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Whilst accessing this document in word on computer, clicking on any item in the following contents should take you directly to that part of the document. This is not a substitute for reading the whole document at the start of the season, but will hopefully speed up your access to specific bits of information during the season.

The ranking point system *

Who appears on the ‘Senior’ ranking list? *

Who appears on the ‘Junior’ ranking list? *

Who appears on the ‘Cadet’ ranking list? *

Ranking lists *

Carry over *

List of Carry over points for the start of the new season *

Cadet ranking lists *

Selection of cadets for World Cadet Championships *

Selection of cadets for European Cadet Championships *

Appeals and selection disputes *

Selectors *

Selection for overseas event *

Selection of fencers who have not competed this season *

Replacement of fencers selected for but not attending foreign competitions *

Next year’s carry over *

How points are awarded *

NIF Counts *

Position multiplier *

Competition grading *

Ranking point calculation Example 1 *

Ranking point calculation Example 2 *

Where to find the up to date Cadet ranking list *

Overseas trips *

Consequences of selection for overseas events *

Names on jackets *

Cadet Epee Squad Hoodies *

British Team Tracksuits *

Behaviour *

Training *

Changes to the season *

Publication of changes *

There are three different levels of ranking points running simultaneously in this country.

• They are; Senior, Junior, and Cadet.

The senior ranking point system is all-inclusive, everyone who is 13 or older (that is to say, year of birth 1994 or earlier) is able to enter Opens and is therefore a senior. It is based on results in all the Opens, the British Championships, and senior International events.

The junior ranking point system is restricted to those who are under 20 (that is to say are born between 1988 and 1994), this effectively means that it is for fencers who are aged between 13 and 20. It is used in the selection of the team for the World Junior Championships and the European Junior Championships.

The Cadet ranking point system is restricted to those who are under 17. It is used in the selection of the team for the World Cadet Championships, which is a part of the World Junior Championships. ‘Under 17’ is therefore defined as being under 17 at the beginning of the year of the World Junior Championships. We are presently working towards the 2008 World Junior Championships so it is your age on the 1^st January 2008 that is important. Those born in or after 1991 are eligible to be part of the cadet ranking list.

All the ranking systems are based on points. Points on the cadet ranking list are obtained from results in Cadet Nominated or Cadet Specified events.

Some of these events will also be nominated for junior and may also count for senior points. So some results may earn you three different sets of points at the same time, and many of you will finish the season with a Senior, a Junior, and a Cadet ranking.

If, at the beginning of the new season, everyone started from scratch there would be no information from which to seed the first event of the season. If we had an international trip early in the season we could be selecting based on only one result. To avoid this the season starts with a ranking list based on carry over points. These carry over points are 30% of the previous year’s end of season points. These points remain on the system until after the third nominated event of the new season. For the 2007-8 season that will be after the British Cadet Championships on Saturday 6^th October.

The following is the cadet-ranking list as at the start of the season.

There are two cadet-ranking lists, with two slightly different purposes. One is used for selecting the team for the World Cadet Championships and the European Cadet Championships. The other is used for selecting the squad for other overseas events.

One of the main reasons for operating the ranking point system is to select a team for the World Cadet Championships. This season’s Worlds Cadet Championships is in Italy early in April 2008.

Three cadets will be selected to go to the World Cadet Championships and one will be selected to be the non-travelling reserve. Subject to appeal they will be the three fencers who have the highest score on the GB Boys Cadet Epee ranking list at the end of the season, plus the reserve who will be the fourth highest scoring fencer. This score is based on their highest scoring seven results from the following events;

These events are referred to as ‘Nominated’ events.

Four cadets will be selected to go to the European Cadet Championships and one will be selected to be the non-travelling reserve. Subject to appeal they will be the four fencers who have the highest score on the GB Boys Cadet Epee ranking list after the trip to Dinant in January, plus the reserve who will be the fifth highest scoring fencer. This score is based on their seven highest scoring results from the following events;

Should there be any dispute about selection British Fencing has an appeals process through the International Committee.

