Regional Qualifying Paths (RYC, SYC) for Y10, Y12 and Y14 Youth Fencing Championships

Updated on October 12, 2022 to reflect changes to the Athlete Handbook 2022/2023 released on October 4, 2022

Both the RYC and SYC are great venues for young fencers to earn qualifying points for Summer Nationals, hone their competition skills and prepare for the bigger venues at NACs and national championship events.

See How to Qualify for 2022/2023 Summer Nationals and July Challenge

See Age Eligibility Charts for the 2022/2023 season

Note:

When planning your youth fencer’s trip to the Summer National Championships, keep in mind US Fencing’s “cut” of the bottom 20% at the end of pools in Y12 and Y14 events at the national championship. This means fencers at the bottom 20% of the seeding tables after pools will be eliminated from the competition and will not be allowed to fence in the Direct Elimination rounds.

regional Youth circuit (RYC)

The Regional Youth Circuit (RYC) and the Super Youth Circuit (SYC) are both regional qualifying paths for youth Y10, Y12 and Y14 fencing championship events at Summer Nationals. Both circuits are designed for fencers to earn points to qualify to compete at Summer Nationals. They are open to all age eligible fencers without restriction.

Earning regional points at ryc to qualify for summer nationals

Fencers earn regional qualifying points when they compete in Regional Youth Circuit (RYC) tournaments held in their home region. For example, if you live in California, your designated region is Region IV, and your fencer must fence in RYCs in Region IV to earn qualifying regional points.

While a fencer is free to compete in RYCs outside their home region, they will not earn any qualifying regional points.

Take note that US Fencing designates 6 regions across the country. See US Fencing Region Map.

All participating fencers are awarded regional points on a sliding scale when they compete at an RYC within their home region. Regional points are awarded based on final placement and the size of the competitive field. Regardless of age group, the winner of an RYC event earns 100 regional points.

For young, inexperienced fencers, the RYC is an excellent venue to earn regional qualifying points. RYCs are less competitive than SYCs, as they draw in fewer top ranked fencers who are already on the National Points List.

There are no limits to the number of RYCs that a fencer can compete in. However, for purposes of calculating a fencer's qualifying points, only points from the top 3 results are counted.

Regional points earned at RYCs are valid only for the fencing year in which they are earned in order to qualify for Summer Nationals in that year. These points expire immediately after Summer Nationals.

Keep in mind that RYCs are not only qualifying competitions but they are also a great opportunity for young fencers to gain tournament experience and develop competition skills.

Check the Regional Points List here.

qualification for youth march nac

Y10 Events at March NAC

Unless a fencer already has national points and is on the National Points List, all fencers in the Y10 age groups must participate in, at least, one RYC or SYC, in the age and weapon category in which the fencer requests entry acceptance, as a pre-requisite to competing in the Youth March NAC

Y12 Events at March NAC

Unless a fencer already has national points and is on either the Y10 or Y12 the National Points List, all fencers in the Y12 age groups must participate in, at least, one RYC or SYC, in the age and weapon category in which the fencer requests entry acceptance, as a pre-requisite to competing in the Youth March NAC

ryc organizer

RYCs are organized by local clubs, and are usually within accessible distance for the majority of fencers. RYCs are sanctioned events, meaning that the organizer is required to strictly adhere to US Fencing tournament rules, and fencers must have US Fencing competitive memberships to participate.

pre-requisites for RYCs

- age eligibility (see age groups below for details) USA Fencing AGE CHART

- no citizenship requirements to compete in an RYC but a foreign fencer cannot compete in the championship event itself even when they earn the requisite number of qualifying regional points.

- no classification requirements to participate.

- minimum of 2 fencers competing in an event for regional points to be earned.

- to earn qualifying regional points, a fencer must compete in an RYC in his/her home region

Y10 RYC Events

Age eligibility - born 2012 to 2015 (for 2022/2023 fencing year)

Regional points are awarded to all fencers who compete, with a maximum of 100 points awarded to the winner of the event.

For a Y10 fencer, the RYC path to qualify for the Y10 championship is straightforward. Since RYC points are awarded to all fencers who complete their RYC event, a Y10 fencer simply needs to compete in one Y10 RYC event in the relevant weapon to qualify for the championship.

A Y10 fencer can also qualify for the Y10 championship event by earning at least 60 Y12 Regional Points during the current season (total points=an athlete’s top three point results).

Y12 RYC Events

Age eligibility - born 2010 to 2013 (for fencing year 2022/2023). Fencers born after 2013 must be on the Y10 National Points List

Regional points are awarded to all fencers who compete, with a maximum of 100 points awarded to the winner of the event.

