Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference - 2003
IFA CHAMPIONSHIPS OPERATIONS MANUAL
Table of Contents
Introduction 2
Administration 2
Dates of Championship 3
Site of Championship 3
Rules of Tournament 3
School Colors 3
Equipment Inspection 4
Coaching 4
Scoring Equipment 4
Host Responsibilities 5
Venue 5
Medical Services 5
Sports Information 5
Armorer/Technician 6
Vendors 6
Scoreboards 6
Hospitality 6
Computer 6
Team Competition 6
Order of Events 6
Format 6
Team Placement 7
Composition of Teams 8
Incomplete Teams 9
Substitutions 9
Individual Championships 11
Officials for the Tournament 12
Bout Committee 12
Jury of Appeal Error! Bookmark not defined.
Officials 12
Budget for the Tournament 14
Preliminary Budget 14
Disbursements, Reports, Repayments 15
Items for Inclusion in the Budget 15
Index 17
INTRODUCTION
This manual contains the rules for the operation of the Intercollegiate Fencing Association (IFA) Championships. Any situation not specifically covered herein will be decided by the Bout Committee if a ruling must be made at the tournament. The method of amendment is by resolution of the IFA Coaches, who shall recommend to the IFA Athletic Directors for enactment, or by the direct initiative of the IFA Athletic Directors.
ADMINISTRATION
1. The "IFA Coaches" consists of the head fencing coaches of the IFA institutions. The Chair of the IFA Coaches is the coach of the host institution for the upcoming IFA Championships. The Chair's tenure shall be for one (1) year, from the termination of the previous tournament until the termination of the tournament hosted by the Chair's institution.
2. The IFA Coaches will meet the third Friday of September unless it is specifically changed to consider agenda items and/or new business which affect the welfare of the IFA, the tournament, intercollegiate fencing, and other pertinent matters of common concern. An institution may be represented by an appointed delegate other than its head fencing coach. On matters requiring a vote, each school is allotted one (1) vote. A quorum for conducting business will be no less than 50% of the member institutions. Proxies may be given only for specific agenda items requiring a vote. Proxies shall not count in determining a quorum. Proxies must be in writing. A proxy empowers one institution’s delegate to cast a vote on behalf of another institution.
3. The "IFA Athletic Directors" consists of those Athletic Administrators nominated by their respective IFA member institutions to govern the IFA. The Chair of the IFA Athletic Directors is elected by that body.
MEMBERSHIP IN THE IFA
1. Only men's and women's varsity fencing teams whose institutions are members of the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) and the IFA may compete in the IFA Championships.
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2. Teams seeking to join the IFA should have an institutional Athletic Administrator send a letter to the Chair of the IFA Coaches prior to September 1 of the academic year prior to the academic year in which the team wishes to begin competing. Upon receipt of a written request, the IFA Coaches will vote whether or not to make a recommendation to the IFA Athletic Directors for a team's inclusion in the following season's Championships. The Athletic Directors may invite into membership any new school whom they deem to be a proper opponent and an asset to the Championships. Criteria for invitation may include such factors as former membership, fencing tradition, schedule including IFA members, institutional compatibility.
3. Total membership in the IFA may not exceed fourteen (14) men's teams and fourteen (14) women's teams.
TOURNAMENT
A. GENERAL
1. DATES OF CHAMPIONSHIP: The Saturday prior to the regional championships. (The preferred date is the first Saturday in March but not to include March first through fifth.) If an institution cannot provide sufficient space to hold it on only one day, the championships will be held on Saturday and Sunday. (Every effort possible should be made to host the event ONLY on Saturday and Sunday as it is impossible to adequately provide officials on a weekday.)
2. SITE OF CHAMPIONSHIP: There will be a rotation of tournament hosts as determined by the IFA Athletic Directors, with at least a two (2) year advance notification given to the host. If, due to an emergency, the anticipated host institution is unable to stage the tournament, the IFA Athletic Directors will confer promptly to determine a substitute host.
