Pertinent Rules Governing Fencing at Olympic Games - (All Weapons)
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Pertinent Rules Governing Fencing at Olympic Games - (All Weapons)
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June 25, 1936
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1
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13
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4
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en
PERTINENT RULES GOVERNING FENCING AT OLYMPIC GAMES - (All Weapons)
1. Organization: At scheduled time, the fencers must be ready. The director calls those who are to fence before him. If at the first call the fencer or team does not appear, or if the team is incomplete, the call will be repeated twice at one-minute intervals. The fencer or team who is not ready by the third call will be irrevocably excluded from the tournament without the right of appeal.
2. Ground Rules: The length of the strip is the following: FOIL, 12 meters; EPEE, 34 meters; SABRE, 24 meters. A centre line bisects the strip. Guard lines are marked two meters on each side of the centre line.
Warning lines: FOIL AND SABRE, 1 meter from the end of the strip; EPEE, 2 meters from the end of the strip.
Note: EACH TIME that a fencer arrives with the rear foot to the warning line, the director gives the command to "HALT," and then warns the contestant. No warning is given elsewhere.
3. Start of Bout: Contestants are put on guard with the front foot at the guard line two meters from the centre of the strip. Contestants go on guard at the command "EN GARDE." The director asks whether they are ready ("PRETS?" or "ETES-VOUS PRETS?"). Upon affirmative answer being received, the director gives the command to play "ALLEZ."
4. Halt: The command "HALT" is given solely by the director: (a) when a phrase is completed, (b) when the play is dangerous or contrary to the rules, (c) if a contestant is wholly off the strip, (d) if he has arrived at the warning line, (e) if in retreating he approaches the public or jury.
All hits scored before the command of "HALT" are normally valid. When the opponent has stopped in good faith, the director may use his discretion in the award of the touch.
5. Director: The ordinary rules prevail for directing. Note, however, that when a touch is believed to have been scored, the director must stop the bout, and then MUST ASK EACH OF THE FOUR JUDGES whether the fencer they are watching has been touched. This is a compulsory formality.
The director, in addition, may require each judge to establish the movement of the action, and the part of the target on which the touch was scored.
6. Judges: Four judges are always used. When a judge is questioned by the director, he must answer "OUI," "NON," or "JE M'ABSTIENS" (Abstention).
If a judge is in doubt, he MUST ABSTAIN. If a touch is too light, or a slap, or too much steel, he MUST say "NON."
If a touch is too low, he says "TROP BAS"; on the arm, "AU BRAS"; on the mask, "AU MASQUE" (the latter two apply only to foil).
7. Benefit of Doubt: When two judges watching a fencer are of a positive but contrary opinion — OR IF THEY BOTH ABSTAIN — the director decides according to his own observation. If he has no opinion, the touch is "doubtful" (DOUBTEUSE). A doubtful touch so defined gives rise to the "Benefit of Doubt" provided in the rule.
8. There is no penalty whatsoever for infighting or closing in unless a fencer systematically forces the corps-à-corps. The corps-à-corps is said to exist when the fencers remain clearly in contact without being able to disengage or use their weapons. Unsuccessful fleches are not penalized unless they result in an actual corps-à-corps.
9. Award of Touches: Your attention is called to the fact that the practice abroad is for the director to announce touches AGAINST the fencer who is hit. Thus, "À GAUCHE" means that the fencer on the director's left has been touched; "À DROITE" means that the fencer to the right of the director has been hit.
10. Removal of Officials: The organizing committee or technical board is under duty to replace immediately a director or judge when it becomes necessary to do so, for any reason whatsoever, whether for technical reasons or to maintain the good order of the tournament.
11. Scoring: A victory counts 2 points; a tie 1 point; a defeat 0 points. Classification for team and individual standings is made on the basis of such points. In the event of a tie in points, touches are counted (except for first place) as provided in our rules.
12. Time Limits: Fifteen minutes for foil and sabre; ten minutes for epee. Warnings must be given to the fencers 2 minutes and 1 minute before the expiration of the time limit.
13. Unfinished Bouts: In all weapons, when time is up, and the bout has not been won and lost, but one fencer is in the lead, he will win the bout as if he had scored the maximum required number of touches. His opponent will be deemed to have scored ONLY the number of touches ACTUALLY EARNED in the bout.
In foil and sabre if the score is tied at the end of the time limit both contestants lose (get 0 points). HOWEVER, a new rule adopted in 1936 (which may not be applied in the Olympic Games) would in such a case then bring the score to 4-4 and allow an unlimited time for one additional touch. The point should be cleared up in Berlin.
In epee, if the score is tied at the end of the bout time, both fencers lose, getting 0 points, and each is deemed to have received 3 touches. The only way in which a tie bout (1 point for each) may result is through a double touch when the score is 2-all before the end of the time limit.
