USA Fencing
Membership
Ours lets you train here. Theirs lets you enter a tournament.
They are not the same thing, and it catches people out.
The season runs August 1 to July 31.
Compare the tiersThe short version
Why you need one
Ours lets you train here. Theirs lets you enter a sanctioned tournament.
Which one to buy
Access covers a first competitive season. Competitive is for regional and above.
When to buy it
A fortnight before a first entry, not the night before — and mind the season dates.
When to buy it
The season runs from the first of August to the end of July, so a membership bought in June covers very little. Joining between April and June as a first-time member extends the membership through the following season, which is worth knowing if a fencer is starting in spring.
Buy it a fortnight before a first entry rather than the night before. A lapsed or missing membership is the commonest reason somebody cannot start on the day.
The tiers
What each one lets a fencer do, and what USA Fencing charges for it. The season runs August 1 to July 31.
- ParentFreeFree and non-competitive. For a parent who wants to be a member of the organisation their child competes in.On USA Fencing →
- Access$34The entry level, and the right one for a first season. Covers competing at local events, and volunteering at them as an official or armourer.On USA Fencing →
- Competitive$99Needed to enter regional, national and international events. Only worth buying once a fencer is actually travelling to them — Access covers a local season.On USA Fencing →
- Collegiate Competitive$55Competitive benefits at a reduced rate for NCAA varsity and collegiate club athletes.On USA Fencing →
- Coach$150For coaching roles. Requires background screening, SafeSport training and USA Fencing's coach education programme.On USA Fencing →
Fees are USA Fencing’s own and change each season — check theirs before buying. MFA cannot sell or renew a membership on anyone’s behalf.
This page is showing our last published copy. USA Fencing’s own pages, linked below, are always current.
“Fencing is so perfect an art that the regulations framing it do not interfere in the least with the fighter's will.”
Aldo NadiOn Fencing, 1943