Foil Mask and Referee Requirements

Foil Mask - Conductive Bib Requirement

The AFF Executive has quite recently become aware of an emerging proposal of the FIE Semi Commission to possibly require the homologation of the "retro bib" to existing foil masks. Such a proposal is still within the FIE policy consideration process. However, if adopted, this would raise a significant issue for the AFF under its current national competition equipment standard which requires fencers to compete in equipment at the current FIE standard.

Consequently the AFF Executive has decided to suspend the AFF's previous decision to require the conductive bib on foil masks for national open and veteran tournaments, pending further consideration of this matter at the upcoming AFF General Meeting in May.

In addition, the current Australian suppliers of Fencing equipment that have developed their own system for adapting current foil masks with a conductive bib, will be invited to have their adapted masks available for evaluation at the upcoming DH McKenzie Tournament in Canberra.

This evaluation, together with any formal statement from the FIE, will inform the AFF General Meeting. An updated statement will be issued after this May meeting.



Policy for Appointment of Referees

For national tournaments in 2008 the AFF adopted a new policy for the appointment of referees. This policy was reviewed and, with some minor modifications, was adopted by the December 2008 AFF General Meeting to apply for all open and veteran national tournaments from 2009.

The key updates for that policy are that:

• fencers are no longer required to notify and pay with their competition entry via State Associations of their non-involvement in the scheme. They must do so however at the time of roll call for their events at the national tournament, together with the required payment of the premium payment for not refeering.
• the red card penalty for initial refusal to participate and a black card penalty for subsequent refusal will apply from the first national tournament in 2009. From 2010, the refusal will incur a black card penalty.

An updated policy is here for information and circulation.