About Presiding / Refereeing
President's Duties
- To maintain order and discipline
- To supervise the assistants - judges,
time-keepers, scorers, ground/arm judges.
- To control the bout.
- To apply the rules pertaining to the
weapon conventions.
- To judge the matter of priority.
- To award hits.
- To penalise faults.
Deterimining Hits
- The phrase must be analysed
- The judges/electrical apparatus must be
observed at the same time.
- A descision must be made at which point
in the phrase one or possibly several lights have
illuminated/judges arms raised.
- The president must listen for the
buzzer/bell.
- The intervention of the
timekeeper/ground and/or floor judges must be taken
into account.
At the commencement of a
competition, match, bout
- The President calls the roll of
competitors.
- The President makes all necessary
safety checks.
- The President must ensure that all
equipment complies with the regulations of the
tournament.
- It is sometimes helpful to discuss with
the tournament organisers the rules in force at that
tournament. It is important that all participants i.e.
Team Captains, Coaches, Fencers are aware of the rules,
although it is their responsibility to find out.
However, prevention is better than cure. Trying to
establish the rules at the time of an arguement on the
piste may have been made easier by a clear
understanding of the rules at the commencement.
Tips whilst Presiding
- Try to remain consistent with
interpretation of phrases,priorities, descisions.
- If you are really not sure what took
place - say so responsibly. Be honest. Your fencers
will respect this - not too often of course.
- A good President is a strong President,
who is prepared to keep control of the bout, enforce
the rules and stand by his decisions.
- A fencer can only question a
President's decision on a matter of misunderstanding,
misinterpretation of the rules.
Regarding Seeing the Hit
Fencers are mobile. The President must
at all times have a clear and uninterrupted view of the
electrical apparatus whilst the bout is in progress. He
must change his position as the fencers change theirs.
Particular difficulty is always found in dealing with
hits on the blind side of the President. Not necessarily
so with judges.When presiding a left to right handed pair
of fencers, the President should ensure he is positioned
to view both open targets.
Terminology on the Piste
Regardless of anything heard by a
President the following is as per the B.F.A. Rules for competitions:-
Having made the necessary prelimary
checks the President should put the fencers on guard
using the expression "On Guard".
Having noticed the fencers salutying
the President, judges, their opponent and any
spectators, the President will satisfy himself that the
fencers appear ready and then ask "Are you ready?" and
upon seeing them or hearing them signify yes, he will
command "Play". There is no reason to stop fencing
until the President calls "Halt".
General
There is no subsititute for experience.
Some Presidents are more gifted than others. More and
more practice leads to better understanding, ability and
confidence as with everything else. The President must be
conversant with the Rules and in particular ammendments
as they are made.
For those not having already had an
opportunity of Presiding, a good initiation is continual
judging practice.
