In FIE Executive Committee held in Dubai on November 24, 2017, a new rule pertaining to the team events in all zonal competitions has been approved.
Specifically, this refers on the formula of seeding the teams in the table of the team events, whereby teams should be seeded according to their FIE team rankings. However, since some teams do not participate in FIE team competitions and thus do not have any FIE team ranking, the new rule determines how these teams will be place in the table. The particular provision is as follows: "Teams without FIE ranking will occupy the last places in the table and based on the final ranking in the individual competition of the best 3 fencers belonging to the teams. The fencers in the team who do not have a ranking in the individual competition take the last place."
This new rule takes effect in 2018 and will be applied in all FCA competitions such as the Asian Juniors and Cadet Fencing Championships, the Asian (seniors) Fencing Championships, and the Asian Under 23 Fencing Championships.