To qualify for a Y12 Championship event at Summer Nationals through the RYC path, an age eligible and citizenship qualified fencer must accumulate a minimum of:

70 Y12 regional points (total from the 3 best results) in the relevant Y12 RYC event during the current season or 2021/2022 season OR
150 Y14 regional points (total from the 3 best results) during the current season or 2021-22 season

For example, if you live in Region 5, and your fencer plans to fence in the Y12 Women's Saber championship at Summer Nationals, then she must accumulate a minimum of 70 points from her 3 best RYC results from the current season or the 2021/2022 season and be on the Region 5 Regional Points List for Y12 Women's Saber to qualify.

Y14 RYC Events

Age eligibility - born 2008 to 2011 (for fencing year 2022/2023). Fencers born after 2011 must be on the Y12 National Points List

Regional points are awarded to all fencers who compete, with a maximum of 100 points awarded to the winner of the event.

To qualify for a Y14 Championship event at Summer Nationals through the RYC path, an age eligible and citizenship qualified fencer must accumulate a minimum of 150 regional points (total from the 3 best results) in the relevant Y14 RYC event in the current season only.

For example, if you live in Region 4, and your fencer plans to fence in the Y14 Women's Foil championship at Summer Nationals, then she must accumulate a minimum of 150 points from her 3 best RYC results and be on the Region 4 Regional Points List for Y14 Women's Foil to qualify.

Find the complete list of RYCs and SYCs for 2022/2023 HERE

You register and pay to participate in these events through US FENCING. Be mindful of entry deadlines and participant caps.

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Super Youth Circuit (SYC)

Check the SYC Schedule HERE

The Super Youth Circuit (SYC), also a regional qualifying path for Summer Nationals youth championship events, is different from an RYC in that:

1) a fencer earns national points, not regional points, and

2) a fencer can compete in an SYC held anywhere in the country, unrestricted by home region.

earning national points at syc to qualify for summer nationals

National points at an SYC are awarded to the top 40% of the finishing field at an SYC, up to a maximum of 64 fencers. The number of points awarded at SYCs is equivalent to 0.8 of points awarded at national tournaments for the same event.

The SYC is a regional qualifying path for Summer Nationals youth Y10, Y12 and Y14 championship events. An SYC awards national points to the top 40% of finishers, up to a maximum of 64 fencers. For example, in a Y14 Men's Epee SYC event with a field of 95 fencers, the top 40% of finishers in the event, that is, 38 fencers will earn national points at the event.

All fencers who earn national points at an SYC will be placed on the relevant National Rolling Points Standing (NRPS) List, more commonly referred to as the National Points List. While there is no limit on the number of SYCs a fencer competes in, US Fencing only takes into account the points earned from the best SYC result in calculating a fencer's rank on the National Points List.

There are no restrictions on the location where a fencer may compete in an SYC. Fencers may compete and earn national points anywhere in the country without home region restrictions.

Because SYCs award national points, they are typically far more competitive than RYCs. All youth fencers, with rare exceptions, will vie to fill their SYC points bucket on the National Points List

Check the National Points List here

participation in an syc to qualify for youth march nac

Unless a fencer already has national points and is on the National Points List, all fencers in the Y10 and Y12 age groups must participate in, at least, one RYC or SYC, as a pre-requisite to competing in the Youth March NAC.

syc organizer

SYCs are typically organized by local fencing clubs around the country. SYCs are sanctioned events, meaning that the organizer is required to strictly adhere to US Fencing tournament rules, and fencers must have US Fencing competitive memberships to participate.

pre-requisites for an syc

- age eligibility (see age group details below) USA Fencing AGE CHART

- no citizenship requirements

- no classification requirements

While foreign fencers may compete in SYCs, earn national points and be ranked on the National Points List, they are not eligible to fence in any Summer Nationals youth championship events.

y10 SYC Event

Born 2012 to 2015 (for 2022/2023 fencing season)

The winner of a Y10 SYC fencing event earns 80 national points. The remaining top 40% of the field, up to a maximum of 64 fencers earn points on a sliding scale.

y12 SYC Event

Born 2010 to 2013 (for 2022/2023 fencing season) . Fencers born after 2013 must be on the Y10 National Points List

The winner of a Y12 SYC fencing event earns 120 national points. The remaining top 40% of the field, up to a maximum of 64 fencers earn points on a sliding scale.

y14 SYC Event

Born 2008 to 2011. Fencers born after 2011 must be on the Y12 National Points List

The winner of a Y14 SYC fencing event earns 160 national points. The remaining top 40% of the field, up to a maximum of 64 fencers earn points on a sliding scale.