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Solar Eclipse Update (April 8)— There appears to be considerable excitement and inquiries made to USA Fencing regarding implementing the double-flighted events policy. Please note that changes announced on April 1st were part of our annual tradition of playing with your mind on this day. Apparently, this worked 🙂

If you’ve recently participated in any national-level tournaments this season, you’ve probably observed a notable trend: the rise of double-flighted events. Typically, the Bout Committee releases all pool assignments the night before. Usually, two-flighted events occur for the morning rounds, with the first flight starting at 8 am and the second at 9:30 am. During these events, approximately half to two-thirds of the pools comprise the first flight, commencing at 8 am, while the second flight begins at 9:30 am. Fencers participating in the second flight must register by 9:30 am, eliminating the need for early morning arrivals. This double-flighted events pattern has been consistent in every NAC since the start of the season. While this arrangement may not always be optimal, it signals a promising surge in participation at the national level.

There’s been considerable debate among fencers surrounding the advantages and disadvantages of being in the first-flight pool versus the second-flight pool. Let’s break down some of the key points for the double-flighted morning events:

Pros of First Flight:

• Immediate start and completion of your pool, reducing pre-event anxiety.
• Typically, there are ample strips available for warm-up, especially for events starting at 8 am. This is because before 8 am, no events are actively running, so every strip in the venue is available for warm-up bouts.
• If you advance to the DE round, there is an opportunity to rest between pools and direct eliminations (DEs).
• If eliminated from the pools, an early competition conclusion allows for an early return home or the chance to start your day by 10 am, leaving plenty of time for other activities.

Cons of First Flight:

• Lengthy wait times of about 2 hours between pools and DEs, necessitating a new warm-up.
• Anxious wait for second-flight pool results if your performance in the first-flight is borderline, such as winning only 2 pool bouts.
• Early wake-up times, particularly challenging for West Coasters at East Coast tournaments.
• Breakfast timing can be tricky, with hotel breakfasts usually starting at 7 am and events commencing at 8 am. This can be especially challenging on the first competition day when you must be at the venue at 7 am for equipment check.
• If you need to stencil your jacket, you are at the mercy of the stenciling vendor, who might have a substantial backlog of uniforms to process, potentially leading to delays. In the worst-case scenario, this delay could result in a red card for non-conforming equipment in each bout if you opt to fence without a name on your jacket, at least during the pools. However, you can rectify this during the second flight and enter the DE round with your equipment compliant.

Now that we’ve explored the primary advantages and drawbacks of the first flight let’s turn our attention to a similar analysis of the second flight of pools.

Pros of Second Flight:

• Additional sleep time is a welcome reprieve for West Coasters adjusting to East Coast schedules.
• Shorter intervals between pool and DEs allow fencers to maintain warmth and focus.
• Opportunity to gauge the threshold for advancement and make strategic decisions during bouts, or at least have peace of mind knowing that your indicator allows you to advance even with poor performance as a fencer is able to check on the preliminary pool round results from the first flight 
• There is no need to stress out about equipment check lines and even jacket stenciling, since fencers can easily and conveniently accomplish both stress-free during the first-flight pools.
• Fencers can breeze in the atmosphere of the competition by just walking between the first round of pools and getting into the zone.

Cons of Second Flight:

• As with everything in life, nothing comes without its disadvantages, and the biggest disadvantage of the second flight is the difficulty finding available strips for warm-up while first-flight events are ongoing. Sometimes fencers need to warm up in corridors, in a space between pool pods (as seen in the photo above), or have a very short opportunity to fence on the strip freed from the first round.
• While somewhat less significant, it’s still worth noting that elimination from the pools results in an additional two hours spent in pools until their completion, potentially affecting post-competition plans. While top fencers typically anticipate staying until the event’s conclusion, hoping to fence in the top 8 at least, this consideration might be more pertinent for working parents, particularly if a fencer doesn’t yet have a track record of reaching the final rounds.

After considering these factors, it becomes clear that one group stands to gain the most from being scheduled for the second flight: West Coasters competing on the East Coast, particularly on the first day of tournaments. For them, the advantages of the second flight far surpass those of the first flight, while the disadvantages are comparatively minor. Even for those who arrive on the East Coast late the previous night (a common scenario for many West Coast fencers), being scheduled in the second flight and benefiting from the above reasons provides considerable relief.

However, until today, fencers were left in the dark about their pool flight assignment until the evening before the tournament, when the bout committee released event pools, and fencers noticed their event would be double-flighted.

That’s why we were thrilled when the USFA announced today availability of a new feature for double-flighted events. It’s a simple addition to the tournament registration process, promising ease of use.

During registration, fencers can now opt for the second flight by clicking a checkbox labeled “Register for Second Flight.” A fee of $50 will be charged upon check-in ($150 for late registrations).

Here’s how it works:

The bout committee uploads tournament registration data into Fencing Time, where fencers who have opted for the second flight are automatically assigned to second-flight pools. With the size of national double-flighted events, which can include as many as 300 or even 400 fencers, ensuring standard seeding and pool assignment and allocating designated fencers to the second flight is relatively straightforward and can be easily accomplished by the Fencing Time. In the highly unlikely event that the software cannot adhere to seeding rules, this fee will be credited back to the fencer for their next national event or membership renewal. This software enhancement is currently undergoing rigorous testing, with the USFA and Fencing Time committed to rolling it out in time for the October NAC.

We’re thrilled about this exciting addition to tournament registration. For West Coasters like us, competing on the East Coast presents significant logistical challenges, often requiring early wake-ups against our biological clocks and stressful mornings. Some fencers will be more than willing to pay a bit extra to secure a later start time.

However, the question arises: is the $50 price tag for this ability too high for this feature to fly (pun intended)? While we appreciate the flexibility to decide which flight is better for our circumstances and are confident that the fencing community will embrace this enhancement enthusiastically, paying an additional $50 might be a bit steep. Since it’s mostly a simple scheduling feature that doesn’t affect tournament capacity, a $20 price seems more reasonable. But in any case, this innovation is one of the best that USA Fencing has come with lately.

We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.