3. RULES OF TOURNAMENT: National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) rules which incorporate the United States Fencing Association (USFA) Rules of Competition will be used, except as may be specifically stated to the contrary in advance of the tournament. All three weapons will be contested using electrical scoring equipment.
4. SCHOOL COLORS: Each competitor is required to wear the school's emblem or colors. Competitors may wear either standard white socks or colored socks. If colored socks are worn, they may be only the color(s) of that school.
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5. EQUIPMENT INSPECTION: Current USFA standards for equipment inspection will be followed. Masks and metallic jackets will be checked before fencing starts. Defective masks will be marked and impounded and returned to the coach or manager after the competition. Defective metallic jackets will be clearly marked.
6. COACHING: No time out for coaching is permitted during any bout in the tournament.
7. SCORING EQUIPMENT: Each competing institution is responsible for bringing to the tournament or arranging for the presence of the following equipment in tournamentready, fully functioning condition:
2 Foil/Épée/Sabre Scoring Machine with Extension Lights and, if possible, Scoring Lights.
4 Reels
4 Floor Cords
1 - Metallic Strip[1]
The institution's name should be clearly indicated on each item presented.
Each fencer representing an institution which does not fulfill the equipment requirement above by the start of the IFA Coaches' meeting the day prior to the tournament will start each bout in the team competition with a yellow card.
Each competing institution is also responsible for bringing to the tournament or arranging for the presence of the following equipment in tournament-ready condition:
1 Foil 500 Gram Weight
1 Épée 750 Gram Weight
1 Set of Gauges
1 Timing Device
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Teams will carry to their team matches the Foil Weight, Épée Weight, Gauges, and Timing Device that they have brought to the tournament.
An institution's Scoring Machines, Extension Lights, Scoring Lights, Reels, Cases, Cables, and Floor Cords will be returned in a condition equal to or better than when presented.
B. HOST RESPONSIBILITIES
1. VENUE: The number of strips will, preferably, equal the twice the number of competing teams if an even number of teams are competing or one (1) less than the number of competing teams if an odd number of teams are competing. If there is not sufficient space to hold that many strips safely, the number of strips will be the integer of one half the number of teams, but not less than ten (10). These strips are to be grounded metallic strips of regulation size and markings. A space on the competition floor is to be provided for the Bout Committee. This area is to have sufficient tables, chairs, and electrical connections for the computer.
2. MEDICAL SERVICES: The host institution shall provide a certified athletic trainer and, if possible, a physician at the venue for the entire duration of each day's fencing, i.e., from one (1) hour before the scheduled start of the competition to the completion of the last bout. Provisions shall also be made for emergency treatment, and for transportation to nearby medical facilities, if needed.
3. SPORTS INFORMATION: The host institution will be responsible for Sports Information functions including but not limited to: advance news releases, press credentials, media coordination, prompt duplication of results, news releases, final tabulations and reports of results to participating schools. The name of the recipient(s) of the Georges Cointe sportsmanship award is to be sent to the head fencing coach of Cornell University.
4. ARMORER/TECHNICIAN: The host institution will provide two competent and experienced technicians to oversee the installation and the proper functioning of the strips and the electrical scoring apparatus, and to oversee the inspection of equipment. It is not the responsibility or function of the tournament technicians to repair or maintain fencers' personal equipment.
5. VENDORS: If possible, the host institution should arrange for one or more vendors of fencing equipment to be present at the tournament, to provide equipment and/or repair services for purchase by the competing teams. This is not mandatory, and competing teams should come properly equipped rather than rely on lastminute purchases.
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6. SCOREBOARDS: The host institution shall provide a large clearly readable scoreboard for public view which shall display the progress of each of the weapon team events, the three-weapon men's team competition, the three-weapon women's team competition, and the six-weapon overall team competition. The host shall also provide a large public scoreboard for the finals in each weapon. Preferably, scoreboards are to be computer generated displays.
