{"id":1887,"date":"2018-04-06T00:11:46","date_gmt":"2018-04-06T07:11:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.socaldivision.org\/?p=1887"},"modified":"2018-04-13T22:22:48","modified_gmt":"2018-04-14T05:22:48","slug":"your-first-tournament-part-two-pools","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.socaldivision.org\/your-first-tournament-part-two-pools\/","title":{"rendered":"Your First Tournament – Part Two: Pools"},"content":{"rendered":"
Benjamin Kim (Avant Garde Fencers Club) vs Joshua Li (Z Fencing) in Y14 Men\u2019s Saber at the SoCal Division Summer Nationals Qualifiers, April 2, 2017.<\/p><\/div>\n
An event in a fencing tournament consists of two parts, the first – Pools, and the second part, Direct Eliminations, which is based on the outcome of the pools.<\/p>\n
One of the biggest questions that new fencing families have is how long will an event take? My experience? If there are over 30 fencers, plan to be at the event all day. If there are less than 30 fencers, plan for at least three hours. There can be all kinds of delays, some small, some huge. An example of a small delay, at a small tournament, a fencer who has signed up is caught in traffic and because he has called ahead and is making all efforts to arrive on time, the organizers agree to hold the close of registration a few more minutes. A large delay? Sometimes, at larger tournaments, if there are not enough referees or strips, pools can be flighted. This means the pools will be divided into two groups. The first group will begin at the original, announced time and the second group will either begin at a later specified time, or will simply be assigned to a strip and will begin when the first pool has concluded. This past Junior Olympics in Memphis, TN, Cadet Men\u2019s Epee was flighted, so the first round of pools started at 8:00am, and the second one at 10:00am.<\/p>\n
If your fencer is a beginning fencer, chances are he or she will be nervous at the prospect of fencing in a tournament. Whether the tournament is large or small, if you can make the tournament the focus for the day, it can help your fencer feel more confident about fencing. This doesn\u2019t mean focus on results or winning. This means try not to have other events competing for attention with a tournament, so your focus is not pulled away from supporting your child to worrying about whether or not you will be able to make the next event, etc. Another recommendation is to maybe plan a celebratory family dinner, or even go to dinner with other fencers after the event. Whether or not your fencer comes home with a medal, he or she will have new experiences to review, things to celebrate as well as learn from, and always a story to tell. Enjoy!<\/p>\n
Things to know before Pools begin-<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Pools are posted generally 15 minutes after the close of registration (though there can be unforeseen circumstances that can delay the start, right?). When check-in closes, the bout committee take a few minutes to figure out the seeding based on who has checked in to the event. Then the pools are assembled. This cannot be done ahead of time because it is always possible that a fencer has not shown up for whatever reason. Be sure and listen to the loudspeaker or referees calling out fencers\u2019 names and strip assignments.<\/p>\n When pools are announced, fencers should be ready to grab their gear and make their way to the strip where the pool will take place. If a fencer is late reporting to the strip, he will be \u201ccalled\u201d to the strip. After second call, the fencer can get a yellow card.<\/p>\n Pools for bigger tournaments will be available online. Ask at check-in for the link if available. Pools for smaller tournaments will be printed out and posted on walls of the venue.<\/p>\n At the strip, fencers \u201ccheck in\u201d with the ref assigned to the pool. Checking in means letting the ref know he or she is at the strip. Fencers will also need to show the referee that all of their equipment passed inspection and that they are wearing chest protectors if required, and underarm protectors beneath their jackets. Fencers are required to have two working weapons. For more info on what you need to know before a tournament, go to: Your First Tournament \u2013 Part One: Getting to the Strip.<\/a><\/p>\n Prior to pools, fencers should check their weapons and make sure they work. They can do this by hooking the weapon up at the end of a strip and then testing the tip. You can also invest in a kit so that you are able to test the weapon at home before you arrive. The referee will check the weapon on the strip at the beginning of each and every pool bout, but your fencer should check and make sure his or her weapon is good to go before reporting for the pool.<\/p>\n They should check and make sure that no screws are missing from the tips prior to the start of pools.<\/p>\n Weapons that do not work will be taken from the fencer when the ref is checking the weapons prior the bout. Fencers should remember to get the sword after the conclusion of the bout. A parent can take the sword to the armorer to get it repaired. The sooner the better as often there is a wait time for repairs. If the weapon does not work at the beginning of the bout, the fencer will get a yellow card, which is basically a warning, however, two yellow cards become a red card and the opponent gets a point. If the second weapon doesn\u2019t work, the fencer will receive a red card. This has happened, and it is a foolish way to lose a point. Fencers can get yellow cards for other things during a bout, so that yellow card can be a problem. Luckily, the yellow card goes away at the end of the bout.<\/p>\n If a weapon passes the test at the beginning of the bout, but fails during the bout, which does happen, there is no penalty.<\/p>\n A fencer must salute his or her opponent and the referee at the beginning and end of every pool bout.<\/p>\n Pools are made up of all of the fencers entered (and checked in) in the event, with the top seeded fencers each getting their own pools.<\/p>\n Seeding works like this: Let’s say there are 35 fencers, or 5 pools of 7. The top seed is placed in the 1st pool, the 2nd seed in the 2nd pool, and so on, until each pool has one fencer. Then it goes into reverse. The 6th seed is placed in the 5th pool, the 7th seed in the 4th pool, and so on back to the 1st pool, until all pools have 2 fencers. Then the process reverses again and the 11th seed is placed in the 1st pool, the 12th seed in the 2nd pool, and so on. This zig-zag pattern continues until all the pools are filled.<\/p>\nHow Pools Work<\/h4>\n