INTRODUCTION

The following rules, established by the Macdonald Academy of Arms in May 2003, have been adapted for the conducting of an open backsword tournament.

1.0 General Provisions

All rules listed herein are to be enforced, without modification, in official AHF events, unless permission is granted by the AHF Executive Committee to modify the rules for a given competition.

All bouts shall be fenced in a ring 20 by 20 feet wide. Stepping out of bounds will be penalized as detailed in Section 6.0 (Officiating). For purposes of these rules, stepping out of the ring with one foot shall be considered out of bounds.

Rules will be demonstrated prior to all official AHF Competitions. Fencers fence at their own risk and peril.

2.0 Weapons and Equipment Specifications

The weapons used must be in singlestick form, consisting of a wooden blade (preferably ash) of a length (excluding hilt/grip length) between 29" and 33" according to personal preference or availability of usable weapons.  Sticks should be round in section and of natural form (not manufactured dowels), should not exceed 1" in diameter, and must be free of splinters.

 

If a stick is deemed unacceptable, the AHF will loan the participant a stick for the purpose of the tournament.

Hilts should be appropriately sturdy in construction, made of wicker, reed, or leather.  They must provide adequate protection to the hand against blows, and must fit in such a way as to allow freedom of movement to the fingers, hand and wrist.

II. Fencers must have two weapons in good condition when arriving in the ring.

Clothing and Protective Equipment

Three weapon fencing masks (12 kg punch test) with thick, sewn-in bibs are required for competition. Additionally gorgets of leather or steel are also required. Other martial arts face masks in good condition that adequately cover the front, sides, and top of the head as well as the throat shall be permitted.  Steel mesh or bars must be small enough not to permit the point of a stick to enter. NO HOODS of any type under the mask or attached to the mask will be permitted.

 

Standard three-weapon jackets or equivalent commercially available protection are required. Uniforms must be made of strong material, preferably of heavily padded cotton duck or canvas. Long pants or fencing knickers must be worn and must be made of at least 12-ounce duck or the equivalent. Excessively baggy clothing is forbidden. Spandex clothing, warm-up pants and sweat pants are NOT permitted. Socks must match the color of the knickers, and may not display corporate branding or logos. Shoes may be predominantly white, black, or gray.

A rigid chest protector that covers the collarbones down to the waist for both men and women is required. A plastron worn over the jacket is also highly recommended.

Breast protectors are required for women, and rigid groin cups are required for men.

A padded sabre glove or the equivalent is required for the armed hand. The cuff of the glove must cover the sleeve by at least 3 inches, and its construction must be of sturdy leather or equivalent. A manchette or elbow guard constructed of heavy canvas or leather is required. BMX or similar elbow pads worn over or under the sleeve are also acceptable.

Padded protection must be worn to cover the knee of the forward leg and thigh.

No bare flesh may be exposed.

All weapons and equipment must be inspected by officials prior to the beginning of the tournament.

3.0 Technique and Safety

Target Area                                            

The target areas of the body valid for scoring hits upon shall be the head, shoulders, chest, flanks, arms, and the upper part of the forward leg from 2" above the knee. The back of the head, however, is not a valid target.

Cuts

The only permitted method of striking shall be by delivering cuts to the specified target areas with that part of the stick that represents the true edge of the sword. Cuts must be well placed with control and either drawn or pushed upon landing to replicate the action of an effective cut with a steel blade edge.

Use of the Unarmed Hand

The use of the unarmed hand is only permitted in disarms. 

4.0 Infighting

Infighting is permitted. However, discretion and self-control must be exercised. If the director feels that the action has become irregular or unsafe, he shall immediately stop the action. Similarly, if the action becomes obscured so that the director and judges cannot interpret the phrase, the action will be stopped. The action will also be halted upon any clashing of the guards.

Grappling or hitting the opponent with any part of the body is strictly prohibited. Corps-a-corps encounters will be stopped by the Director. Corps-a-corps is defined as bodily contact, and is not permitted in any form. The contestant who systematically and deliberately causes a corps-a-corps by force will be dealt with as described in Section 6.0 (Officiating).

Should the director feel that an action is uncontrolled or constitutes a fall, he will halt the bout. Falls shall be dealt with as a violation of the rules, as described in Section 6.0 (Officiating). 

5.0 General Conduct

Every hit should be immediately acknowledged, whether good or bad, by the fencer receiving the hit.

It is forbidden to hold the weapon with both hands or to change from one hand to the other during a bout.

It is forbidden to hit hard, to strike with the hilt or pommel, and to thrust with the point.