7. HOSPITALITY: The host institution is responsible for providing reasonable hospitality to coaches and officials in an area as close as possible to, but separate from, the competition venue.
8. COMPUTER: The host institution shall provide an IBM compatible personal computer (640K memory) with monitor, fast printer (with extra toner cartridge), and all necessary supplies. The Bout Committee Chair should be contacted by February first of the tournament year to insure that the proper equipment is available.
C. TEAM COMPETITION
1. ORDER OF EVENTS:
Team Event to completion.
Individual Events to completion.
Reporting and starting times will be announced on the IFA Championships Information Sheet, which is sent to all participating schools by the ECAC.
2. FORMAT: Prior to the Championships, a number (one through the number of competing teams) will be randomly assigned to each institution, and a rotation of matches will be established by the Bout Committee Chair or a person designated by the Bout Committee Chair. If an even number of teams will be competing, one team shall be designated to remain at the same strip(s) for the entire portion of the championships. This team shall be the one with the lowest finish in the five-weapon team championship at the previous tournament.
Each match between two (2) schools will consist of three (3) weapons, Épée, Foil and Sabre, for men and women in one meeting, in one of the following formats listed in order of preference:
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Format I
On three (3) adjacent strips per match with sabre on the middle strip in the following order:
On one strip, women’s épée, then men’s épée
On another strip, women’s sabre, then men’s sabre
On another strip, women’s foil, then men’s foil
Format II
On two (2) adjacent strips per match in the following order:
On one strip, men's sabre, then men's foil, then men's épée
On the other strip, women’s sabre, women's foil, then women's épée
Format III
On one (1) strip per match in the following order:
Women’s Sabre
Men's Sabre
Women's Foil
Men's Foil
Women's Épée
Men's Épée
In all three formats, the order of bouts within each weapon will be:
C versus C
B versus B
A versus A
3. TEAM PLACEMENT:
a. Each weapon team champion will be decided by the aggregate of individual victories scored by team members in that particular weapon
b. In the event of a tie in victories between two (2) or more teams for first place, placing will be declared equal. Custody of the trophy will be equally divided. Order of custody will be determined by drawing of lots.
c. Ties for team places other than first are resolved by indicators. The teams will share the particular place when a tie of indicators occurs.
d. There will be nine team championships titles:
1. Men's Épée team
2. Men's Foil team
3. Men's Sabre team
4. Men's three weapon team (total for three (3) weapons)
5. Women's Épée team
6. Women's Foil team
7. Women’s Sabre Team
8. Women's three weapon team (total for three (3) weapons)
9. Men's and Women's overall team (total for six (6) weapons)
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4. COMPOSITION OF TEAMS:
a. A full men's and/or women's team must be entered:
A full men's team consists of three (3) men competitors each in épée, foil and sabre.
A full women's team consists of three (3) women competitors each in épée, foil, and sabre.
No doubling up is permitted except as specifically noted herein. The final entry order may contain up to three (3) male substitutes and three (3) female substitutes for the team competition. It is not required to designate which weapon a particular substitute will fence.
b. Coaches must submit a final entry order to the Official Scorer not later than thirty minutes before the scheduled starting time.
c. Fencers are to be listed within each weapon with the strongest fencer designated as “A,” the next strongest as “B,” and the next strongest as “C.”
5. INCOMPLETE TEAMS:
a. If a men's team or a women’s team presents itself at the time of final entry or actual starting time with less than three (3) competitors in each weapon, the present team members will be allowed to compete. However, unless the incomplete team can sustain the burden of proof to show that it is incomplete due to a bona fide last minute emergency (e.g., vehicle accident, physical injury while warming up, etc.), that team will be placed on probation. Should that team be incomplete for any of the next four (4) years for other than a bona fide last minute emergency, the team members present will be allowed to compete but the school will be removed from the IFA at the conclusion of the tournament. The bout committee is to decide whether or not any incomplete team is due to a bona fide last minute emergency.
The method of notification of placing a team on probation or removing a team from the IFA is to be by written communication as follows: