Rules and Regulations

All members must fill out and sign an emergency contact/heath form before participation is allowed.

Membership Fees:

1. Fees are non-refundable.

2. Fees will be determined on a yearly basis.

Club Privileges:

1. All members who attend practices on time will have access to the gym for exercises, practice, group lessons and competition related to fencing.

2. Private lessons are separate from membership fees and are at the discretion of the coaches based on the member's ability and dedication. All members are welcome to participate in the group lessons.

3. Beginners members have priority over club equipment.

Use of Club Equipment:

1. Access to the equipment is available within club practices only. Any equipment required for use outside the club for competition or private use must be discussed with the President or Vice-President and the Equipment Manager or Armourer and must also be signed out.

2. All club equipment is to be shared among the members. No one member can monopolise any piece of equipment over the season.

3. All equipment is to be put away properly at the end of each practice by the member who used it.

4. Beginner members (members with less than 6 months of experience) will have access to basic fencing equipment (mask, jacket, glove, and dry foil) on a first come first serve basis. Varsity Team members will have access to the basic equipment on a first come first serve basis AFTER the beginners.

5. Veteran members (members with more than 6 months of experience) must supply themselves with their own equipment (mask, jacket, glove, pants, shoes, electric and dry weapons, lame, body cords, etc).

6. All members are allowed access to use the electrical scoring machines and reels for practice use.

7. All equipment must be treated with care. Any deliberate destruction or damage of equipment will result in the replacement or repair of said equipment at the cost of the member responsible. If the damage is deliberate, a penalty will be imposed on that member, which may include suspension of club membership.

8. Unintentional breaking of blades by a student member will result in the student paying $15 per blade towards the cost of replacement.

9. Any equipment borrowed for private use requires a deposit of $100. All borrowed equipment is subject to the breakage and replacement rules stated above. (Note: the $100 deposit does not apply to equipment used by Varsity Team members during an OUA tournament. However, the breakage rules do apply in this case.)

Safety:

1. Proper gym attire (running shoes, t-shirt, sweatpants) must be worn for each practice.

2. Proper fencing attire (jacket, mask, long pants, glove, breast protectors or jock) must be worn during combative practice and sparring.

3. All members must participate in a safe and controlled manner. No roughhousing with the equipment or pointing a weapon at a member whom is not wearing a mask and proper fencing equipment as stated in 2.

4. Members who are suffering from an injury or malady must notify the coaches and/or the team student athletic therapist before being allowed to participate.

5. Sparring and competitive fencing must adhere to good sportsmanship, respectful and friendly conduct. Any member displaying hostile or dangerous behaviour will be removed from the practice.

6. All members must sign a waiver assuming all responsibility for any injury, accident, or breakage of personal equipment. Members who do not sign the waiver will not be allowed to attend until they do.

7. All members (not including beginners) must own an under-plastron (SusPlastron) by the end of September of the new school year.

Equipment procedures:

1. All equipment in the armoury is to meet the safety standards as dictated by European CEN Level 1 standards.

1. European CEN Level 1 is defined as all armour being puncture resistant to a minimum force of 350 Newtons.

2. All blades are to be composed of at minimum carbon steel with a break resistance of 350N.

2. It is the duty of the armoury staff, executive and coaches to educate fencers of safe equipment maintenance, checks, and procedures for handling accidents.

3. All persons participating in training, sparring or competition are required to :

1. Have all skin (exception being non-sword hand) covered when wearing armour (Mask, jacket, glove) during training of 2 or more persons, sparring, or competition (i.e. pants and long-t-shirts).

2. Wear a 350N under-plastron.

3. Alternatively a 800 N FIE jacket may be worn instead of both the jacket and the under-plastron.

4. Long pants are mandatory and it is recommended that they can resit 350N of force.

5. Check their mask has a tight mesh, back strap and head flap and a bib of a minimum of 10cm radius.

6. Check that there are no tears or loose threadings on all armour borrowed from the armoury.

7. Check that the Velcro strap of gloves fits securely, and that the glove securely covers over the sleeve of the sword arm side cuff of the jacket.

8. Check weapon that grips are tight, blades do not S-curve or bend sharply at a given point on the blade, and that all practice weapons have a taped down rubber button.

4. In the case that 1 of the 6 criteria of section 11.3 is not met, the equipment in question are to be brought to a member of the armoury staff, executive, or coach for examination, repair, or replacement.

5. Members with their own equipment must have their equipment approved by armoury staff, executives or coaches before equipment can be used on York Fencing Club premises.

6. Volunteer coaches have the right to reject unsafe equipment from use in any practice or competition, and to ask the Armourer to mark and subsequently destroy equipment that is unsafe.

7. All fencers shall be trained to recognize what constitutes safe and unsafe weapons and equipment.
   

8. Safety training of all fencers shall be undertaken by the York Fencing Club Executives under the oversight of the volunteer coaches on a regular basis (Note: you need to define frequency).

9. All weapons, masks and jackets shall be inspected to ensure they meet OFA and CFF safety standard once a month.

Code of Conduct:

1. The Volunteer Coaches must be obeyed. He or she is highly qualified in coaching and fencing and knows more than you do. If a member has any issues with the club or any of its members, he or she should speak to a Coach and the President.

2. All members must respect all other members. Gender, background, skill level, weapon choice or reasons for being in the club are not to be ridiculed.

3. Any harassment of members will not be tolerated. The offending member will be removed from the club.

4. The York Fencing Club adheres to the rules and regulations of York University, York University Office of Student Affairs, Sport York, OUA, CIS, the Ontario Fencing Association and the Canadian Fencing Federation.

5. All members who participate are to treat and respect their fellow members with good sportsmanship and cordial manner.