| The standard format for most amateur fencing | | | | relative to the other fencers eliminated in the |
| competitions is a round of pools to seed the | | | | round based on the seeding out of the pool round. |
| fencers on the day, followed by a direct | | | | The only way to move up the rankings in the final |
| elimination round to determine the final placing of | | | | results is to win promotion to higher rounds in the |
| the fencers. The direct elimination format is what | | | | progression of round of 128, of 64, of 32, of 16, |
| other sports call a single elimination; one loss and | | | | and of 8. |
| you are eliminated from the tournament. | | | | Third, the number of touches has changed. You |
| The tactical environment of the direct or single | | | | no longer are fencing for 5 hits, but for 15 (for |
| elimination portion of a fencing tournament is | | | | Youth 14 and above), 10 for Veterans, or to win |
| fundamentally different from the environment of | | | | two of three 5 touch bouts for Youth 12 and |
| the pool round. First, the fencer no longer faces a | | | | under (these are United States rules - those in |
| representative selection of opponents. Instead the | | | | other national fencing federations may differ). This |
| fencers he or she faces are the numerical | | | | allows some flexibility for reconnaissance, and runs |
| opposite in the seeding. If the fencer is seeded in | | | | of touches (and controlling the opponent's runs) |
| the upper half of the tableau the first bout will be | | | | become very important. |
| with a weaker opponent. For fencers seeded in | | | | However, the number of touches in any bout is |
| the bottom half of the tableau, the first bout is | | | | unimportant as long as you win. A 15-14 score is |
| with a stronger opponent. This separation will | | | | as good as a 15-0 (except, of course, in terms of |
| continue through at least the round of 32 and | | | | energy management). |
| probably the round of 16. | | | | Given that the direct elimination is very different |
| In the seeding process it is important to | | | | from the pool round, it seems obvious that |
| understand that the intent is not to be fair and | | | | training should include club or salle single elimination |
| match like opponents. On the contrary, the | | | | events. We tend not to do this because it denies |
| objective is to make it as hard as possible for | | | | weaker fencers an even number of bouts, and |
| weaker fencers, or those off their game, to end | | | | because everyone wants to fence. Being knocked |
| up in the semifinal and final rounds. The properly | | | | out in the first bout is frustrating for fencers. |
| seeded direct elimination will end up with the two | | | | However, by not practicing the direct elimination, |
| strongest fencers in the final. | | | | we do not develop the full range of tactical |
| Second, the fencer's range of final placing is | | | | challenges our fencers will face. Five touch |
| essentially set by the results of the pool round. | | | | practice bouts in the club prepare our fencers for |
| When the fencer loses in a direct elimination | | | | pools, but we need to practice all of the parts of |
| round, the final placing will be his or her position | | | | competition, not just the pool experience. |