The New Points System: How I’m Thinking About My Cadet Season
Updated: Aug 25
USA Fencing is changing the points and events structure starting in the 2026–2027 season.
At first, this sounded like another confusing fencing rule change. But after looking at it more, I think it actually matters a lot for how fencers plan their season.
For me, the question is not just:
How many tournaments can I fence?
The better question is:
Which tournaments give me the best chance to improve, earn points, and still have enough time for school, practice, and recovery?
What Is Changing?
The new structure is supposed to create a simpler path through the sport.
Instead of thinking about every event separately, fencers will have a points list that includes results from different levels of competition.
That means local, regional, national, and higher-level events all become part of the bigger picture. Read more about Tournament Levels on Competitions page.
For Cadet fencers, this matters because the goal is not only to fence more. The goal is to build a season that gives you the best chance to move up the Cadet points list.
What This Means for Me
I fence in Region 3, so regional events are especially important.
The old way of thinking would be simple: Go to as many big events as possible.
But that is not always the smartest plan. Travel takes energy. Missing school creates stress. A bad sleep schedule affects performance. Long flights and back-to-back weekends can make your fencing worse, not better.
So the better strategy is probably to plan the season like a points project.
Which events are most likely to help my Cadet ranking?
Which events are realistic with school?
Which events are worth the travel?
Which events give me strong opponents without completely draining me?
The Main Goal: Get on the Cadet Rolling Points List
For a Cadet fencer, getting onto the national rolling points list is a big step.
It means your results are starting to show up at the national level. It can also open the door to stronger events and, eventually, possible international opportunities.
That does not happen from one tournament.
It happens by stacking results.
A strong regional finish can matter. A good national result can matter more. Junior events may also matter if the points structure allows results to help Cadet standings.
That means I need to think about the whole season, not just one competition at a time.
The Hard Part: More Events Does Not Always Mean Better Results
This is where fencing becomes more like strategy.
If I travel too much, I might get more chances to earn points, but I might also fence tired.
If I compete too little, I might stay fresh, but miss chances to improve my ranking.
The balance is the hard part.
For the 2026–2027 season, I want to look at:
Cadet national events
Region 3 Cadet events
Junior events where I am eligible
Events with strong fields
Events that fit around school
Recovery time before and after travel
The goal is not to make the busiest schedule. The goal is to make the smartest schedule.
Turning This Into an Analytics Project
This is also where data can help.
Before choosing tournaments, I want to compare:
Event size
Seeding
Travel distance
School conflict
Recovery time
My recent performance trend
Then the question becomes: Can tournament selection be optimized?
That is different from just asking, “Where should I fence next?”
It becomes a research question.
Can a fencer improve their chances of earning Cadet points by choosing the right mix of regional, national, and higher-level events?
Can recovery and school schedule be part of that model too?
My Plan
My plan is to treat the 2026–2027 season as both a fencing season and a data project.
I want to track results, travel, sleep, recovery, and performance.
Then I want to see what actually helped.
Maybe the best schedule is not the most obvious one.
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