Novice’s Guide To Competitive Fencing

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What is “competitive fencing”?

As its name states, competitive fencing is different from your class experience in the sense that the fencer gets to “compete” against others in an organized environment that mimics the “real” competitions.

Competition should be a regular part of a student’s development in fencing, regardless of their initial goals.
Remember that your goals will change, and even those who started fencing to “try” may find that it is “your sport” and decide to pursue it on a longer-term basis.
Competitive fencing offers a distinct experience from your group classes, and it is the best and quickest way to progress!

Fencing tournaments can be “sanctioned” (by USA Fencing) — meaning the event is an official USA Fencing event, and letter ratings and points can be earned or “unsanctioned”, which don’t provide ratings for the competitors, but are merely “practice” events that are a learning experience, and allow fencers to grow through the sport.

To increase the chances of starting your competitive career successfully and more confidently, we recommend attending two group classes per week and at least one private lesson.
These should increase after the age of 12, depending on your competitive goals and objectives. Most successful fencers practice three/four times in a group setting (class) and take 3-5 private lessons.


What’s the best age to start competing in fencing?

 

The answer is very simple: as soon as you join a fencing club!
This may sound shocking, but, especially in fencing, the sooner, the better. Fencers as young as eight have the opportunity to fence in sanctioned or unsanctioned events, learn the rules, become accustomed to the routine, and gain the experience needed to become grown-up, seasoned competitors.

Our Recommended Growth Path for Fencers supports steady progress and sets the tone for a successful future.


How do I start competing?

 

Many fencing clubs offer unscheduled, in-house beginner competitions as a great way to start learning the competition rules.
At Olympia, our D’Artagnan Series for novice fencers has been a staple in creating champions since 2012, and counting. See the dedicated page for this event here.
These low-level competitions usually don’t require a competitive USFA membership type, since they don’t award regional or national points. Other fencing clubs in our region often offer non-sanctioned competitions, similar to D’Artagnan. Read more in the section below.

Places to Find Competitions

1. Askfred: www.askfred.net
“Ask- Fred” stands for “Fencing Results and Database.”
This website typically hosts local competitions organized by fencing clubs, both sanctioned (which give regional points) and unsanctioned.
Searching for events in your region is easy, using the parameters offered at the top of the page, such as zip code, weapon, and region.

Olympia Fencing Center is an épée-exclusive club and is located in Region 3, part of the New England Division (NEUSFA).

Follow this link to our competition search results using the above parameters.

2. USA Fencing tournament browser: www.usfencing.org
Search by Regional, National, and International tournaments (Cadet age, if qualified).
Read on this page to learn about the ‘national points’ and how to earn them.

As soon as a fencer understands the rules, how to register for events, and what they need, we recommend moving right away to sanctioned events.
At this time, especially those in the age brackets under Y14, do not need to worry about points; rather, they should get as much competition experience as possible. Starting competitions early will determine your future and set you up for a good start.

First step: upgrade your USFA membership to “competitive”.
See here how to verify (proof of birth) your age with the USA Fencing. Select your proper club affiliation.
See here how to send proof of residence for non-citizens.
Secondly: buy your own fencing gear.
USA Fencing requires names on the back of jackets at NACs, the Junior Olympics, Division 1 Championships, and Summer Nationals.
Third: Learn about which competitions you are eligible: USA Fencing Age Classifications

Sign me up!

  • Start with local competitions at your club or other fencing clubs.
    You generally want to compete in your age category first, especially if you are Y8, Y10, Y12, or Y14, but don’t be shy to “fence up” above your current age group.
  • If you are a Cadet/Junior or Senior-aged fencer, find “Unrated” or “D/E and Under” competitions.

We recommend competing at least once a month, or as often as possible.
Do not be deterred by your placement in early competitions: there are many things to remember and learn during a competition, and until mastered, you will not be able to focus on your real fencing skills.

To increase the chances of starting your competitive career successfully and more confidently, fencers should practice two or three times a week in a group class setting, and we recommend taking at least one or two private lessons per week.

Age divisions

USA Fencing uses specific age groups so kids and teens compete against similarly aged opponents:

  • Y8, Y10, Y12, Y14. Youth divisions for fencers under age 15.

  • Cadet (U17). Typically ages 14–16.

  • Junior (U20). Typically ages 16–19.

  • Senior (Open). For ages 13 and up (no upper limit).

  • Veteran. For fencers age 40+, divided into age brackets (e.g. Vet-40, Vet-50, etc.).

Age is based on how old the fencer is on January 1 of the current fencing season (which runs from August through July).

Classification categories

Separate from age, fencers also compete in rating-based divisions, called Divisions I, II, III, and I-A:

  • Division I. For fencers rated C and above (elite level).

  • Division II. For C-and-under fencers.

  • Division III. For D-and-under fencers.

