What do fencing ratings mean

Well, we have enough fencers because only 15 are required. We have two Cs, but only one D. You can also think of it as cascading down with the B covering one of the Cs and one of the Cs covering one of the Ds—whichever makes more sense to you!

So the answer is yes, before looking at results, this is a C1 event. When the event is over, here are the results by fencer rating:. Does the event still qualify? Yes, we have a B, two Cs, and a D in the top 8. Again, the B covers the second D. The event qualifies, so ratings are awarded.

Great news for the previously unrated fencers. Hopefully this example helped clear up your questions, but feel free to ask any additional questions in the comments. Youth competitions have to be C1 or higher in order to award ratings. So if your fencer is competing in Y10, Y12, Y14, or Cadet events, the event must have 15 fencers including six rated fencers to make this competition at least C level, and some of those fencers must finish in the top eight per the chart above.

The good news is that this is not uncommon, especially in large competitions, even for younger age groups. Encourage your fencer to train hard and enjoy the sport. Great article! Thanks so much! I just have one question say for instance a U rated fencer took first in this event?

Would that fencer skip a rating letter? From what I understand it, you get better chance to get your ranking up when you attend tournament with higher ranking and you win. That will help you to get your ranking up, am I right? Hi Mochi, At the high level yes, higher ranked tournament for example A4 tournament have more opportunities to award rankings. However, on other side, such tournament is also tough to get high due to many good fencers participating.

But I think the goal of chasing a ranking is a not as good as a goal to improve your fencing and invest in your training.

The ranking will follow after your improved fencing. Thank you for your reply. Is it too late to start fencing in 9th grade to get to C ranking?

Not at all! We have many fencers that started around that age and got their ratings. Good luck! Yes Paula, you definitely can. It does not matter whether an event is gender specific or co-ed, as long as it meets classification requirements for example a C1 event , it it a rated event.

Hi great article! Thanks for the information. My kid is doing sabre and recently got a D rating. Kid is in 8th grade right now. Hi Don, Thanks for reading the blog! Well, the short answer is that they reflect a fencer and competition level to a degree.

U is for Unrated, which is the first rating that everyone starts off with when they start competing. So how then do you progress to higher rating?

There are a number of elements that must be considered in totality to determine if there is even potential to be awarded a rating when you join a competition:. What does joining a Group C1 event mean? Assuming you an Unrated fencer join a sanctioned competition with say 20 competing fencers, of which there are 2 C-rated, 2 D-rated and 2 E-rated fencers, and that of these rated fencers, 2 of them who are C-rated and 2 of them who are D-rated end up placed in the Top 8 positions of the event, you will be awarded a rating as long as you are placed in the Top 8 too.

Specifically, if your placing is between 5th to 8th, you will obtain an E rating. If between 2nd to 4th, you get a D. If you are first, you get a C. Therefore, the competition level and the rating that you could get from it is dependent on who turns up and where they eventually place.

Ratings do not reflect the consistency of performance. So don't be quick to decide on the outcome of a bout based on your opponent's rating; judge their current fencing on the strip.

So what are the practical implications of ratings? There are a few:.