In the new fencing season starting on August 1, 2023, strip coaching at fencing tournaments will be modified pursuant to a change to the Rules of Competition approved by the USA Fencing Board on April 16, 2023.

How the new modified rule works

In line with current practice at FIE tournaments, spectators (coaches, parents and others) can give advice to fencers between touches but they cannot give guidance during active fencing. Previously, coaches and parents could give advice during active fencing in a bout.

the confusion

On April 19, 2023, USA Fencing announced the strip coaching modification as follows:

“In another decision, the board voted to remove a USA Fencing-specific exception to FIE Rule t.109, regarding strip coaching. At FIE tournaments, and at tournaments operated by most other national fencing federations, strip coaching — the act of a coach verbalizing instructions during a bout — is not permitted. “

Based on feedback received by FP, this USA Fencing announcement has caused both consternation and confusion. Parents and coaches with limited experience in the international fencing circuit have interpreted the USA Fencing announcement to mean that the removal of the exception would end strip coaching at fencing tournaments in the US, with serious implications for both youth fencer development and coaching revenues.

Since the announcement is ambiguous, it will be helpful for USA Fencing to clarify what the strip coaching rule modification means.

Reasons for the change

The motion to remove the exception to the FIE rule provided 3 reasons for the proposed change. We understand that the Board approved the proposed change based on discussion around conforming with the FIE rules, but there was no discussion around the remaining 2 reasons given for the proposed change.

REASON 1 - This brings USA Fencing Rules of competition in line with current FIE rules regarding strip coaching.

The old rule (Article t.109) reads as follows:

“Everybody taking part in or present at a fencing competition must remain orderly and must not disturb the smooth running of the competition. During bouts no one is allowed to go near the strips. At no time is anyone allowed to criticize the Officials or their decisions, to insult them or to attempt to influence them in any way. Even the team captain must remain in the space assigned and may only intervene in the situations and in the manner provided for in Article t.130 of the Rules. The Referee must stop immediately any activity which disturbs the smooth running of the bout which he is refereeing (cf. t.137.1-3). Any person who, for any reason, threatens or insults an official commits an offence of the 4th group and is penalized according to Article t.169. In USA Fencing competitions, coaches and spectators are allowed to give advice to fencers, but cf. t.130, as well as t.131 and the associated USA Fencing note. In all situations, coaches and spectators must not disturb the order of the bout.”

The USA Fencing exception (in bold italics) to the FIE rules is now removed limiting coaching to the periods between touches only.

The enforcement of this new rule is the responsibility of the referee during the bout.

what constitutes coaching during active fencing?

There are many details for the Referee Commission to sort out in terms of what constitutes coaching during active fencing. We understand from several very experienced coaches and referees that even the FIE is inconsistent with how it applies the rules. Will telling a fencer how much time is left or how close they are to the end of the strip be a violation of the rule? These are the types of questions that the Referee Commission will need to work through and answer clearly before the modifications go into effect.

REASON 2 - mitigate the bullying behavior of coaches, parents and spectators on referees, especially young and new referees

It would be very valuable if USA Fencing shared data and statistics underlining the magnitude of the abuse and bullying problem against referees, and then connect the data to this particular reason.

The growth in the sport of fencing has brought with it an ugly downside, that of increasing abuse of referees, and especially abuse of teenage referees by both coaches and parents.

While the majority of coaches and parents are respectful of referees, there is a deplorable minority that engages in abusive and bullying behavior towards referees, especially towards teenage referees.

As a result of this misbehavior, the motion indicates that the Tournament Committee recommended that strip coaching be modified as a way to better protect referees from abusive behavior from coaches and parents.

We are in total agreement that referees must be protected at all times from the abusive behavior of coaches, parents and other spectators.

However, Here are a few of our observations:

• The official explanation given in the motion, to “….give the officials a means of enforcing appropriate conduct …” makes no sense, because the modification of strip coaching rules in no way gives the referee any additional enforcement tools or powers. The Referee Commission in its comments (Appendix G of the Meeting Agenda) to the proposed change said as much: the RC observed that “Referees currently have the means of enforcing appropriate conduct and this proposed rule change does not offer improvement in that regard.”

• Rules and procedures already exist to punish misbehaving coaches and parents, but they have been ineffective in deterring misbehavior. How will this modification of strip coaching “give officials a means of enforcing appropriate conduct?” Those means already exist.

  In our view, the rule modification increases the referees’ enforcement responsibilities. Referees will now have to additionally monitor parents and coaches during a bout to ensure that no coaching takes place during active fencing. This unnecessarily increases the risk of confrontation between the referee and coaches and parents in an environment where the referees already struggle with controlling spectator misbehavior.

  And what if a referee misses a crucial action while momentarily distracted to enforce the new rule?

  Did the Board inform itself on the answers to these questions before approving the rule change?

  • Are the current punishments for misbehavior insufficient?

  • Are the rules uniformly enforced?

  • Are too many misbehaving coaches and parents getting away with abusive and bullying behavior without consequence due to uneven enforcement?

  • Should naming and shaming be used as an additional deterrent for misbehavior that results in a black card at a tournament?

  • Will this rule change impose an unnecessary burden on an already burdened referee corps?

  • Will mandatory education on rules of appropriate spectator behavior (and punishments for non-compliance) mitigate the problem of abuse and bullying of referees?

• We are not confident that the rule modification of strip coaching will make any material difference in solving the serious problem of abuse and bullying of referees. So long as coaches, parents and spectators are allowed to remain in close proximity to the strip, the risk of strip coaching against the rules and the risk of abusive outbursts from those coaches and parents with poor anger management and emotional control skills remains.

• Overcrowding around strips during tournaments is a problem, and contributes to heightened stress and anxiety for coaches, parents and fencers. With the exception of one coach per fencer at the strip, parents and other spectators should be required to remain in designated areas away from the strips. In February 2020, FP supported the suggestion that USA Fencing build spectator stands at NACs to control overcrowding and abusive behavior from coaches and parents. While construction of stands may be costly, the creation of designated spaces for spectators is not. It simply requires the re-arrangement of space on the tournament floor.

REASON 3 - prepare our fencers for conditions that prevail in international competition

The performance of American fencers on the international stage has been stellar despite the strip coaching exceptions domestically. This is a weak reason to modify the strip coaching rules, especially for young fencers.

Cost-Benefit analysis

There appears to have been no cost-benefit discussion at the Board regarding the impact of the rule modification.

In our view, conforming with FIE rules of strip coaching for rank and file minor aged fencers, who form the vast majority of tournament participants, should not be a priority when weighed against the additional enforcement responsibilities referees must undertake to ensure compliance with the modified strip coaching rules. We are doubtful the rule change will mitigate abuse and bullying of referees, and we believe that the risk of abuse and bullying may escalate since there will now be an additional point for potential confrontation between the referee and spectators during a bout.