British Youth Championships 2026 (BYCs)

The 2026 British Youth Championships (BYCs) will be held on the 2nd-4th May 2026 at EIS Sheffield, Coleridge Road, Sheffield, S9 5DA.

Find out more about the competition venue and accessibility information

Have a question that isn’t answered below? Check out our British Championships FAQs page

BYC WITHDRAWAL FORM

Community Discussion Event

14th April, 12.30pm and 6pm
BYC Q&A: What to expect

To sign up for the BYC Parent and Coaches Q&A, click the button below:

Sign up here

Schedule

Schedule: Check in open at 8am.

SATURDAY 2nd MAY		SUNDAY 3rd MAY		MONDAY 4th MAY
Weapon		Weapon		Weapon
	Check In Close		Check In Close		Check In Close
U12 Mixed/Boys Foil	08:45	U14 Mixed/Boys Foil	08:45	U12 Girls Epee	08:45
U14 Mixed/Boy Sabre	08.45	U16 Mixed/Boys Epee	08:45	U16 Mixed/Boys Foil	08:45
U18 Mixed/Boys Epee	08:45	U12 Girls Foil	08:45	U18 Girls Foil	08:45
U18 Girls Epee	08:45	U18 Mixed/Boys Sabre	08:45	U14 Mixed/Boys Epee	08:45
U12 Girls Sabre	11:00	U18 Girls Sabre	11:00	U14 Girls Sabre	09:15
U14 Girls Epee	12:30	U16 Girls Epee	12:15	U12 Mixed/Boys Epee	12:15
U16 Girls Foil	12:30	U14 Girls Foil	12:15	U18 Mixed/Boys Foil	12:15
U16 Mixed/Boys Sabre	13:30	U12 Mixed/Boys Sabre	14:00	U16 Girls Sabre	13:30

Eligibility and Membership Level

Membership Level Required: Compete (including for RQEs)

Check your BF membership and log in to the platform here 

Age Groups:

• U12 – Born 2014 or 2015
• U14 – Born 2012 or 2013
• U16 – Born 2010 or 2011
• U18 – Born 2008 or 2009

Qualification and Byes

The British Youth Championships (BYCs) are a 24-event competition, with events in four age groups (U12s, U14s, U16s & U18s) for all three weapons.  Fencers have the opportunity to qualify for the BYCs through Regional Qualifying Events (RQEs) which will be held by each Region.

Regional qualification is calculated based on the below formula. Please note that fencers who enter, but do not fence (including those with byes), are not counted in this total.

Number of Entrants	Qualifier Formula
1-13	8
14-15	9
16-17	10
18-19	11
20-21	12
22	13
23-24	14
25-26	15
27-28	16
29-30	17
31-32	18
33-34	19
35-36	20
37-38	21
39-40	22

Byes: 

Top 8 – All fencers who finished in the top 8 of the 2025 BYC finals are eligible to claim a bye to the 2026 Finals. Fencers must be listed on Regional Qualifiers list sent to BF but are not included within the qualification formula above.

A list of all those fencers who finished in the Top 8 of their events in 2025 can be found here. 

Those who have moved up an age group from the 2025 event are granted a bye into their new age group. Fencers who have a 2025 Top 8 bye are not required to complete a bye request form but must enter their RQE if looking to compete in 2026.

Exceptional Circumstances – Fencers who are unable to attend their RQE due to exceptional circumstances are able to apply for a bye, via the bye request form.

Where fencers have been selected for a GBR (U17 or U20) international on the weekend of their RQE, fencers are able to apply for a bye, via the bye request form.

Fencers who have a BYE (either through the Top 8 of 2025 or Exceptional Circumstances/GBR Selection) are required to enter their Regional Qualifying Event. 

Entry Process

INVITATIONS SENT TO QUALIFIERS FOR 2026 BYCS – BRITISH FENCING

Entry Process:

Qualified fencers will be sent an invitation through Sport:80 to enter the event after the deadline for regional qualifiers (15th March 2026).

Entry Deadline:  6th April, 9am.

Entry Fee Support Scheme: BF is mindful of the rising costs of attending fencing events and the potential barrier to participation this creates for some members of our community. As a result, BF is offering a limited number of free entries. These will be offered based on financial need, not on ability.  This scheme will cover 100% of the entry fee cost.

To apply for the scheme, please complete the form below.

ENTRY FEE SUPPORT SCHEME APPLICATION FORM

Entry support scheme opening: 9th March 2026 

Deadline:  25th March 2026

All applicants will be told the outcome by date. Please do not enter the event if you are awaiting the outcome of your application as the entry process will still be open after the outcome of the applications.

Equipment

Kit specifications for the RQEs and BYCs can be found here.

Please note that the FIE rules m.25.7.f  regarding masks with 2 rear safety systems are NOT Required for this event.

It is acceptable for to wear tracksuits over breaches (800N) and socks on the day as long as the pockets of the tracksuit bottoms are sewn shut.