A fencer should not gesture in any form to the audience or judges that he has made a valid attack or that he disapproves of a decision.

When the Director halts the action, both fencers must immediately stop and hold their ground.

Dishonorable conduct, such as attempting to circumvent the rules, will result in a warning for the first offense and ejection for any subsequent offense.

Speaking while under arms (except for acknowledging a touch against oneself) is not permitted except with the permission of the director, gained by making a foot call (an appel, performed by stamping the front foot twice) and being recognized by the director.

Emotional outbursts or displays of temper before, during, or after a bout are forbidden. Participants must exhibit self-control and good manners.

All violations of the general conduct rules will be dealt with as a violation of the rules, as described in Section 6.0 (Officiating).

Vindictive acts of any kind will result in disqualification and ejection from the event. The AHF Board of Governors may also ban the offender from all events for a period of any length, up to and including a lifetime ban from Association events.

6.0 Officiating

Every formal bout will be presided over by a Director of Combat. The director's function is to ensure that the combat proceeds smoothly and fairly. He must see that the fencing is conducted in accordance with the rules and must halt any swordplay that, in his opinion, is unruly, patently unfair, and/or unsafe. Additionally, the director shall have the power to:

• On his authority commence, halt, end a bout, and declare a winner.
• Penalize violations of the rules and conventions of fencing, including those written and unwritten rules relating to good conduct.
• Award touches with the concurrence of the judges and in accordance with the applicable voting procedure.
• Exercise complete control over the fencers, spectators, judges, minor officials, and other such other personnel who may be in the area of the ring. This control extends to whatever means may be necessary to maintain order, including ejecting a fencer or spectator, dismissing a judge, etc.

The Director will be assisted in his duties by two judges, whose responsibility shall be to watch for touches occurring during the bout, which they shall signal against the fencer who was touched by raising a hand and declaring in a loud voice "touch."

To begin the bout, the Director shall bring both contestants to the center of the ring. Once the Director has assured that everything is in order (such as the fencer is using inspected weapons, wearing the approved clothing, etc.), the fencers must stand out of distance and salute each other, the judges, and the spectators, in that order.  Upon putting on their masks, both adversaries shall be called to engage blades in guarded distance. The director shall then step back and give the command, "fence”. Both opponents should first retire out of distance before commencing with combat.

The fencers shall cease fencing upon the command "Halt."

All bouts shall be for three points, or for a limit of 5 minutes, whichever comes first. Points are scored against the fencer receiving the touch. If the score is tied at the end of this time period, one additional touch will be fenced without time limit to determine a winner. The fencer with fewest touches called against him shall be declared the winner.

Double hits, where both parties land valid hits together at the same time, shall be declared void, and no points will be awarded to either fencer.

 

An intentionally well executed disarm of blade, in which one party removes or disables use of the sword from the other and presents an immediate threat with one or both weapons, shall count the same as one hit.

In the event of one fencer losing his sword by dropping it or having it beaten from his hand, his opponent shall score one point as a hit if he presents an immediate threat and intention of a cutting attack within distance and demonstrates honorable control in stopping that attack short of valid target.

Any hits landing after halt has been called shall not be counted as valid.

Judges shall have one vote each and the director shall have one and one-half votes. A minimum of one and one-half votes is required to award or deny a touch.

Upon seeing a touch or the signal for a touch from a judge, the director shall stop the bout and poll the judges as to the validity of the hit. The judges must respond with one of the following: “good,” “off target,” or “abstain.”

Violations of these rules will be dealt with in the following manner, unless otherwise noted elsewhere in the rules: · 1st Offense: Warning · 2nd Offense: Point against · 3rd Offense: Loss of bout · 4th Offense: Disqualification

7.0 Spectators

Spectators must not interfere in any way. Coaching by voice or gesture, commenting in a loud voice, swearing, using foul language, or abusing officials is prohibited. Spectators behaving in an unruly manner, creating a nuisance, and/or preventing orderly proceeding of the contest will be warned, and if they persist in their actions, ejected.

The AHF Rules Committee

Jeannette Acosta-Martinez, Chair
Ramon Martinez, ex-officio
Paul Macdonald

Rules adapted from Macdonald Academy of Arms, Edinburgh Scotland. Thanks to Maestro Paul Macdonald for his kind assistance.

These rules are the sole property of the Association for Historical Fencing, Inc. and may not be reproduced in whole or in part in any form without the express written permission of the Executive Committee.

Association for Historical Fencing, Inc. June18, 2003