The selectors for the coming season are Tom Cadman, Rodney Francis and John Haynes.

The top sixteen fencers (plus an additional 8 ‘guests’ in the case of Dinant) will be invited to travel to and compete in the four international events as the GB Boys Cadet Epee squad. They will be the sixteen fencers who have the highest score on the GB Boys Cadet Epee Overseas Selection ranking list, on the relevant selection date. This score is based on their seven highest scoring results from the following events (that have occurred up to the date of selection)

These events are referred to as ‘Selected’ events. As you will see all nominated events are also Selected events.

Please remember selection for the first international of the season will also include carry over points from the end of the previous season. Carry over points will be removed from the ranking list after the third nominated domestic event.

We will not select anyone who has not scored ranking points at any of the selected events in the season even if they have sufficient carry over points to qualify for selection to the first international.

Please note. If for any reason a fencer selected to travel abroad cannot attend their place may be offered to the next fencer down the ranking list.

Please note. It is the overseas selection ranking list that is used for the calculation of carry over points.

Points are awarded based on the final position for fencers who reach the last 64 provided that this also puts them in the top 75% of those competing.

In the largest events (including foreign events), those with a NIF count of over 70, this is extended so that points will be awarded to those who finish in the last 96 provided that this also puts them in the top 75% of those competing. Points for those finishing between 65 and 96 inclusive, will only count for the overseas selection ranking list. These points will not count for the World Championships selection ranking list.

Points are calculated by multiplying the NIF (Notional International Fencer) count, (this represents the relative strength of the event), by the factor assigned for the fencer’s final position, and then further multiplying by any other grading.

Competitions’ relative strength is expressed by their NIF (Notional International Fencer) count.

For opens this is calculated based on the number of fencers taking part in the event that finished in the top fifty of the senior ranking list on the previous 1^st March or 1^st September. Those who were ranked 1-10 add six points to an event NIF count. Those who were ranked 11-20 add three to the NIF count and those ranked from 21-50 add one point. If there are any significant international fencers participating in an open they will also add to the NIF count. There are a few opens that have moderately large entries and not many top fencers present. To avoid these events having an artificially low NIF count the minimum NIF count for an open is 25% of the number of fencers participating.

For the British Cadet & Junior Championships a similar system is used but instead of using the senior ranking list they use the results of the previous years Cadet and Junior ranking lists excluding those fencers who are now too old to take part.

For the Leon Paul events the NIF count will be the number of fencers fencing in the appropriate age group.

For overseas cadet events the NIF count will reflect the size and relative strength of the event.

Final positions between 1 and 64 are all allocated multipliers as listed below.

Final positions between 65 and 96 are all allocated multipliers as listed below. Please remember these only count at opens and internationals where the NIF count is 70 or greater, and then only count toward the overseas selection ranking list.

Competitions are further graded for their cadet relevance. See following table.

At this year’s Bristol Open there are 80 entries, among which are the fencers who finished 1^st, 2^nd, 11^th, 12^th, 13^th, 22^nd, 23^rd, and 24^th in last year’s senior rankings.

The NIF count for this event would be 24 (1^st & 2^nd are worth 6 points each, 11^th 12^th & 13^th are worth 3 points each and the other three are worth 1 point each. 6+6+3+3+3+1+1+1=24)

If John finished 27^th he would score 748.8 Cadet ranking points

If Paul finished 58^th he would score 216 Cadet ranking points

If Peter finished 63^rd he would receive no ranking points because although he finished in the top 64 he did not finish in the top 75%.

At this year’s Arnold Leon Paul there are 20 entries in the under 17’s. The NIF count would therefore be 20.

If John finishes 2^nd he would score 180 Cadet ranking points

However these points would only count on the overseas selection ranking list because the Arnold Leon Paul is a selected event not a nominated event.

