Limited chairs at the fencing venue please bring fold out chairs if you would like to sit.

Location:

4740 Dues Dr, West Chester Township, OH 45246 (Building B)

 

Rules Governing Fencing

Light Box - you will noticed the electrical gear that a fencer might be wearing. Anything that looks metallic/silver such as the jacket called the Lamé that a fencer is wearing is conductible and is a representation of valid target areas of places that are score-able. In saber the mask is conductible as well allowing opponents to score on the head. Foil is the torso (including the back) and Saber is the torso as well as the arms and head (look in the weapons section to learn more about the disciplines in fencing). The red and green lights represents when someone has made contact with their opponent. For example, if fencer "A" is on the side that the red light is on and stabs fencer "B" with the point of their foil on the Lamé the a red light will light up and vice versa for fencer "B" and fencer "B's" green light. If a white light should appear then this means that a fencer hit their opponent on a non-valid target area or off of the Lamé and only occurs in foil.

"Right of Way" - This is the name given to the set of rules that a referee or fencer use to determine who shall be rewarded a point in the case that both fencers hit at roughly the same time in foil and in saber.

Rule # 1 the "attack"

If fencer "A" is moving forward towards fencer "B" then this in itself would give fencer "A" what we call an ATTACK and or RIGHT of WAY. In the case that there is no break (stopping of the feet), retraction of the arm, attempting to hit fencer "B's" blade but failing, or hesitation of any sorts than fencer "A" will be awarded one point.

Rule # 2 the "parry riposte"

Lets replay that scenario. So, fencer "A" has the attack and is moving down the strip (a fencers field of play) towards fencer "B" giving fencer "A" the right of way. Fencer "B" can gain right of way/take right of way away from fencer "A" by doing what we call a PARRY RIPOSTE. A parry is a defensive manuever in which one player would deflect/block another players blade and the riposte is the action that follows right after giving that player right of way by coming off the blade right after blocking/parrying and usually attempting to hit their opponent to score. So, in the event that fencer "A" attacks and then fencer "B" parry's fencer "A's" blade and riposte's and both players hit at the same time then fencer "B" will be awarded one point. Again any hesitation on the riposte or failing to hit on their attempt to score will result in loss of right of way.

Rule # 3 "Falling short/ missing/ hesitation"

ANY attempt to strike your opponent that does not succeed will result in loss of right of way and automatically result in your opponent gaining that right of way. Referees are trained to see even the smallest of hesitations by fencers and many times right of way can be traded back and forth between fencers several times before a point is scored.

Rule # 4

The above rules will help the bout go in your favor and lead you to victory but in the end who scores a point is really at the discretion of the referee. What you may see as your point the referee may be seeing something completely different and it will take your innovative thinking and knowing of how the referee is making the calls to insure that you earn points by fencing in a way that gets the referee to give you points.