Weapons

Foil – This is the lightest of the three weapons and is often considered to be a training weapon. It can be identified by the small hand guard and thin blade with coloured tape affixed to the end of it.

Epee – This is the heaviest sword and closely resembles the duelling swords use in olden days to settle matters of honour!

Sabre – Easily identified by the large handle guard that extends in a curve forming an almost ‘basket hilt’ around the handle.

Women’s Sabre has recently been introduced as an official competition as it was previously considered a man’s sport, possibly linked to an archaic view confirmed by the old saying “Foil for girl’s, Epee for boy’s, Sabre for Men!”

Etiquette

Fencing is a sport steeped in history and sportsmanship. Prior to each fight the fencers will salute the Referee, Officials, each other and often the spectators before putting on their masks, by raising their sword to their face as a mark of respect. Fencers must be dressed and ready to start fencing as soon as they arrive on the fencing combat zone known as ‘The Piste’

Target Areas

Different areas of the body are considered valid targets for ‘scoring’ hits to be landed on opponents.

Foil target area is the trunk, with the arms, legs and head being off-target areas.

Epee target area is the whole body for non-disabled fencers, but to protect disabled fencers, some of whom may have little or no feeling in lower limbs, below the waist is not valid target for wheelchair fencing.

In sabre the body from the waist up, including the arms and head, are valid target areas. The target area is the same for both non-disabled and disabled fencing and is historically above the waist as Sabre fencing is based on Cavalry sword fighting on horseback, where it was considered unsporting to hit below the waist, thereby possibly injuring the horse!

Equipment

Fencing is a contact sport with weapons that could cause injury. It is imperative that safe practices are followed. Special protective clothing and equipment is used which is approved by the international governing body for fencing, the FIE (Federation Internationale D’Escrime). Competitors must wear protective clothing consisting of a plastron (a type of ¾ vest), a jacket, and breeches or trousers made from special material which is resistant to puncture (measured in Newtons) and carries the FIE logo. Face masks are stringently tested and also carry the FIE logo. In addition fencers also must wear a glove on the fencing hand and long socks if breeches are worn. Prior to the start of a competition all fencers must submit their clothing and swords to ‘The Armoury’ that is staffed by qualified ‘Armourers’ who test submitted items for compliance with international rules and regulations. Items that pass the tests are given an identifying mark to show that they can be used. Items that fail tests or that have not been tested may not be used and fencers are penalised according to the rules if they are caught using them. Fencers must bring spare weapons and body wires on piste with them in case of equipment faults occurring.

Scoring

Scoring in Fencing is made by completing a valid hit on your opponents target area.

All weapon competitions now utilise electronic scoring systems. Prior to the invention of these systems a visual ‘Judge and Jury’ style was used often referred to as ‘Steam Fencing’ which consisted of a Referee and four judges who would decide who had got the hit! Scoring is registered by a piece of scoring apparatus called ‘The Box’. The Box consists of three settings for each of the weapons used, and a system of coloured lights and an audible buzzer to indicate hits. Valid scoring hits are indicated by a red light for one fencer and a green light for the other fencer, non-valid hits and equipment faults are indicated by a white light.

Fencers in Foil and Sabre wear a metallic jacket (a lamé) which is connected via a series of wires to the Box that indicate when they have been hit and that also connects to the sword to indicate when they have hit their opponent. In Epee a lamé skirt is worn to nullify hits rather than record them, as in wheelchair fencing it is an off target area.

Foil and Epee swords have a ‘point’ which consists of a button on the end of the blade that must be depressed fully to register the hit. The Sabre is primarily a cutting weapon, although it doesn’t have a button point like the other swords a hit can be scored with the point, but most hits are made by making a cutting action on the opponents target with the blade. In simple terms the action of the sword making contact with the opponents target area (and the point being depressed fully in Foil and Epee) forms a complete circuit in the electronic scoring system causing the lights to come on.

Competition Format

Competitions usually follow a basic format, the same for each weapon, which starts with fencers competing in groups (poules) where all fencers fight each other. Each fight is called a bout. This is often referred to as a seeding poule. Poule bouts are usually fenced the first to five points and can be over very quickly! After the initial poule, fencers are ranked (seeded) based on their victories, defeats and scores recorded in that group. Fencers are then arranged according to their ranking for the next part of the competition the ‘Direct Elimination’ (DE). Depending on the number of fencers, a table (tableau) is formed so the highest ranked fencer fights the lowest ranked, second ranked versus penultimate ranked etc, in the first round. DE bouts are fenced first to 15 points. In DE bouts a one minute break is given when the first fencer reaches 8 points. The DE tableau continues until two fencers remain, who then fight for first and second places. In some competitions the losing semi-finalists fight-off for third place and in others both losing semi-finalists are awarded third place.

Refereeing and Basic Rules

The Referee has an important and difficult job as they must decide according to their interpretation of the rules which fencer has made the hit that counts. Epee is by far the easiest weapon to referee as the Box indicates which fencer has hit and Epee also allows double hits (where both fencers depress their points on a valid target area at exactly the same time). Foil and Sabre are more difficult to interpret as the fencer who moves forward first is considered to have initiated ‘the attack’ and therefore has right of way. The other fencer must successfully make a defensive action (parry) before they can reply (riposte). The Referee will conduct his analysis of the movements in French, the language of fencing. He will begin the bout by asking the fencers to take guard (En guarde), ask if they are ready (êtes vous prêt), and then initiate the combat saying the word ‘Allez’ (sometimes the word ‘Play’ or ‘Fence’ are used in the UK). If a fencer raises their hand to indicate a problem or a hit is scored, the Referee will call ‘Halt!’ after which fencing must cease. The Referee will usually explain the preceding period of fighting before indicating which fencer is awarded the hit. Referees utilise an infringement card system similar to Football. For a first infringement in a bout a yellow card is shown to the offending fencer, subsequent yellow cards offences are then issued as a red card which automatically awards a hit to the opponent. A black card means instant dismissal from the competition.

Specific Wheelchair Fencing Rules

In Wheelchair Fencing the wheelchair is considered to be part of the fencer’s equipment and must be tested and measured to ensure it complies with the rules. The main difference between wheelchair fencing and Non-disabled fencing is the piste area. Instead of moving up and down a long, narrow piste, for safety, wheelchair fencing utilises a frame specially designed to clamp the fencing wheelchairs to secure them. Fencing frames vary in style from heavy sheet metal frames to light weight transportable frames. Fencers are seated at a specific angle to allow a large range of movement and separated from each other with a system (called ‘taking distance’) based on the length of arm and sword. Both fencers sit upright and one holds their arm out straight with the sword in hand. The other holds their arm out with the arm bent. The distance is correct when the point of the sword is just touching the elbow for Epee and Sabre and level with the crook of the elbow for Foil. The fencer with the shortest arm decides which distance is fenced to. Fencers can lean backwards and forwards during fencing but must sit upright until Allez is called. Whilst fencing the fencer must keep at least one buttock on the seat of the wheelchair. If a clear gap is observed by the Referee this is known as ‘lifting’, and is an infringement of the rules which is penalised by a yellow card offence. Persistent abuse of this rule may require the Referee to appoint independent ‘Seat Judges’ to watch both fencers to indicate if lifting occurs.