Both of the cadet ranking lists (World Selection & International Selection) are available on the Internet courtesy of Rodney Francis.

The site address is: http://www.rodneyfrancis.f2s.com

If you have problems with this you can access the site by following the links from the British Fencing site at: http://britishfencing.com/

Information may also be available through the Epee Committee web site

http://www.one4all.plus.com

GB Boys Cadet Epee also now have their own web site where you can find lots of relevant cadet information.

http://www.gbboyscadetepee.co.uk

The ultimate goal of any Cadet should be to be in the British team for the World Cadet Championships and to obtain the best possible result therein. Selection for this usually depends on overseas results.

Please be warned overseas events are not without cost. There is no central funding for these events. These trips are funded purely by the fencers who take part in the trip.

You will be expected to meet the cost of the trip. This is usually about £200 to £300. This includes competition entry fee, travel (usually by air), accommodation (B&B) and your share of the officials’ expenses. It may not include midday and evening meals and will not include other personal expenditure. You should normally allow about £20 per day for this. You will need to arrange transport to and from the meeting point (usually the airport).

To fence abroad you will need the following FIE kit,

• 800N underplastron
• 800N Jacket
• 800N Breeches
• 1600N Mask
• A minimum of 2 Maraging bladed epees (we would prefer 3)

This is in addition to all the rest of their standard kit, socks, 2 body wires, glove etc.

There has been a fashion in the past for having your name and GBR on the back of your jacket for your first trip abroad. This is not necessary. Names are only required on jackets for A grade events. However while it is not required it is allowed.

There has to be some indication that you have achieved selection for and participation in an overseas event. Those cadets who travel to an overseas event as part of a GB Boys Cadet Epee squad will be eligible for a British Youth Epee Fencing hoodie. They are available through me upon selection. Hoodie is compulsory for squad members.

Those cadets who are selected for the Great Britain team for either the European Cadet Championships or the World Cadet Championships will be eligible to wear a GB tracksuit this is normally provided free of charge by British Fencing.

Those fencers travelling abroad are, in doing so, acting as ambassadors for their sport and their country. Misbehaviour will not be tolerated. Those invited to addend overseas trips will be expected to sign a ‘code of conduct’ before embarking on the trip.

The four foreign trips that we organise are not mini holidays. They are serious excursions to an elite level of competition. As such we expect fencers in the squad (regardless of age) to take the event seriously. We expect fencers to do everything in their power to get the best result possible. This includes getting a good night’s sleep before the event, eating and drinking sensibly in preparation for the event, presenting with all their kit in good working order, warming up sensibly before the event and again before each round as appropriate.

Further, we would expect those fencers who are likely to be in the squad to have a sensible training plan, a plan to get them into the squad, to build up to an international event, and to get them to the next international event.

We expect that every cadet aspiring to fence in the squad will make every effort to attend all the training offered by GB Boys Cadet Epee, and that it is included as a central part of their training plan. We would further suggest that those cadets in their final season give serious consideration to attending all the Junior training weekends run by Peter Barrett.

None of this is to say that the foreign trips are not, or will not be fun. They are an excellent opportunity to travel, meet people and experience life. They are always fun.

Please note. All of the information above relates the ranking point system as we expect it to be run during this season, however the international committee has not published the official version of the points system for the 2008 season. The list of specified and nominated events is likewise based on the calendar as we expect it to be. If it turns out that foreign events clash with domestic events or the nature of domestic events change the list of nominated and specified events may also change. Both of these problems are a product of GB Boys Cadet Epee starting its season so early. We will publish any changes to this system, if there are any, as soon as we are aware of them.

We believe that you deserve the best opportunity to plan your season and so provide as much information as possible as soon as possible, however as a result of publishing early the information contained in this document can not be seen as cast in stone, it may be subject to change.

Any changes will be emailed to those who have submitted their email addresses to me. They will be displayed at Selected and Nominated events, they will be published on the GB Boys Cadet Epee web site.