The Epee League Constitution and Rules (Revised July 2009)

Executive Summary

This document covers the rules and administration of an open fencing league for fencing clubs to enter from the East Midlands Region. The league has the following aims and objectives:

• Encourage interaction between regional clubs and fencers.
• Provide competition for club fencers in a social friendly environment.
• Assist fencer development by ensuring fencers meet a variety of opponents.
• Assist in raising the profile of the participating clubs through participation in the league.

All clubs with sufficient Epeeists in the region are eligible for the league and can apply to join.

League Teams

• 1 Team per club consisting of 3 people.
• An optional substitute fencer may be used at the end of a bout only. At least one bout notice must be given of the substitution.

Entry Fee

• £ 20.00 per team of which 80% will make up the prize fund. For example 4 teams = £64 prize fund.
• The other 20% being held to facilitate administration (administration & web hosting/domain names). For example 4 teams = £16 administration fund.

Format

• Matches fought using the relay system (first to 45) according to FIE rules. 9 bouts of 3 minutes fenced in following order:

• Each team will fight a 'Home' and 'Away' match against all the other entered teams during the course of the season.
• Due to the geographical spread of the clubs involved the league will attempt to organise fixtures such that three or more teams can meet and compete on each fixture date.
• The league season will run from November till the end of June of the following year with competitive matches starting in January.

Eligibility

• All entrants may only fence for one club.
• If possible a list of all eligible fencers is to be submitted prior to commencement of the season by each club. (This can be just a copy of your club membership list)
• All participants must be full BFA members (for insurance purposes).
• All participants must be aged 13 and above.

Club responsibilities

• Clubs will nominate a club league manager (head coach or other) and will provide a contact telephone number, email address and postal address.
• It will be the responsibility of the Home captains to return results with-in 5 days (by either email or phone-answer machine) -1 pt for late results to home side.
• Match reports from the both team captains should be submitted to the league administrator (no time limit on receipt). These need only be a few sentences (however no limit is imposed) and will be posted together with the result on the league website.

Match rearrangement

• Rearrangement of a match must be made a maximum of 28 days after the fixture date. Otherwise it is classed as a no show.
• If a match is rearranged to a neutral venue (if for example one clubs night is not convenient) both teams are expected to bear any venue hire costs equally.

League Points

• Away win = 4 pts
• Home win = 3pts
• Defeat = 1pts
• No show = -2pts (24hr rule)

Splitting level teams

If two teams are level on points at the end of the season the winner is decided by criteria in the following order:

1. Most total wins
2. Head to head record - If one team beat the other in both legs then is the winner
3. Lowest did not shows

Bonus Points

These are totalled for each team over the course of a season to produce a bonus point league table.

• Fielding a female fencer = +1 pt
• Fielding a cadet (under 17)= +1/2 pt
• Winning by 15 clear points= +1/2 pt

MVP -Most Valuable Player Table

This is worked out as the best three matches for each fencer. Fencers must fence a minimum of 3 matches to be eligible. Results to be shown as indicator and ratio (as now).

Prizes

• Prizes will be awarded for:
  • 1st to 3rd Teams.
  • Teams with the most bonus points.
  • 1st individual in the MVP table.
  • 1st lady in the MVP table.
  • 1st placed cadet in the MVP table.
  • 1st placed veteran in the MVP table.
• This will take the form of trophies and depending on the number of entered clubs equipment vouchers/prizes.
• Prizes will be awarded at the end of the season once results have been tabulated.

League Timings

• The league will request entrants at the beginning of August and issue a fixture list mid September.
• Clubs will have till the 1st of October to request fixtures to be rearranged by the league if no query is received the league will assume the fixture list is correct and publish it.

League Administration

• The league will request and register eligible fencers for the league season for each club.
• All teams will be able to view up to date results and fixtures on league website.
• The league board consists of the nominated league manager from each club, plus the league administrator and treasurer.
• The league board will meet at the end of each season to discuss potential rule amendment, general business and elect a board chairman for the coming season.
• Any participant in the league can be nominated for the posts of administrator and treasurer and election is by majority vote.
• Each member of the board having a single vote on issues with a majority required for a rule amendment to be made.

League Dissolution

• If the league is dissolved all assets and cash will be distributed equally between the clubs who are members of the league board or if this is not practical for whatever reason assets will be disposed of by passing them to the East Midland Region Fencing committee.