Classical Foil Tournament

On Sunday, CombatCon will host a Classical Foil Tournament, organized by Red Sun Classical Fencing!

Time and Place

Registration

Registration Cost: The tournament is FREE to enter.

Registration Deadline:  July 17th, 2022 (please note there is a minimum number of participants required so please sign up as soon as possible).

To Register: Email redsunfencing@gmail.com

Would you like to help by being an official in the tournament? Contact Red Sun Classical Fencing by the email above. Those fencing in the tournament may not be officials.

Rules, Regulations, and Procedures

Protective Equipment Requirements

• 3-weapon mask. Must be non-electric.
• Underarm protector
• Fencing jacket that overlaps the pants being worn; jackets must be white or natural/khaki color to facilitate judging of touches.
• Padded 3-weapon glove for the armed hand
• Anatomy-specific protection: Groin athletic protector for men, and a chest protector for women.
• Pants that cover the entire leg, or fencing knickers with long socks; those that are excessively baggy and/or stretchy are prohibited as these can cause blades to break.

Additional protective equipment may be worn by the fencer if desired, but not less than the minimum described here.

Weapon Requirements and Rules

• It is highly recommended that competitors have 2 weapons.
• All weapons used must be clean and free of rust and burrs.
• Any unsafe condition, such as loose construction or kinks/S-curves in blades, will disqualify the weapon from use.
• Any classical configuration of foil (French, Italian, Spanish, or Scuola Mista) may be used. Sport fencing weapons, such as those with modern/pistol grips and wired electric blades, are not allowed.
• Unwired electric blades with metal dummy tips are not allowed.
• The blade must be tipped with a leather, plastic, or rubber button and secured with tape.
• The use of a martingale or wrist strap is permitted if desired.
• Use of the off-hand is not allowed except where valid technique permits it (such as the passata sotto).
• Target area for Foil is the torso only, including the back, defined from a line drawn across the hips to the seams on the sleeves of the shoulder, including the bib of the mask.

Tournament Format

Round-Robin. All competitors will fence all other competitors. In the case of a large number of competitors, more than one pool may be created at the discretion of the tournament organizers.

Scoring

Touches with the point of the weapons must set, and sufficient bend in the blade must occur to demonstrate penetrating power. Touches will be awarded against the fencer receiving the touch. Disarmaments will stop the action; if a touch occurs during the disarming action and lands before the weapon hits the ground, the touch will be awarded. Off-target touches will stop action, but no touch will be awarded. Double touches (or perceived double touches) will be adjudicated by priority if at all possible. A true double touch, which is simultaneous attacks or simultaneous replacements/renewals, the action will be thrown out, with no touch awarded.

Bout Parameters

Bouts will be fenced to 3 touches against one fencer, or 5 minutes, whichever occurs first. In instances where the time limit elapses but both fencers have the same number of touches against, the bout will continue until the tie is broken.

Conditions of Victory

The objective is to hit your opponent without being hit yourself. The winner of a given bout is that fencer with a lower number of touches against than his/her opponent. The fencer with the lowest total number of touches against in the tournament will be the victor. If there are two (or more) fencers with the same number of touches against, there will be a bout to break the tie.

General

Fencers are expected to acknowledge touches they’ve received. The Director has the final say in all calls. Fencers will stop action and return to first position upon the Director calling a “halt”. No speaking under arms is permitted, unless prompted by the Director, or if the fencer is acknowledging a touch. Dangerous actions with any weapon, such as jabbing actions, are not permitted and will be penalized. Unsportsmanlike, disrespectful, or vengeful behavior will not be tolerated, and will be penalized at the discretion of the director and tournament officials according to the severity of the offense, which can include a warning, penalty touches, loss of the bout, and/or ejection from the tournament. The Tournament Organizer is the sole interpreter of the rules.

Bouts will be fenced on a piste approximately 10 meters long by 1.5 meters wide. Both feet (any part of the foot) off the piste will stop the action, with a subsequent offenses resulting in a penalty touch against.

For any questions please contact the Tournament Organizer, Provost Ryan Mank, at redsunfencing@gmail.com.