Tournament Rotation

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The Gulf Coast Division, like all divisions within the USFA, is responsible for holding two qualifying tournaments each season. One is for young fencers wishing to qualify to compete at the annual Junior Olympics Fencing Championships. The other is for all fencers who wish to compete at the summer National Fencing Championships.

As a participating division in the Southwest Section Circuit Cup, the division also plays host to one SSCC tournament each year. Additionally, the Gulf Coast Division is, itself, in roatition from one year to the next with the other seven divisions in the Southwest Section for the option of holding the Southwest Section Qualifiers.

These are high-profile, important (and potentially profitable) tournaments for whatever entity plays the host. As a result of past controversies over which clubs within the Gulf Coast Division were given the nod to host these  events, the division created a system known simply as The Rotation.

Following a random draw for order (double-blind system employed) prior to the first season, the various clubs were locked into a fixed sequence in the rotation, unless they drop out by either ceasing to exist or failing to renew USFA membership in the first month of the season. (In that event, the club drops out and reappears at the end of the line when they do finally renew.)

Each club is approached in order near the beginning of the season. The first club in line has the option of hosting Divisional Qualifiers, JO Qualifiers or SSCC (Sectionals are also offered in years when the Gulf Coast Division hosts that tournament).

They may pick any or pass completely. If they pick one, the next club in line is made the same offer (minus any event the first club picked). As each club accepts a tournament or passes, it then moves to the back of the line. After the last available tournament has been chosen, the next club in line becomes the first club in the next season.

As an example, below is how the rotation currently stands for the next season (2008-2009). As you can see, Young Elites of Houston are slated to get first choice. If they pass, they move to the back of the line and the Brazosport FencingExtravaganza will get the choice of the 3 major tournaments. If Young Elites choses to host the Divisional Qualifiers, for example, they will move to the end of the line. BFE must then chose either JO Qualifiers, the SSCC or pass. Either way, BFE will then move to the end of the line. If BFE works out a deal to co-host an event with, say Spindletop Cavaliers, then BFE would move to the end of the line along with Spindletop (which, of course, alters the rotation order).

Each club in the rotation must maintain itself as a USFA club in good standing. If a club allows its USFA membership to lapse, it will have 30 days within which to renew membership. If it fails to renew in that time it is removed from the rotation. Any new clubs joining or lapsed clubs being re-instated later, will be placed into the rotation at the end.

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