Direct elimination

The direct elimination format is usually used to determine the final results of an individual fencing competition. In this format, fencers are placed into a single-elimination bracket based on seedings, usually obtained from a preliminary round of pools. The winner of the final bout wins first place, and the loser of the final wins second place. In most tournaments, both fencers who lose in the semifinals are awarded third place, though some tournaments feature a fence-off for third. All other fencers are placed by the round they lost in, then their seed at the beginning of the direct elimination round.