Staff Compliance
The amateur sports organization or person requesting sanction from a national governing body will implement and abide by the policies and procedures to prevent the abuse, including emotional, physical and child abuse, of amateur athletes participating in amateur athletic activities applicable to such a national governing body. All regional tournaments must fully adhere to the USA Fencing FenceSafe Handbook, which requires that all event staff must have a current USA Fencing membership, SafeSport training, and background check. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Referees
- Bout Committee members
- Armorer members
- Coaches
Additionally, all regional tournaments are required to follow and implement the USA Fencing Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policy (MAAPP). Failure to adhere to these policies could result in sanctions and/or loss of the right to host future events.
Bout Committee
The size of the Bout Committee should correlate to the size of the tournament. The recommended ratio of Bout Committee personnel to registrations is 1:300. Experience is essential to running a successful tournament. If organizers need assistance in hiring qualified Bout Committee staff, they should contact the Regional Events Manager.
IT Lead
Organizers need to have at least one person, onsite, designated as the IT lead for the tournament. This person should know how to set up and maintain any network and computers needed for the running and operation of the tournament.
Armorers
A minimum of two armorers is required at all regional tournaments. The number of armorers should correlate with the size of the tournament and suffice in moving athletes through equipment check in a timely manner. Regional tournament head techs must be hired from the national hire list.
Medical
Regional organizers are required to have at least one medical professional on site for the entirety of the tournament. If the size of the tournament requires more, the organizer will need to plan accordingly. Medical staff can be a physician, athletic trainer, paramedic, or other medical professional that can provide basic medical care. Basic medical care as it applies to regional tournaments is taping, ice and diagnosis of common injuries.
Medical staff must be equipped with proper medical supplies and have access to ice. Medical staff should have access to the tournament’s Emergency Action Plan (EAP) and know where the nearest hospital is in case of an emergency.
Medical Staff do not need to have a current background check, SafeSport training, or membership IF they do not have constant/consistent contact with minors. However, if they do not have a current background check or SafeSport training, they are not allowed to perform preventative care (i.e. taping before injury, massage, chiropractic adjustments, etc.).
If organizers are having trouble finding medical staff for their tournament, they should reach out to the Regional Events Manager.
SafeSport Contact
An on-site SafeSport contact needs to be named, and all event participants should be aware that they can report any potential misconduct that they experience, witness, or are made aware to this person or via the website. This person needs to be a current USA Fencing member and have a current background check and SafeSport training. The SafeSport contact must be available for the entirety of the tournament.