  • Division I-A. An “open” event at Summer Nationals, qualified via ROC results.

These divisions create fair matchups based on skill level. We’ll explain how fencers earn ratings in the next section.

Together, age and classification determine eligibility across different events, and many tournaments will combine both (e.g. “Y14 Women’s Foil” or “Div II Men’s Saber”).

2026-2027 Age Eligibility

 

Y8: 2018-2020
Y10: 2016-2019
Y12: 2014-2017
Y14: 2012-2015
Cadet: 2010-2013
Junior: 2007-2012
Division 1/Open: Born 2012 or earlier (must be at least 13)
Adult/Adult Combined: Born 2005 or earlier (ages 21+)
Veteran (Vet-40+): Born 1986 or earlier

Note that fencers of a certain age are eligible to fence in multiple age brackets: we highly recommend doing so, and preparing ahead of time for what’s to come, rather than waiting until you age out of your current bracket.

As a rule of thumb, your USA Fencing “Age/Classification Eligibility” is based on a fencer’s BIRTH YEAR, or, in other words, eligibility for the season is determined by the fencer’s age as of January 1.
See here a helpful article about the age in fencing, and why it differs from your actual birthday.

As experienced fencers know, after the Junior Olympics (moved from the regular February to January starting in 2025), eligibility is the same as above for all categories except Junior and Cadet.

Ages 8-14

For novice fencers of ages 8-14, a great way to start competing is Olympia Fencing Center’s D’Artagnan Challenge Series

D’Artagnan is an internal “practice” competition open only to Olympia Fencing Center members. We provide all fencing equipment needed, in line with the model of “real” fencing competitions, using the same software, Fencing Time Live.
Please follow this link to our dedicated event page to learn more.

All regional/local events for youth-age fencers can be found on askfred.net. Start by looking up in your fencing division (we are in New England), and aim for youth events around the place you live.
After you have had your introduction to competitive fencing through local, Youth-age events, you can start taking your feet into sanctioned competitions. In general, we recommend starting within your age group range and progressively moving up, depending on when you’ll age out (i.e., a fencer in the Y10 age group is eligible for both Y10 and Y12).

After the age of 12, we recommend at least two weekly group sessions and two private lessons to prepare the fencer for their competitive journey. 

Ages 14 and up

We recommend starting with the following categories: Division 1A, Division 2, and Division 3, and Open competitions, and move on later to Cadet, Junior, and Senior events.

 

Getting to know the abbreviations!

RYC – Regional Youth Circuit
RJCC- Regional Junior Cadet Circuit
SYC – Super Youth Circuit
NAC – North American Cup
National Championship

 

1. RYC – Regional Youth Circuit 

Description:
Regional Youth Circuit (RYC): The RYC tournaments are held throughout the season, similar to those in the Super Youth Circuit. These competitions are one of the possible qualification paths for Youth 10 and Youth 12 events at both the March NAC and the Y10, Y12 and Y14 USA Fencing National Championships. Only regional points are awarded at RYC’s.

Events:
Y10, Y12, Y14
Format: 2 rounds: 1 round of pools where fencers fence each person in their pool to 5 touches, and 1 round of direct elimination (DE) where fencers fence to either 10 points (Y10) or 15 (Y12 & Y14). All participants are promoted to the DE’s after pools.
Look for tournaments and registration on the USFA.org 
Competitive USFA Membership is required.

Points: No national points are awarded at Regional Youth competitions. Regional points are awarded based on the final placement and size of the competitive field. Points are awarded to all participants. The winner of each event at an RYC automatically earns 100 points. At least two fencers must be present in the competition to earn points.

Point formula: (# entries – place + 1) /# entries) x 100 points
A fencer’s best 3 results will determine the fencer’s point total.

*We are Region 3 – Olympia fencers can compete in any RYC (Regional Youth Circuit) and be awarded qualifying points for Region III RYCs

For those unfamiliar with regional youth events, USA Fencing has divided the nation into six geographic regions, as illustrated in the image below.

 

2026-27 Regional Schedule — Interactive Version

 

Click here for a printable copy for all regions.

2. RJCC- Regional Junior Cadet Circuit

 RJCCs are similar to RYCs, and, as the name suggests, the difference lies in the qualifying age category: these are for Junior (U20) and Cadet (U17) level fencers.
Students who are at least 14 years old are eligible to register for these competitions. We strongly recommend at least two private lessons a week and at least 1 year of fencing experience.

3. SYC – Super Youth Circuit

Description: these competitions are one of the possible qualification paths for Youth 10 and Youth 12 events at both the March and/or USA Fencing National Championships. National points are awarded at SYC’s.

Events: Y10, Y12, Y14

Format: 2 rounds: 1 round of pools where fencers fence each person in their pool to 5 touches, and 1 round of direct elimination (DE) where fencers fence to either 10 points (Y10) or 15 (Y12 & Y14). All participants are promoted to the DE’s after pools.

