USA Fencing New Points & Events Structure: Important Updates Before Aug. 1, Plus the Full Points Tables

It’s almost Aug. 1, when the new points and events structure takes effect for the Cadet, Junior and Division I categories. Before that date arrives, we wanted to confirm some additional updates we've settled since June, and share the full points tables.

If you’re catching up, start with the original explainer, which lays out the whole system. Then there’s the companion Q&A, written for parents, athletes and coaches working through the practical questions. Plus, we hosted a webinar to discuss these changes, which you can watch on demand here (passcode AM4B?NY=) and a podcast episode, which you can listen to here.

Let’s dive right in.

You told us the naming was confusing, and you were right. When a national field splits into two tiers, those tiers are now called Elite and Challenger.

The top tier keeps the name Elite. What we had been calling the National tier is now the Challenger tier. Nothing else about the split changes: an event still divides when total registrations pass 168 fencers, Elite is still capped at 112, and Challenger still holds up to 224.

You'll see the new name throughout the tables below and in the 2026-27 Athlete Handbook, which will be published soon.

This is the biggest practical change in this update. Junior and Cadet fencers will be able to earn points at regional events anywhere in the country, not only in their home region. Fencers competing in Div. IA, Div. II and Div. III could already do this, so this brings Junior and Cadet in line.

To protect access for the fencers who live in each region, an in-region protection window will be implemented for RJCC and ROC events for the first three weeks of registration. During those three weeks, only fencers from that region can register. When the window closes, registration opens to everyone for the remaining spots. The final work is being completed for this implementation in the registration systems, so those events that are already open will proceed as normal for registration. This change will go into effect for those tournaments opening later in the season.

Fencers traveling from another region earn both points and ratings at these events, the same as anyone else in the field.

A win at an SJCC event is worth 120 points at the Junior level and 90 points at the Cadet level. That places SJCC between a Challenger tier national event and a regional event in terms of point valuation, which reflects where these competitions sit in the tournament structure. The full round-by-round values are in the tables below.

Senior categories outside of DVI will be pointed as follows:

Regional

• D1A at 100% of value indicated in tables at the end of this article
• DV2 at 40% of the D1A value (max of 40 for a win)
• DV3 at 20% of the D1A value (max of 20 for a win)

National

• D1A - National Championships only
• 60% of Challenger Tier
• Max of 120 for a win
• DV2 - National Championships and NACs
• 40% of Challenger Tier
• Max of 80 for a win
• DV3 - National Championships Only
• 20% of Challenger Tier
• Max of 40 for a win

See the full points tables below for the entire run down.

Division qualifiers are not going away, but for Junior Olympics, a few things change for the coming season.

Every division qualifier must be fenced, and at least four fencers must register for it to be held. The number of qualifying spots then scales with the size of the field:

• 4 to 8 fencers: 1 qualifier
• 9 to 16 fencers: 2 qualifiers
• 17 to 32 fencers: 4 qualifiers
• 33 or more fencers: 6 qualifiers

More detail on this will be provided in the Athlete Handbook when that is published in the coming weeks, and Division will be contacted directly to help ensure everyone is aware of these changes.

Local events award a variable point value at each finishing placement, based on the strength of the field. That was always the plan, but many of you asked how exactly that would work.

Strength is measured using the same event grouping chart we already use to award ratings, so this isn't a new system to learn. That grouping now also sets the multiplier that determines point values, with a maximum of 75 points for a win at the strongest local events and a minimum of 25 at the smallest.

Strength scaling applies only at the local level. Point values at the Regional, Challenger, Elite and International tiers are fixed for the trial. See the table at the end of this article for a full view of how the scaling will work.

Points will be awarded by placement, the same as if events had been single-gender. The introduction of a Strength Factor at local events should adequately balance out the difference between single gender and mixed gender events. Allowing for points to be awarded for mixed gender events will help provide an avenue to compete, and advance up the ladder, for those in developing regions where this type of event is crucial to being able to fence regularly against a variety of opponents.

Here is what every finishing placement is worth, at every level, for each age category. A few things to keep in mind as you read them.

Your ranking is the sum of your best six results, on a one-year rolling basis.

Junior values are 80% of the Division I values. Cadet values are 60%.

Local values shown are the standard value. Actual local values scale with event strength, as described above.

Divisional events use the same values as local events.