Precise Rules of Fencing: Everything You Need to Know

Fencing is one of five kinds of sport that have been an obligatory part of all the modern Olympic games. Depending on the kind of weapon used by athletes, there can be foil, epee, and sabre fencing. There are also individual and team events. Of course, there are specific rules that govern the given sport, and the given article is going to explain them in details.

General Rules

The main task of the given kind of sport is to touch an opponent with a weapon. A victory is awarded to an athlete who manages to be the first to make a necessary number of hits or who manages to make a greater number of these hits over a particular period of time. A special electric system is used to automatically record hits and touches. In this case, a corresponding sound signal appears and a corresponding flashlight turns on. Fencers’ equipment and weapons are equipped with the wires that make it possible for the system above to be effective. The referee relies on the automatic system, but he should make his own decision on the basis of particular rules of different fencing types.

As for different fencing types, there are governed by slightly different rules that consider hits and touches to be recorded. If a fact of touching an opponent is signalized in epee fencing, foil and sabre fencing pays attention to whether a touch or hit reached an allowed area. It is up to a referee to not record a touch even if the electric system made a corresponding signal if he believes the given touch failed to meet the fencing rules. In addition, there are particular requirements that can be met by fencers for the electric system to record a touch or hit. Foil and epee touches are recorded only when their tips face the pressure of at least 4.9 Newtons (500g) and 7.35 Newtons (750g), correspondingly. All the touches and hits are not considered after the Halt signal. Exceptions arise only when a fencer started his touch or hit before the signal was claimed.

A fencing event takes place on the fencing piste made of electrically conducting materials that, however, should be isolated from the device responsible for recording touches and hits. The piste has the following dimensions:

• 1.5-2 meters wide;
• 14 meters long.

Every piste or strip has the corresponding marking that is used to denote particular areas of the fencing court. The center line that is perpendicular to the whole piste splits it into two equal parts. On both sides of this line and 2 meters from it, there are on-guard lines. Sideline and end lines are used to denote the limits of the fencing strip. At each end of the piste, there are 2-meter long areas; these areas should be signals for a defensive player that he is going to cross the end line of the strip. The beginning of this area is marked with the help of the corresponding line.

If it happens that a fencer crosses his end boundary, he is punished with a penalty hit. When one or two fencers cross a sideline, the competition should be stopped, while all the hits and touches performed under the crossing, if any, are canceled.

As for team competitions, direct fights are held between two fencers. Thus, each member of the team has one fight, the results of which are then summed up. A victory is then awarded to a team that has managed to perform the greatest number of touches or hits.

In fencing, it is prohibited to beat opponents with parts of a body. If it happens, a guilty fencer gets a warning; the repeated scenario will result in this fencer being penalized with a hit. Besides, a fight should be stopped when the fencers appear behind their backs.

At present, referees are allowed to consult video review to make a decision, which is done to increase the quality of refereeing official competitions. In addition, every fencer is also allowed to ask the referee for consulting the video review to influence his decision.

Prior to every fight, fencers’ equipment and weapons are checked. As for weapons, their rigidity, length, and any tiny fractures are checked, while equipment and masks are verified for strength (the equipment should withstand a pressure of up to 800 Newtons) and electrical conductivity.

Fencing Signals

As it is clear, every official fencing competition is served by a referee who makes corresponding decisions and accompanies them with required signals. Although these signals are usually articulated in French, there are strict English counterparts for each of them. So, these signals look as follows:

1. On-guard (French En guarde). This is a signal for fencers to prepare for the fight. The fencers should take corresponding positions on the strip.
2. Ready? (French Êtes-vous prêt?). The referee asks this question to both fencers before the start of a fight. If a fencer is not ready, he should stamp his foot and raise the weapon.
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3. Fence! (French Allez!) This is a signal for the fencers to start fighting.
4. Halt! (French Halte!) This signal is used to stop a fight.
5. Attack from the right (French A droit). A touch is given to a fencer he is on the referee’s right.
6. Attack from the left (French A gauche). A touch is given to a fencer he is on the referee’s left.
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7. No touch! (French Pas compter!) This signal arises when no fencer manages to touch or hit his opponent.

Fencing Kinds

As it has already been mentioned, there are three kinds of fencing. They are foil, epee, and sabre kinds. Now, let us comment on each of them.

Foil Fencing

In this variation, only those touches that reach a metalized jacket (a so-called electrical jacket). If a touch lands on an opponent’s part of a body that is not coated with the jacket, the white light appears, and this hit is considered to be missed. The main rule of foil fencing stipulates that a fencer must repel an opponent’s attack prior to beginning his own counter-attack. The priority of acting moves from one fencer to the other when the latter manages to touch the opponent’s weapon with his own one. This scenario is carefully monitored by the referee. He should stop the fight when the automatic system makes a signal of a hit occurring. After that, it is up to the referee whether to record this hit or to consider it missing. After that, in its turn, a fight should be continued. Finally, fencers are not allowed to turn back on opponents or to use their free arms for protection.

