapon events.
Scoring points in an event:
Those eliminated in the first round of pools
will score nothing.
Those who are eliminated in the second round of
pools will score 1 point.
Those who lose in their first round of DE will
score 2 points.
Each further DE round to the L32 gains 1
additional point for the fencer.
Achieving a L16 gains an additional 2 points.
Achieving a L8 brings between a further 2 to 5
points as we separate 5th to 8th place.
Equal 3rd place gains a further 2
points, 2 more for 2nd place and 2 more points to the winner.
As an example: in an
event with a DE starting at L64 those knocked out in this round will get 2
points, those losing in the L32, 3 points and those losing in the L16 will get
5 points. Thereafter the points are: 8th – 7 pts; 7th – 8 pts; 6th – 9 pts; 5th
– 10 pts; 3rd – 12 pts each; 2nd – 14 pts; 1st – 16 pts.
These points go
towards a fencer's individual master/champion-at-arms' scores as well as
contributing to their school's overall total of points.
The table below shows
the point scores based on size of event and the current agreed level of cuts
after 1st and 2nd round of pools.
|
Number of competitors in the
event: |
185-112 |
111-56 |
55-31 |
30-15 |
14-10 |
|
Points scored by the fencer achieving: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pools: 1st round |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Pools: 2nd round |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
L128 |
2 |
|
|
|
|
|
L64 |
3 |
2 |
|
|
|
|
L32 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
|
|
|
L16 |
6 |
5 |
4 |
2 |
|
|
8th place |
8 |
7 |
6 |
4 |
3 |
|
7th place |
9 |
8 |
7 |
5 |
4 |
|
6th place |
10 |
9 |
8 |
6 |
5 |
|
5th place |
11 |
10 |
9 |
7 |
6 |
|
3rd equal place |
13 |
12 |
11 |
9 |
8 |
|
2nd place |
15 |
14 |
13 |
11 |
10 |
|
1st place |
17 |
16 |
15 |
13 |
12 |
Trophies
Team trophies will be awarded as in the 2009 Championships
and the last 8 in each event will receive plaques (except where the entry is 32
or less in which case the last 4 will receive plaques). The winners of each individual weapon event
will also receive a prize from Leon Paul.
Current holders of trophies, or
Teachers-in-Charge if the fencer concerned has left school or a team trophy is
held, are reminded that they should be returned cleaned and engraved by
8.30am on the first morning of the Championships at the latest. Under its rules Elizabeth College,
Brentwood, Millfield and Westminster and are not eligible to compete for the
Pearson Cup this year.
The Committee wishes to remind Teachers-in-Charge about the procedure with regard to the responsibility for trophies once they have been presented. This has resulted from a valuation of all the trophies which revealed that many of them have significant monetary value. In some cases they have considerable historic value as well. Consequently, a form will need to be signed by the individual winners and countersigned by a school representative or, in the case of team trophies, just signed by the school representative. You may wish to make enquiries before coming to the Championships that appropriate insurance is in place to cover the safe keeping of each trophy should your school be fortunate enough to win any.
Timetables
Every effort will
be made, assuming the complete co-operation of fencers, teachers i/c, coaches,
etc. to finish fencing as early as possible each day. However all those
concerned should note that the finish of fencing in some events may be in the
region of 8:30pm – 9:00pm.
The Committee and organisers of the Championships attempt to ensure that they take place in a safe and secure way and can confirm to schools that they do have arrangements in place for first aid. However schools are reminded that the safety and welfare of young fencers remains with them and the nominated responsible adult who is acting “in loco parentis”.
Teachers-in-Charge
The meeting of Teachers-in-Charge of Fencing from all the
participating schools will be held during the afternoon of
Wednesday 17th March. Announcements will be made over the PA system. It is
hoped that as many Teachers as possible will attend and give their views on the
competition. If unable to attend, please give or send comments to Brian Howes (brianhowes@ecis.org) beforehand. The
agenda will also include the venue and dates for next year's events (please
bring your diaries) and a request for more assistance, particularly from girls’
schools, on the PSFC Committee.
Schools are reminded that the Committee cannot accept responsibility for returning items of fencing kit or personal property lost or left behind at the Sports Centre. Everyone concerned should make every effort to make enquiries before they leave the sports centre. All items left behind will be handed to Reception at Sports Centre to whom all subsequent enquiries should be addressed.
It is intended to include complete individual rankings for
each competition on the following web site early in the week beginning 22nd
March: http://francisfencing.org.uk/psfc.
This can also be accessed via the PSFC website.