Foil Fencing

The Conventions of Foil Fencing

Otherwise known as "The Rules"

The guiding principles for this course are those of friendly competition, comradeship and honorable behavior. 

In addition to the specific rules listed below all fencers are expected to:

1.  Properly salute before the bout, honorably address the opponent during the bout, shake hands with and thank the opponent at the end of the bout.

2.  Never turn one's back on an opponent.

3.  Do not speak while on the strip unless spoken to by the President (except to declare "touché" or "Pas de touché", and refrain from expressing elation or anger at the course of the action or the results of judging.  If you do not receive credit for the hit you make, then you must not have made it very well.

4.  Always concede a touch where one is not observed by judges or the President, and decline a touch when awarded in error.

5.  Pick up a dropped weapon for the opponent instead of scoring a touch, and always show concern for an opponent who may be hurt or who may require a moment between assaults.

Our model for behavior is Lieutenant George C. Calnan.  Lt. Calnan learned to fence at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis in 1919.  A brilliant fencer, he went to the Olympic Games in 1928 and during the individual epee competition he acknowledged a hit that the judges did not see.  This act of sportsmanship cost him the match and very probably the gold medal.  He finished with a bronze, but in my opinion that bronze medal was worth more truly won than the gold would have been under false pretenses.

George Calnan died five years later in the crash of the U.S. Navy airship Akron.  His was one of only ten Olympic medals ever won by an American in individual men's fencing. 

 

 

The Federation Internationale d’Escrime rules concerning the conventions of foil fencing as quoted from the Amateur Fencing Association’s “Rules for Competitions”:

METHOD OF MAKING A HIT

The foil is a thrusting weapon only. Offensive actions with this weapon must be made with the point and with the point only. Any hit with the point must arrive clearly and openly to be counted as a hit.

LIMITATION OF THE TARGET

At foil, only hits, which arrive on the target, are counted as valid. The target at foil, for women as for men excludes the limbs and the head. It is confined to the trunk, the upper limit being the collar up to 6cm above the prominence of the collar bones; at the sides to the seams of the sleeve, and the lower limit following a horizontal line across the back joining to tops of the hip bones  thence following in straight lines to the junction of the lines of the groin.

The bib of the mask is not included in the target.

OBSERVANCE OF THE FENCING PHRASE

All correctly executed attacks must be parried or completely avoided and the phrase must be followed through.

In order to judge as to the correctness of an attack the following points must be considered:

  • If the attack is initiated when the opponent has his “point in line” (i.e. “with the arm straight and the point threatening the target”) the attacker must first deflect the opponent’s weapon.
  • If the attack is commenced when the opponent’s blade is not in line, the attack may be completed either direct, or by one disengagement or by a coupé or dégage, or else be preceded by successful feints which oblige the opponent to parry.
  • If, when attempting to find the opponent’s blade to deflect it, the blade is not found (derobement or trompement), the right of attack passes to the opponent.

The parry gives the right to riposte: the simple riposte may be direct or indirect, but to annul any subsequent action by the attacker, it must be executed immediately, without indecision or delay.

If a composed attack is made and the opponent finds the blade during one of the feints, he/she has the right to riposte.

When composed attacks are made, the opponent has the right to stop-hit; but to be valid the stop-hit must precede the conclusion of the attack by an interval of fencing time (temps d’escrime); that is to say the stop-hit must arrive before the attacker has begun the final movement of the attack.

JUDGING OF HITS

In applying the basic conventions of foil fencing, the President should judge as follows:

  1. Place the fencers en garde.  Ask "Fencers Ready?".  Upon each fencer replying "Yes, sir" or "Yes, M'am" the President orders "Fence".  The fencers commence the assault and continue until the President gives the order to "Halt".
  2. The President may order the halt if he sees an on-target hit, if a judge raises a hand upon seeing a hit, or if he determines that the assault should be stopped due to unsafe or illegal action (corps-a-corps, stepping out of bounds, etc.).
  3. When the halt is called upon an apparent hit, the President is responsible for quickly reviewing the action of the phrase immediately prior to the hit.  At this time a fencer should declare "touché" if he knows that he was hit.  In any event the President establishes the action and any right-of-way possessed by a fencer.  He then asks the judges to vote on whether a hit was observed.  The judges may respond "Yes", "No" or "Abstain".   Upon the awarding of a touch a fencer may choose to decline the point.
  4. The President then brings the fencers en garde - in the center of the piste if a point was awarded or at the point where halt was called if no point was awarded.

The complete rules as published by the US Fencing Association can be found here.