Sabre fencing

Fencers are allowed to hit and touch all the opponents’ parts of a body above their waists including hands and masks. The target surface is covered with silver chipping, while the mask is in an electrical connection with the jacket. Every hit and touch is accompanied by a colored light on the device. Sabre fencing is quite similar to foil one. The same general rules are applied to determine a winner. To explain, an attacking fencer has an advantage over a defensive one when the two manage to perform simultaneous hits, which is known as the priority of acting. The main difference, however, is represented by the fact sabres are used to perform touches and hit, while the latter ones are much more difficult to repel. That is why sabre fencing fights are more interesting and dynamic.

Epee fencing

Here, it is allowed to reach the whole opponent’s body except for the back of the head. The weapon and the strip are isolated from the device, and it does not record hits and touches. There is no priority of acting in the given fencing variation. The device does not consider a hit if it is performed more than 0.25 seconds later than the previous one. Simultaneous hits are recorded and given to both fencers. However, when such a scenario happens at the end of a fight when both fencers have the same number of points, such hits should be replayed.

Weapons

There are weapons of three kinds – foil, sabre, and epee. All of them have different characteristics, but the blade and the cross-guard (a grip shield that is used to protect a fencer’s hand). So, let us consider the details of each of the fencing weapons:

The foil is a pointing weapon (hits can be performed with its tip only) of no more than 110 cm long with an elastic four-edged blade of no more than 90 cm long. A diameter of the cross-guard is 12 cm. The whole weapon can weigh a maximum of 500g.

The epee is a bit heavier weapon (maximum weight is 770g) but of the same length. Both epees and foils have the same construction, but some differences do exist. Thus, the epee has the three-edged blade, and the cross-guard is 13.5 cm in diameter.

The sabre is a cut and thrust weapon with the following dimensions: 500g weight and 105 cm long. The blade itself should be no more than 88 cm. It is necessary to use the whole blade to make both hits and touches. The cross-guard is of an oval form to protect the fencer’s wrist and fingers.

Foil and epee tips are equipped with a special button that is used to close the electric circuit that is represented by the wire hidden beneath the fencers’ jackets and within their weapons and the device that is to record tips and touches. Sabres are not equipped with such buttons.

Equipment

Fencing equipment consists of the following elements:

• kevlar suit (jacket and knee-length trousers with braces);
• long white stockings;
• special flat shoes.

Apart from everything mentioned above, fencers’ heads are protected with metal masks; a firm neck-piece is applied to secure fencers’ throats. Only gloved arms are allowed to take the weapons.

History

About 3 thousand years ago, Rameses III organized a fencing tournament to honor his victory over the Libyans. Wall-paintings of those times clearly depicted weapons that were similar to those used in modern fencing, as well as masks to protect faces. Apart from Egypt, similar tournaments took place in Ancient Greece, India, Rome, China, and Japan.

In the Middle Ages, fencing was considered to be an activity for wealthy feudal lords. Besides, usual people also dealt with fencing, but they used ordinary sticks covered with metal.

Fencing as an art of mastering the foil and the epee appeared in Spain in the 15th century. Approximately at the same time, German specialists created the corporation of fencing instructors, while the fencing association was founded in England. It was in Italy in the 16th century, when the first fencing principles represented by the classification of actions were articulated. Italian instructors designed regulations on how to train to fence and stated the main principles of the given kind of sport. In those times, they appreciated such kinds of weapons that could easily go through narrow slits in the plate armor. That is why they tried to point their swords closer to its tip, which resulted in the appearance of the epee. The foil, in its turn, appeared in Spain where this weapon was designed with a standard grip and a cup-like cross-guard.

It was at the 1896 Olympics when foil fencing competitions took place for the first time. In 4 years, however, all three fencing variations were included in the schedule of the 1900 Olympic Games.

The International Fencing Federation (IFF) was created in Paris in 1913, which explains the presence of French terms in the given kind of sport. Thus, 1921 witnessed as the first international fencing tournament under the auspices of the IFF was held. In 1937, the given tournament was said to become the World Championships, with all the similar tournaments since 1921 being equaled to the World Championships, too. These Championships took place every year excepts for those when the Olympic Games were held. Epee championships have been taking place since 1921, sabre ones – since 1922, and foil ones – since 1926. Foil fencing tournaments among women have been taking place since 1929, 1989 saw the first epee tournament, and 1999 – the first sabre tournament.