Illinois Division

The Illinois Division of USA Fencing has three missions:
*To promote the sport of fencing in Illinois
*To sanction official USA Fencing local competitions
*To assist member clubs in the Illinois Division

FAQs

Questions about tournaments:

What does it mean that a tournament is "sanctioned"?

When a tournament is sanctioned, it means that it is an official tournament of USA Fencing, which will be run in accordance with USA Fencing rules and procedures (as are appropriate for the level of the tournament).  Fencers can only earn ratings at sanctioned tournaments.

What Impact does the USA Fencing SafeSport Policy have on Club Tournaments?

The Safesport policy directly affects the sanctionability of every tournament. Important information can be found on the USA Fencing web site (http://www.usfencing.org/page/show/892379-safe-sport).  A good FAQ is here: http://assets.ngin.com/attachments/document/0042/3384/Safe_Sport_FAQs_7.25.13.pdf .

What tournaments does the Division sanction?

The Division is responsible for only two types of tournaments:  (1) qualifiers (that is the Y14, Div. 2 and Div. 3 qualifiers to Nationals and the cadet and juniors qualifiers to the Junior Olympics); and (2) local tournaments.  All other tournaments, such as North American Cups (NACs), Regional Open Circuit tournaments (ROCs), Super Youth Circuit tournaments (SYCs), and Regional Youth Circuit tournaments (RYCs) are all sanctioned by the National Office of USA Fencing.

I have a problem with the way a local tournament was run.  What do I do?

The first step is to address the issue with the "bout committee" at the tournament -- the person who is running the specific tournament.  After that, you may contact one of the Division officers.

Questions about ratings:

How do I earn a rating?

Fencers can earn ratings at sanctioned tournaments, where the fencers entered and the results meet the requirements of USA Fencing's ratings criteria and where the tournament was conducted in accordance with USA Fencing rules.  You can learn more about it here.

I think I earned a rating at a local tournament.  What do I do?

Ratings earned at local tournaments are reported by the tournament bout committee to the Illinois Division Secretary.  The Secretary reviews the results and reports the changes to the USA Fencing National Office.  Both the Secretary and the National Office must verify that the rating was properly earned.  In general, it takes two weeks for a rating to be reflected in the USA Fencing records.  (The membership listing reflects current ratings.)  If you think you earned a rating and it has not yet been reflected on the USA Fencing webpage, please contact the bout committee first (their contact committee is usually on the askfred page for the tournament, or on the webpage of the club that hosted the tournament).  After that, you should contact the Division Secretary.