Call for Candidates: Three Referees' Commission Vice Chair Roles Open

Published February 10, 2026

USA Fencing opened a call for candidates for three Referees'' Commission vice chair positions, with applications due Feb. 24, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. MT. Applications go to nominations@usafencing.org with the subject line "RC Position (position name) application."

The three open positions

Vice Chair of Rules and Examinations
Vice Chair of Domestic Assignments
Vice Chair of International Development and Assignments (IAD)

Together these roles cover the rulebook and referee testing, who officiates domestic national events, and the development and assignment of referees on the international circuit.

Who reviews the applications

The Referees'' Commission Nominating Committee handles the process. Its elected referee representatives are Will Curtis, Harrison Hue, and Andy Liu. They serve alongside two Referees'' Commission members, two athlete representatives, one board liaison, and one member of the National Office.

Summary of qualifications

USA Fencing publishes the full qualifications on the Referees'' Commission webpage. The announcement summarizes them as follows.

Vice Chair of Rules and Examinations: National Referee (N1) rating as a minimum within the past five years, plus mastery of both the USA Fencing and FIE rulebooks.

Vice Chair of Domestic Assignments: N1 or higher, active national refereeing within the past three years, international experience preferred, and experience with spreadsheets and databases.

Vice Chair of International Development and Assignments: at least two international licenses, one of which must be an FIE license, with the second either FIE or WPF; at least five years of international refereeing including Junior or Senior World Cups, Grand Prix, or World Championships; participation in multiple international events per year; multi-weapon experience preferred.

What candidates submit

Each applicant provides a written statement covering qualifications, reasons for running, and their vision for the role. Petitions are allowed for candidates who do not fully meet the listed qualifications, provided there is a clear rationale.

How this fits the referee election cycle

This call for candidates is the middle step in a sequence. Referees first elect their representatives to the nominating committee. The nominating committee then reviews applications and advances candidates for each vice chair seat. Eligible referees vote in the general election in May, and the winners take four-year terms.

Why it matters for saber clubs

Refereeing is the constraint on how fast competitive fencing can grow. Every new local tournament, RYC, or ROC needs qualified officials, and the vice chairs who oversee examinations, domestic assignments, and international development set the standard for how referees are trained and promoted. Clubs that want their fencers judged consistently have a direct stake in who fills these seats — and referees inside our own community are exactly the people these calls are aimed at.

If you referee and have been thinking about stepping into governance, these calls are how that happens. If you are a parent, the useful takeaway is simply that the officiating you see at national events is governed by elected volunteers with published qualifications, not by informal appointment.

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