Registration: via USFA.org. Competitive USFA Membership is required.

Points: SYC competitions will award points to the top 40% of the competitive field (rounded up to the next higher integer), up to 64th place. In all SYC Youth events, 3 fencers must compete for points to be awarded.

Fencers may participate in one or more Super Youth tournaments; however, only the competition where the fencer earns the most points (1 best result) will be included in the revised national point standings published after the latest SYC.

4. NAC – North American Cup

Description:  these Youth National Tournaments provide a higher-level experience for fencers 10 and under (Y10), 12 and under (Y12), and 14 and under (Y14). National points may be awarded in these competitions. Qualification is necessary for Y10/Y12 events at the March NAC (see qualification paths, below), which is the only NAC that includes youth-age events.

Please refer to the full NAC schedule on the USFA website.

 

Qualification Paths

 

For Y10/Y12 events at March NAC only: Fencers must fence in at least one Y10 and/or Y12 Regional Youth Circuit (RYC) OR Super Youth Competition (SYC) in the United States in the current season to be eligible to enter the same category and weapon at the March NAC OR fencers must be on the Y10 or Y12 National Point Standings by the regular entry fee deadline. An RYC event must have at least 2 competitors to fulfill any qualification standards.

Note: Birth-year eligibility is necessary for all events.

Format: 2 rounds: 1 round of pools where fencers fence each person in their pool to 5 touches, and 1 round of direct elimination (DE) where fencers fence to either 10 points (Y10) or 15 (Y12 & Y14). All participants are promoted to the DE’s after pools for all youth events. 80% are promoted to DE’s in Junior/Cadet/Division III events.

Registration: via USFA.org
Competitive USFA Membership is required.

Points: for Youth, Cadet, Junior, and Senior National point competitions (NACs, JOs, July Challenge, and National Championships), points will be awarded to the direct elimination table in which the top 32 (to a maximum of 40 percent) of the competitive field fall (rounded to the next lower integer) to a maximum of 64th place. If the top 32 cut-off falls within a pool round, the points will be awarded starting with the direct elimination round.

In the case of a tie, the points are averaged for each place involved (e.g., 3 tied for 25th receive the average of points for 25th, 26th, and 27th place). If a fencer is excluded from the competition, that place is left vacant, and no one receives the points for that place.

5. National Championships

Description: similar to NAC, but held only once a year during Summer Nationals. Qualification for all events is needed. National points may be awarded in this competition.
Note: Birth-year eligibility is necessary for all events. Athletes must be U.S. citizens or Permanent Residents to compete in the National Championship

Events: Y10, Y12, Y14

Qualification Paths:

Youth 10 National Championships

  • Be on the Y10 National Point Standings at the regular fee entry deadline OR
  • Be on the Y10 Regional Youth Point Standings in your region at the regular fee entry deadline OR
  • Earn at least 60 Y12 Regional Points during the current season (Total points = an athlete’s top 3 point results)

Youth 12 National Championships

  • Be on the Y12 National Point Standings at the regular fee entry deadline OR
  • Earn at least 70 Y12 Regional Points during the current season (Total points = an athlete’s top 3 point results)OR
  • Earn at least 150 Y14 Regional Points during the current season (Total points = an athlete’s top 3 point results)OR
  • Place in the top 25% of the fencer’s division’s Y14 National Championship qualifying competition

Youth 14 National Championships

  • Be on the Youth 14 National Point Standings at the regular entry fee deadline OR
  • Earn at least 150 Y14 Regional Points during the current season (Total points = an athlete’s top 3 point results)OR
  • Place in the top 25% (round up) of the fencer’s division’s Y14 National Championship qualifying competition

Format: 2 rounds: 1 round of pools where fencers fence each person in their pool to 5 touches, and 1 round of direct elimination (DE) where fencers fence to either 10 points (Y10) or 15 (Y12 & Y14). All participants are promoted to the DE’s after pools.

Registration: via USFA.org.
Competitive USFA Membership is required.

Points: see the Points section of NAC.

See the USFA Classification Chart for competition rating here.
Finally, here are the whole 230 pages of the USA Fencing rules– have fun reading!

Note: Please remember that the USFA, the national governing body of the sport of fencing, may change these rules at times; if you subscribe to their notifications, you’ll stay updated on any changes.

We highly recommend the Academy of Fencing Masters blog and its Parents’ Guide to Fencing e-book for parents and anyone new to fencing.

Other tools:

This is a comprehensive guide on how to care for your fencing gear: from weapon and body cords, to cleaning your mask, glove, and bodysuit.

And don’t forget, any parent can email us with any questions at any time.

Good Luck!!

Go to the most-read links on our Website map, here.