Tournament Request Form

Name

First Name

Last Name

Email Address

Club/Organization

Enter the name of the club/organization that is requesting to host the tournament.

Name of Tournament

Enter the name of the tournament if you have decided on one (this can be changed).

Events

Enter each event that you wish to have.

Location

Enter the address where the tournament will be held.

Address 1

Address 2

City

State/Province

Zip/Postal Code

Country

Tournament Start Date

YYYY

Tournament End Date

YYYY

Equipment Request

Please list all TN Division equipment you are requesting to use.

Equipment Pick-up Date

This is the date you will pick up the equipment from the Division Chairman.

YYYY

Equipment Return Date

This is the date you will return the equipment to the Division Chairman.

YYYY

Comments

Rated Referee Name

Sanctioned tournaments are required to have a minimum of one rated referee. Referee must have a rating between N1-L2, P (Pass) is NOT considered a rating.

First Name

Last Name

Weapons

What weapons are this referee rated in?

Foil

Epee

Saber

Rating

What is the highest rating this referee holds?

SANCTIONING

Submit the "Tournament Request" form located above. The Executive Committee will review the request, and either approve or denied it (and provide a reason for the denial). Any requested date that conflicts with a TN Division-owned event will be denied. Any requested date that conflicts with a club-owned tournament and offers at least one identical event, will likely be denied. If a competition has been denied sanction, the tournament organizer may request an executive committee meeting for further discussion. The tournament organizer may attend the meeting, but will have no Voting power.

From the TN division Operating Guide (8/2023)

6.1 Requirements for Division Sanctioning of Tournaments

To be a Division sanctioned USA Fencing tournament, the tournament must meet these minimum requirements:

1. The tournament must be announced at least 14 days before it begins. That announcement must be in a public forum, such as a publicly accessible web page, flyer, or announcement on “AskFred” or its equivalent, and must state the competitions to be contested, all fees that will be charged, and the name and contact information of the person to whom notices of withdrawal must be sent (See Section 10.1, below).

2. The tournament must appear on the official Division calendar as published on the Division web site and such social media and other sites as the Division may utilize. Submit the "Tournament Request" form located above. The Executive Committee will review the request, and either approve or deny it (and provide a reason for the denial). Any requested date that conflicts with a TN Division-owned event will be denied. Any requested date that conflicts with a club-owned tournament and offers at least one identical event, will likely be denied. If a competition has been denied sanction, the tournament organizer may request an executive committee meeting for further discussion. The tournament organizer may attend the meeting, but will have no Voting power.

3. The hosting club or location and organizer must be insured for the full course of the tournament, in compliance with guidelines published by USA Fencing. This insurance must be through the USA Fencing club insurance program, or the equivalent from a third-party vendor. If the insurance is written by a third-party vendor, the Division reserves the right to obtain and approve a copy of the insurance policy (or its declarations) before sanctioning a tournament.

4. The competition must follow the rules of USA Fencing.

5. The competition must use a tournament format approved by USA Fencing (See USA Fencing’s current Athlete Handbook for approved formats).

6. All tournament officials (e.g., bout committee, referees, armorers, medical staff) and such other persons as USA Fencing policy designates must meet USA Fencing’s requirements for U.S. Center for SafeSport certification, background check clearance and other qualifications, and where mandated, one or more referees of the required level must be present for the duration of the competition.

All sanctioned tournaments are REQUIRED to have at least one 'rated' referee. Passing the referee exam (P) does not constitute a rating. After taking a referee seminar/clinic and passing the written exam, a referee must take a practical, which means they must be observed by a Certified Referee Observer (appointed by National Office) in order to receive a rating. For more information about becoming a referee and the ratings process, please click HERE.

Tournament Organizers are ultimately responsible for validating that their hired Officials are within compliance of the Professional Membership and Background Check requirements. Please ensure your Officials are valid and screened using the required SafeSport process and the USA Fencing-approved . For more information, see the Policy Documents posted on the SafeSport page at USFencing.org.

DIVISION SANCTIONING FEES

During the 2023-2024 fencing tournament season, the following qualification procedures shall apply to enable the Division to sanction club-sponsored tournaments:

a. The Division’s tournament fee for each club’s sanctioned tournament will remain $5.00 per fencer, per tournament (i.e., one $5.00 fee per fencer, regardless the number of events in which the fencer may participate in the same tournament).

b. The Division’s tournament fee shall only apply to a club’s first three sanctioned tournaments held during the same fencing season (August 1st through July 31st). For the fourth sanctioned tournament (or more), the Division’s tournament fee shall be waived.

c. If the Division does not receive the club’s payment of the tournament fee within 30 calendar days after the Division submits its tournament fee invoice to the club, then any request from the delinquent club seeking Division sanction for its next tournament cannot be granted, until the Division has received the club’s delinquent tournament fee payment for all prior tournaments for which the Division has submitted invoice(s) to the club, and more than 30 calendar days have elapsed without the Division receiving the club’s tournament fee payment(s) .

RESULTS REPORTING/CLASSIFICATION CHANGES

Once a tournament has ended, the COMPLETE results (the Fencing Time results file) must be forwarded to the Division Secretary along with a Classification Change Report (if there are any changes) AND an Event Referee Form. DO NOT send the results directly to USA Fencing, as they will NOT process classification changes without the consent of a Division Officer. Without these three items, classification changes will NOT be made. These forms should be submitted to the Division as soon as possible, and no later than 1 week after the tournament has ended.

Tournaments

Tennessee Division