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FIE Refereeing Examination Form
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Calling all referees! Executive Director Kurt Aichele has notified the FOC that all referees who have submitted their reimbursement forms have been paid all out-of-pocket expenses as of July 1, 2010.
Please review your records and double check. If you have not been paid all of your out-of-pocket expenses, please contact the National Office. Payment of Honoraria will be forthcoming.
Yours truly,
Fencing Officials Commission
On July 13 the State Department will impose significant fee increase for issuing, renewing and adding visa pages to US Passports.
For specific information see: http://www.travel.state.gov/news/news_5078.html
Why ref?
We on the Fencing Officials Commission (FOC) often ask new refs, "Why do you ref?" The answers vary. Some say that they want to be in the middle of the action, others say they want to give back. Still others say that they want to serve and prevent all of the bad calls they have been victims to during their careers. Virtually none say they do it for the money. That’s good, especially now, when the financial state of the association prevents them from paying for long periods of time. By the way, if you are owed money, join the club. The point is, going way back to the previous executive director, the volunteers have been helping to finance the USFA on their own credit cards. You’ve got to want to do it, and you've got to want to do it well.
Side benefits
There are many benefits one can derive from refereeing other than financial. There are friendships that we make being part of the referee cadre over the years. There is the excitement of being right next to the action and being part of high-level sports. There is the challenge of adjudicating the hardest and most confusing situations correctly and flawlessly. There is also the emotional high of being in the moment when championships are decided, when National points are at stake, when the whole fencing world is watching and the decision rests with you, the referee. Making that decision correctly and flawlessly, so that everyone accepts it, is perhaps the biggest reward of refereeing.
But there are other things that can be derived from reffing at NACs or events one has to travel to. Seeing the country and even the world (should one become an international referee). First and foremost one must attend to the duties required by reffing. These include adhering to the Code of Ethics, showing up on time, being physically and mentally ready to do your best, being available when called and helping out at the tournament however one can. This can involve working long hours and a lot of standing for those hours. Did I mention the pay? As long as one is willing to accept these conditions, every city has its attractions, every region has something outside the fencing arena to entertain and engage.
Here are some things I have enjoyed. Miami: that’s not hard. Art Deco architecture and swimming in the ocean at midnight. Austin, TX: Great music around town. Louisville: Mississippi River, Louisville slugger factory, Memphis: music, Elvis, Mississippi River, Kansas City: Negro Leagues Museum, American Jazz Museum. It's fun! As long as you’re there, you might as well enjoy.
Importance of refereeing
No sport can exist without officials. In fencing, it is especially important, as the referee is involved on every call and must adjudicate every action. In the USA we rely on fair and unbiased reffing. Believe me, if you think our reffing has deficiencies, watch how it is done in other places. It is my belief that our fencing has ascended to the world elite in part because our reffing tries to be as good as our athletes. Be part of it. Be good, get better, study and enjoy.
The Fencing Officials Commission is pleased to announce a new section available to Certified Referee Instructors and Examiners.
In order to access the features in this new section you will have to login to the site. If you are on the CRI or Examiner lists a login has already been set up for you. Please contact us at website@fencingofficials.org for your login information.
If you are not on either list and you believe that you should be, please contact the Domestic Referee Development Committee at drd@fencingofficials.org.
As of the beginning of last season, the FIE has begun requiring foil fencers to wear a special mask with several inches of lame material sewn to the lower edge, thus making the valid target extend up to the prominences of the clavicles, as required by the FIE rules (Seniors – 2008-09; Juniors 2009-10).
The new FIE approved mask cannot currently be retrofitted or repaired, and will be fairly expensive. Further, there is no indication that these masks will not be subject to grounding of the mesh to the valid target, causing valid lights on the non-conductive bib and mesh.
Within the USFA there also appears to be concern with the safety issue of focusing our athlete’s attention on the relatively sensitive neck and throat area.
The High Performance Director has not seen a change in offensive or defensive coaching methodology because of the additional target area.
After evaluating this mask in international competition last season, the Rules Committee of the FOC has determined that there has been minimal impact on fencing bouts with the addition of this extended target. In entire World Cup competitions, very few points were scored on this area.
Given the expense that would be required of our already taxed athletes (and their families), the relatively limited impact on scoring, and no change in the fencers’ tactics, it is the recommendation of the FOC that the USFA not adopt the FIE rule requiring lame material on the foil bib.
Sincerely,
Bill Oliver
Chair, FOC Rules Committee
Sam Cheris
Chair, FOC
The Arbitrage Commission recently met in Lausanne, Switzerland with all members present except Marco Siesto from Italy and a new representative to the Executive Committee, Emmanuel Katsiadakis. The first issue we decided was the referees to this year’s Senior World Championships. We have seven referees from our zone going to Turkey; Ariana Klinkov will be the referee representing the United States.
The FIE office also told us the dates of the next referee exam. Originally, it was to be held in San Salvador, just prior to our zonal championships, but scheduling conflicts have necessitated its delay. The FIE set all of the tests in the world for the same two-week period, and there are only ten members of the commission who must also go to the Zonal Championships, so it was decided to delay the Pan American tests. I believe this the best course of action as it will give more time to arrange your travel and it will not conflict with our National Championships. We also decided that we can have more than one exam per zone per year if the demand is high enough, so do not worry if you cannot go to this one, as there will be additional exams; this Commission is committed to this.
Still on the subject of testing, we are considering changing the format, from video to live or some combination of the two. This will not be in effect for the next test, but for all future tests you should be on the look out for a change in the testing procedure. To determine the new method of testing and the overall subject of referee training and development, we have established a Referee Development Committee, whose job it will be to remake the process of preparing, testing and the continuing education of our international referees.
For our referees on the Grand Prix list – there has been talk of a sanction against those refs who renege on Grand Prix assignments. It was decided that if you accept an assignment, you have one week from that date to renege, after that the sanction will be a one year removal from the Grand Prix list and knowing this Commission, I think in reality you will be removed for the remainder of the quad. So take care what you accept.
Finally, I am happy to report that the phrase “non-correct” has been eliminated from the referee verbiage. Going forward we will use the phrase “sur la preparation” or in the preparation.
If you have any questions, please ask via phone, email, or face-to-face.
I look forward to working with you all on our drive to London.
During a discussion with the President of our Association it was suggested that I author an article outlining the key attributes and requirements for our international referee corps. Additionally, as the United States representative to the Arbitrage Commission, I have been approached by many people regarding their prospects as an international referee. I want to take this opportunity to communicate with all of you what we, the Arbitrage Commission, the FOC and the President of US Fencing, consider the necessary traits and skills required to represent the United States as an international referee. I hope that many of you are already modeling the traits that we feel are necessary to succeed.
International fencing is a very different game from the domestic version. The stakes are much higher and the intensity level matches those high stakes. Because of that, the expectations of the referee corps are higher. In addition to making a higher percentage of correct calls than we do domestically, the international referee must bring, with him or her, a cache of respectability. For many of your international colleagues, this cache will include competitive success at the highest level of the sport either as a competitor or a coach. Unfortunately, not all of us have that luxury. Most of us have, at best, a respectable domestic record. That will not help you at this level of competition. What we Americans, North, Central and South, have as our cache, is our reputation as honest and competent independent arbiters of the rules. This image of our referees has been carefully crafted over the last 20 years, and it is directly responsible for the way US referees are currently used in international tournaments.
It is to that end and in that image that referees have been, and will continue to be, judged. It is the opinion of this organization and this administration that only those who will best represent the United States Fencing Association and our country will be promoted to the highest level of refereeing in the sport. What does this mean? It means that making the right calls has never been the sole determinant as to who gets promoted. Obviously you will not be considered if you cannot make reliably good calls. However, we also evaluate candidates on appearance, attitude, reliability, punctuality, trustworthiness, responsibility and maturity. The FOC and the coaches, parents, athletes and the organization as a whole are all part of the decision-making process. If you need an example of the type of referee we want, look at those who have earned their way to the Grand Prix list. All are very reliable, professional, and take their role as a referee very seriously, including regular consultations with other top refs, video review, and intense study of fencers’ trends and personalities. They all know how to socialize with others but also know when it is time to call it a night. You know who these people are; model them in look and attitude, and you will have a chance to be considered for the very short list of referees representing all of us internationally.
Points of Emphasis
by George Kolombatovich
The full text of the recent article from the FOC newsletter.
Referees:
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Send your stories (under 500 words) to: Editor FOC Newsletter
Welcome to the Fencing Official's Commission Official Web Site. It is our objective to provide a comprehensive source for information concerning the rules and the practice of fencing in the United States. In addition, we have included information on the FOC's mission, our vision, and some information on the members of the FOC, themselves.
Please note that this web site is (always) under construction.