Referee usage is tracked at every national tournament. The referee’s name is included when a bout’s result is entered into the tournament database. Bout slips where the referee’s name is missing or illegible are entered with the score only, and the referee won’t get credit for working the bout.
At the end of each competition, a referee usage report is generated for the Assigner to review. The report lists all the referees who worked that event. It shows the number of pools and number of bouts in each round of the direct elimination table worked by each referee. The Assigner determines at what level each referee successfully performed, and notes it on the report.
At the end of each tournament, the competition reports and Assigner’s evaluations are collected into a tournament report. Referees with a rating of 5 or lower are reviewed, to see if they successfully worked at or above their current rated level. If a rating renewal or upgrade has been earned, the renewal/upgrade is immediately awarded. The maximum rating that can be earned by this review process is a 5.
At the end of the season, a season ending usage summary report is prepared. Referees evaluated as having successfully performed at a 4 level (or their current rated level, if higher than a 4) or higher at any national tournament during the season are included on the report. International usage is gathered from the FIE and the European Fencing Confederation websites and added to the report.
Before the annual August Referees’ Commission meeting, the season end domestic and international referee usage report is sent to that season’s Assigners who are also 1 or 2 level referees. It is also sent to the Chair and Vice-Chairs of the Referees’ Commission. All recipients of the report are asked to provide their opinions regarding what rating each referee listed on the report should have, and invited to add any additional comments about the referee’s work.
The responses from the Assigners and the RC members are collected and added to the season ending referee usage report. At the August meeting, the RC reviews the summary report with all the responses, and votes on the ratings upgrades/renewals for each referee.
The tournament usage reports and year end summary reports for several seasons are available here. Evaluations and comments made by Assigners and RC members for referees are confidential, and are not included.
