National referees are confident and capable to referee in national level competitions, and some referees may also have FIE accreditation to referee in international events. A national referee will be able to:

• demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the rules of Fencing
• manage all aspects of a fencing bout including timing, scoring and movement in the field of play
• communicate decisions effectively through hand signals and words used in refereeing
• consistently analyse fencing actions and make accurate decisions relating to the awarding of points
• apply appropriate penalties and sanctions

Candidates are nominated by the relevant State Officiating Director.

Once they have completed all the requirements, a referee will be granted National (Provisional) Accreditation for 12 months. This can be upgraded to full National Accreditation by completing updating activities as outlined below.

To maintain National Accreditation (and to upgrade from Provisional to Full Accreditation), referees must gain 32 points per year from re-accreditation activities as outlined below:

Part A – Refereeing Practice (minimum 20 points)

The points for Refereeing Practice are weapon-specific, so can only apply to accreditation in the relevant weapon. Refereeing at State competitions (verified by State Officiating Director or competition organisers) can be included with a multiplier of 0.5, and a maximum of 12 points can contribute towards the total for Part A, and points for refereeing at international competitions (Oceania, Commonwealth or FIE) can be included with a multiplier of 1.5.

• referee for a pool at National Fencing Competition – 1 point
• referee for a direct elimination bout at a National Fencing Competition (including as designated referee) – 0.5 points
• referee/assistant for a Final Series (3 bouts) at a National Fencing Competition – 1 point
• referee for a Team Match at a National Fencing Competition – 1 point

In addition to actual refereeing at competitions, a number of other activities may contribute points. The list of approved activities and their point value will be updated periodically, but examples include:

• completion of training exercises/activities
• participate in AFF Seminars or Workshops
• observation/mentoring of referees at competitions
• other approved activities

Part B – General Theory (minimum 4 points)

The points in this section are general, so can be applied to accreditation in all weapons (and the same activity can be applied for accreditation across multiple weapons). The list of approved activities and their point value will be updated periodically, but examples include:

• participate in AFF or State refereeing seminars/workshops
• Introductory or Intermediate Officiating General Principles Course
• completion of First Aid Course
• completion of training exercises/activities
• participation in Officials mentoring/training program
• other approved activities

Referees with National Accreditation may be selected as part of the AFF’s International Referee Training Program. Referees may also be nominated by the AFF to undertake examinations for FIE Accreditation.