Information for EFC Cadet Circuit Referees

This page is intended to provide additional information for selected BF referees travelling to Nominated EFC Cadet Circuit events. For details of how to be selected as a referee for an EFC Cadet Circuit event, please visit the International Refereeing section of the British Fencing website.

BF does not organise official trips to EFC Cadet Circuit nominated competitions. The number of competitions, the numbers of athletes competing, along with the quality of service expectations and duty of care implicit in running official trips had risen to a level that was both financially and administratively unsustainable for BF and it’s volunteers. Therefore athletes are selected for their tournaments and it is the responsibility of the athlete’s guardian’s to make the arrangements that they deem suitable within reason.

With regards to referees, BF are regrettably not in a position to provide 24-7 travel support services. Referees therefore must be over the age of 18 and only apply to referee for events in locations where they are confident that they are capable of managing the logistics of independent travel.

Roles and Responsibilities

Squad Manager (SM) – Each weapon has a non travelling volunteer Squad Manager, often a person who has had experience acting as a Team Manager for GB squads.

The SM reports to the Cadet Weapon Coordinator (WC).

The WCs sit on the International Cadet Management Group (ICMG) which is currently chaired by Clare Halsted.

The GBR administrator is your primary point of contact for the trip.

SM, WCs and the Referees are seen by the athletes and parents as representatives of British Fencing.

Travel & Expenses

Every athlete that attends a nominated EFC CC event pays a set amount to BF. This creates a budget to be used for referee travel, expenses and BF administration.

The organisation of accommodation and travel as well as the administration of other associated expenses is managed by the BF GBR administrator and is the procedure is published on the International Refereeing – Nominated Cadet & Junior Events page in the International referee zone of the website

Subsistence will be paid on the production of receipts – for full details please refer to the BF Expenses Policy.

Other FAQs

Can I travel with athletes and parents?

If you want to travel with a group of athletes you will need to get in touch with the parents of these athletes. BF no longer organise these trips, so parents make their own decisions about how/when they travel, and who with. Most EFC competitions are allocated at least 2 referees so we would also recommend that you contact the other selected referees.

Do I need to be a member of British Fencing?

A supporter level of membership is sufficient for purely refereeing activity. Most importantly this gives you public liability cover for your refereeing activities.

Do I need to be DBS checked?

Yes, see the Criminal Records Check section of the Welfare zone on the website for further information. Once you have received your certificate, sign up to the online update service, which allows for easy renewal and for the BF Referee Manager to check your certificate. The online service is free for volunteers.

Do I need additional travel insurance?

Yes, it is imperative that adequate travel insurance (working as a volunteer official) is taken out as soon as you have accepted your allocation. This will cover loss of personal belongs and any injuries sustained whilst abroad. It will also cover any travel delays due to force major

It is also important to ensure that you have a valid and in date UK EHIC/GHIC (more information here).

Do I need an EFC refereeing license?

Yes, BF fund the EFC referee License for all pathway referees – all licenses are provided through Head Office.

What kind of expenses can I be reimbursed for?

To reduce the need to submit expense forms with receipts, British Fencing have introduced a subsistence allowance for EFC Nominated International Competitions. For more information please read the Officials Expense Policy addendum here

What happens if I can no longer travel to my allocated EFC competition having accepted the finalised allocations?

If you withdraw from your allocated international competition having accepted the finalised allocation you will be liable for the cost of any booked flight, hotel and associated items which cannot be re-used by a replacement. You will be responsible for any costs incurred for this – eg name changes on flights.  In the event that a substitute referee cannot be found you may be liable for up to 50% of the EFC fine. Regrettably we have had to introduce this policy after a increased numbers of referees were pulling out late after flights had been booked and expecting BF to cover the cost. This would result in BF having to pass the cost onto the athletes.