Fencing Tournaments

Fencing competitions are available at the local, Regional, National, International, Middle School, High School and Collegiate levels. New Jersey has the most Varsity High School Fencing Programs in the county. Durkan Fencing Academy has athletes competing at every level (ages 6 to 60+!) so we can help you reach your goals and beyond. Our coaches are here to help you plan a tournament schedule for your age group and fencing level.

All Durkan fencers must be current members of USA Fencing. Click Here for a helpful guide on obtaining your USA Fencing Membership Online. If you plan on going to Fencing Tournaments you will need a USA Fencing Access Membership (for local competitions) or Competitive Membership (for local, regional and National competitions). If you won’t be competing in tournaments, USA Fencing non-competitive memberships are available for just $10.

DURKAN FENCING TIP - The USA Fencing Season is August 1 to July 31st so you will need to renew your USA Fencing membership yearly in August.

Local Competitions - Many level of tournaments (beginner to elite) can be found on AskFred (Fred = Fencing Results and Events Database). Durkan Fencing Academy regularly hosts local events which can be found here. Local tournaments can be “Sanctioned” (by USA Fencing) — meaning the event is an official USA Fencing event and letter ratings can be earned or “Unsanctioned” — meaning it is a practice or “just for fun” tournament and letter ratings cannot be earned.

Regional Competitions - New Jersey and the Northeast is in USA Fencing Region 3. Attending events in our region will give you the opportunity to earn Regional Points, which can qualify you for National Competitions. Regional Event Categories are: RYC, RJCC, ROC. Regional events are held August through the first weekend in May (no regional events in May/June/July). You can read more about Regional event categories on the sidebar.

National Competitions - USA Fencing hosts eight National Fencing Competitions each season, they are called NAC or “North American Cups.” They are held each month October through April with the July Challenge/Summer National Championships in late June/July. National events reward National Points to fencers finishing in the top 32

DURKAN FENCING TIP - Read USA Fencing’s “Fencing for Parents” guide here.

High School Fencing - Fencing is one of the fastest growing High School sports in New Jersey and New York! Many High School fencers practice at Durkan Fencing Academy and our Coaches are very experienced with training high school athletes and preparing them to be the most competitive team members. NJ High School Fencing Link.

College/NCAA Fencing - Did you know Fencers have one of the highest chances of getting a college athletic scholarship? Durkan Fencers have been recruited to many of the Top US colleges. Click Here for more information on our College Fencing

USA Fencing Event Classification Chart/ Letter Rating Chart

Age/Classification of Fencing Tournaments

Regional Fencing Event Categories

RYC - Regional Youth Circuit, Open to “youth fencers,” usually ages 6 to 14. Events usually include Y10, Y12 and Y14. Sometimes there are Y8 events, these don’t count as regional events because there are no Y8 regional points. Read tip below about how to determine your fencer’s age group.

RJCC - Regional Junior Cadet Circuit, Open to Junior and Cadet fencers. Cadets is open to fencers ages 13 to 17 and Juniors is open to fencers ages 13 to 20.

ROC - Regional Open Circuit, Open to fencers age 13 (and those turning 13 this season) and older. These events are usually divided into Div 1A and Div 2. Anyone can fence Div 1A (letter ratings of A, B, C, D, E, and U/unrated). Fencers with an A or B rating cannot fence in Div2. (If you don’t have a letter or rating, you can definitely fence Div2! Div2 is for C, D, E and U/unrated fencers).

DURKAN FENCING TIP - USA Fencing events will go by the Fencer’s BIRTH YEAR, not AGE!!! So even if you’re turning 13 you may be in the Y12 age category. OPEN or SENIOR events are for fencers age 13 (or with a birth year turning 13) . There is overlap so you may compete in more than one age group!

USA Fencing Regional Events Points Calculation

At RYCs and RJCCs all competitors will earn points based on the formula below:

((# entries – place + 1) / # entries) x 100 points

At ROC competitions (Division I-A, Division II, and Veterans) points are awarded to the top 40% of the competitive field (rounded up to the next higher integer) to a maximum of 64th place.

(Regional Points do not trickle down to the next age category)

USA Fencing Event Categories