Point Standings FAQ

Point Standings - Frequently Asked Questions

 

·        Points – what are those?  The USFA maintains point standings for different age divisions – Senior, Junior, Cadet, Youth 14, Youth 12, Youth 10, Veteran Combined, Vet 40-49, Vet 50-59, and Vet 60.  Points are used for seeding of competitions, qualification for national championships, and selection for international competitions.  Much more detail can be found in Chapters 3-12 of the Athlete Handbook.

·        How do I earn points?  Fencers can earn points at specific domestic and international tournaments.  All events at NACs, Junior Olympics, and Summer Nationals are point events except for Division IA, Division II, Division III, and team events.  You must place at a certain level to earn points.

·        Where am I on the point standings?  Point standings can be found here on the website.

·        I just finished xth at a competition – do I get points?  Well, it all depends on what competition it was, where you finished, and how many fencers participated in the competition. 

·        In Super Youth Circuit competitions, points are awarded to the top 40% (no rounding - drop the fraction). 

·        In Veteran competitions, points are awarded to a max of 64th place or last place in the competition, whichever number is smaller. 

·        For all other National point competitions, points are awarded for placement within the direct elimination bracket in which the top 40% (no rounding – drop the fraction) of the competitive field falls to a max of 32nd place.  What the heck does that mean????  The brackets are the following:

·        DE with repêchage beginning at 32:  final 4, 5-8, 9-12, 13-16, 17-24, 25-32

·        DE with repêchage beginning at 16:  final 4, 5-8, 9-12, 13-16, 17-32

·        DE with no repêchage:  final 4; 5-8, 9-16, 17-32

·        So, let’s say you are in a repêchage (starting at 32) with 62 fencers.  40% of 62 is 24.8.  So we drop the 0.8, and have 24.  That’s in the 17-24 bracket, so the top 24 fencers will be awarded points.

·        How many points do I get for my finish???  It depends on your event.  Each event has a different point table.  Please see the Point Tables in Appendix A of the Athlete Handbook.

·        International points – Whoa!  How do I get me some of those?  Well, first you have to qualify for participation in an international competition – See the International FAQ.  Then points are awarded to the bracket that the top 40% falls in to a max of 32 (Cadet, Junior, and some Senior competitions) or to a max of 64 for some Senior Competitions.  International points are complex, and it is recommend that you read Chapter 3 of the Athlete Handbook.

·        How are point totals calculated?  Do I just add up all my points?  NO.  This is a common misconception.  Chapter 4 of the Athlete Handbook overviews the domestic portion of how to calculate, and chapters 7-12 explains the point calculations for Senior, Junior, and Cadet in much greater detail.

·        Rolling points, Team points – what’s the difference and what are they used for?  Rolling points are based on a calendar year.  Points stay on the point standings until the competition is held again or, if it is not held again, for a calendar year.  Team points include only those points that will be used for World Championship team selection.  In general this means the National Championships from the previous season, World Championships from the previous season, and points earned in the current season.  Chapters 7-12 of the Athlete Handbook have a much more detailed description of these calculations.  Rolling points are used for seeding in competitions and for selection for international competitions at the beginning of the season.  Team point standings are used for international competition selection starting mid-season and are also used to select International Championship teams.