Media, Streaming and Photography

Media: Please note there will be filming and photography at this event for BF purposes. If you do not give photography/filming permission for yourself or your athlete, please contact eventsadmin@britishfencing.com before the event.

We are committed to providing a positive experience for younger fencers. With this in mind, BYC finals will be recorded and uploaded rather than streamed live.

Photography Policy:  Photography and video using smartphones for personal use only (including coaching and social media) is permitted.

Please be mindful of the age of participants, and read our photography safeguarding policy: https://www.britishfencing.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/8_photography_policy.pdf

‘Live streaming’ or broadcasting video in any way, from any device including smartphones, is not permitted.

Anyone wanting to take photographs using any kind of professional or semi-pro camera equipment must apply for media accreditation in advance of the event – accreditation will not be available during competition. This means any kind of camera with a detachable lens, and/or using any kind of tripod or monopod. Media accreditation is for still photography only – no pro or semi-pro video equipment is permitted.

British Fencing reserves the right to refuse or withdraw photographic accreditation at any time without giving a reason.

NOTE: Any person taking photographs of any kind with any device must follow any instructions given by the BF media representatives, the Event Director, and / or the referees. 

Accreditation

Accreditation: Accreditation will be in place for access to the Field of Play (FoP) at the event. There will be no access to the Field of Play without an accreditation.

Please see our newspost on the accreditation process and to apply.

COACH ACCREDITATION

To apply for accreditation follow the links below:

COACH ACCREDITATION

MEDICAL SUPPORT ACCREDITATION

MEDIA ACCREDITATION

Why is there an accreditation system in place?

There are several reasons why an accreditation system has been introduced at BF events. Field of Play (FoP) accreditation was in part introduced to control and improve the quality of the immediate environment around the fencer when they compete. Over the years an increasing number of parents, coaches etc have wished to support fencers by occupying spaces closer and closer to the piste which causes safety issues and makes refereeing more difficult.

Importantly fencers tell us that they do not like this overcrowding and it makes it harder to concentrate.

Accreditation is also an important part of us managing the experience for young people and helps us uphold the Fair Play Code which we expect everyone to follow for the event.  (You can find an article on coaching and supporting fencers at U14 events here, and the role of a parent during a match here.)

Do I need FoP accreditation if I am just coming to the event?

No. There is spectator seating and standing room in both halls with space to view all pistes. Spectators are able to view the actions from behind the FoP barriers, which will be only a few meters behind the end of the piste.

There is a separate process for coaches based outside the UK who wish to support athletes representing GBR at domestic events – contact Lorraine Rose for more information.

General Information

Fair Play: The BF Fair Play Code for Youth Events is applicable. See here for more information.

Rule Changes: The new passivity rule introduced on the 1st January 2023 by the FIE will be implemented at the event. Organisers of the RQE (Regional Qualifying Events)  are expected to implement the new passivity rules.

Welfare: There will be a dedicated welfare officers at the event who will be clearly visible throughout. All welfare issues that arise at the event must be reported to the welfare officer present.

Sustainability: As part of BF’s commitment to reducing the environmental impact of our sport, no single-use plastic bottles will be permitted on the field of play. We hope that the community will support efforts in this area and ensure that everyone brings re-useable bottles to the event.

Prayer Room: There will be a prayer room available at the venue for all three days. Please ask at reception or speak to a member of the team and they will direct you.

Disabilities: BF recognises that many disabilities are hidden and participants in competitions may need additional support throughout the event. Any disability information that you provide in your membership profile (provided that you have given permission to share) will be passed to the organising team and a member of the event welfare team will get in touch to discuss how we can help. Alternatively you can contact us in advance either by emailing the events team directly events@britishfencing.com, or the BF safeguarding lead (safeguarding@britishfencing.com). Finally, you can ask speak to a member of the onsite team at check-in. Please note the earlier you raise any additional support needs the better able we are to make reasonable accommodations.

Volunteer with us!

Our events team includes BF staff members and a team of dedicated BF Event Volunteers. We would not be able to host our events without such an amazing team of volunteers who give their time to fencing events.

Our volunteers have all sorts of skills and levels of experience. You don’t have to be a fencer as we offer a variety of roles, including some listed below:

Check In/Help Desk

This role involves helping and assisting with any queries coming in from fencers/parents/spectators throughout the event.

Field of Play Team

This role involves supporting the field of play lead in the smooth running of the event, including dealing with any problems/queries on the field of play during the day and liaising with DT and the medical team.

You may have seen our field of play team in their high vis jackets at events. They are the first port of call for any questions on the event for queries such as assisting fencers with direction to their piste and relaying important messages from the field of play to the DT and Medical Teams.

Media Team

Being on our media team covers a variety of roles, including event photographers, social media content creators, camera operators, commentators, directors and producers!

Working within the media team is often a varied role, to support the event media lead with content, live-streaming and interviews throughout the event.

If you are interested in volunteering at British Fencing Events, please email events@britishfencing.com