All participants are expected to conduct themselves in a safe and respectful manner. Fencers are responsible for ensuring their equipment is in good working order before each match. These event is designed to be a fun and low stress way of testing your skills in a competition format. It is not designed to be the best rule set ever or to be the most competitive one either.
All personal protective equipment and weapons must be inspected and approved by the event staff prior to competition. Failure to meet these standards will result in being unable to compete until the issues are rectified. No skin can be exposed for any competitor.
The following equipment is mandatory for all competitors, regardless of the event:
Jacket & Pants: Must be puncture-resistant (e.g., 350N minimum).
Hard Point Protection: Rigid protection is required over the elbows and knees.
Groin Protection: Required for all fencers who need it.
Neck Protection: A gorget or other rigid neck protector is mandatory.
Head Protection: A standard HEMA fencing mask with a back-of-the-head protector is required.
In addition to the general requirements, longsword competitors must have:
Limb Protection: Rigid forearm and shin guards.
Gloves: Plated, longsword-appropriate heavy gloves. There can be no tears, breaks, or significant gaps in the plating or material.
Weapon Specifications:
The longsword must have a comfortable and safe amount of flex. The blade should bend easily upon striking a solid target to absorb impact but should not be "whippy" or floppy, which can lead to uncontrolled hits. The blade must return to true quickly after flexing. Event staff will have the final say on weapon safety.
The blade length cannot exceed 40 inches from the crossguard to the tip.
In addition to the general requirements, competitors in single-handed weapon events must have:
Gloves: Must provide complete and adequate hand coverage appropriate for the weapon system.
Weapon Specifications:
The blade length cannot exceed 35 inches from the crossguard/bellguard to the tip.
The total weight of the weapon must be under 2 lbs.
Pools: The tournament will begin with three rounds of Swiss Pools. All pool matches will be fought to a score of 5 points.
Finals: After the pool rounds, the top 4 ranked fencers will advance to the finals. The finals will consist of two matches: one for 1st and 2nd place, and one for 3rd and 4th place.
All matches will take place within a designated ring. The boundaries will be clearly marked. Rules regarding leaving the fighting area are detailed in the penalties section.
Matches will consist of a series of exchanges. The Head Judge will start and halt each exchange. Judges will award points based on the criteria outlined in Section 6. The fencer with the highest score at the end of the allotted time, or the first to reach the designated point total, will be declared the winner.
Points are awarded for clean, decisive strikes or thrusts with the designated cutting/thrusting portion of the weapon to valid target areas. A "clean, decisive strike" is one that is executed with clear intent and structure, landing with the cutting portion (edge or point) of the blade. The strike must demonstrate sufficient control and power to be considered martially valid. Strikes that are uncontrolled or land with the flat may not be counted at the judge's discretion.
Limb Hits (1 Point): Any valid strike to the arms or legs.
Body Hits (2 Points): Any valid strike or thrust to the torso (front and sides).
Head Hits (3 Points): Any valid strike or thrust to the mask (front and sides).
An additional 1 point will be awarded to a fencer who demonstrates clear martial control during a scoring action. Control may be defined as, but is not limited to:
Disarming the opponent.
Trapping or binding the opponent's weapon.
Controlling the opponent's body with a grapple or off-hand contact while striking.
An afterblow is a valid counter-attack delivered by the fencer who was just struck.
To be considered valid, an afterblow must be an immediate, single-action response.
A valid afterblow must land on the body or head of the initial attacker.
A successful afterblow deducts 1 point from the score of the initial attacking action. It does not score points on its own.
A double hit occurs when both fencers land a valid scoring action on each other simultaneously, with no discernible difference in timing.
No points are awarded to either fencer.
Accumulating three (3) double hits in a single match will result in a Red Card (see Section 7.2).
Permitted Actions: Grabbing an opponent's weapon or body (excluding the mask and throat) to establish control is permitted.
Prohibited Throws: Throws or takedowns that cause the opponent's feet to leave the ground are not permitted and will be penalized.
Engaging the Blade: To legally grab an opponent's blade, the blade must be arrested (i.e., not in a dynamic swinging motion).
Exception: A fencer may grab a weapon that is in motion if their hand follows the same path as the blade and the blade is not being swung with injurious intent or force (e.g., to smother or deflect an attack).
No verbal warnings will be given for infractions. All penalties will be issued via a carding system.
A Yellow Card results in a 1-point deduction from the offending fencer's score. Yellow cards will be issued for the following:
Ring Out: Both feet leaving the designated fighting area without being actively forced out by the opponent.
Hitting the Ground: Striking the floor with the weapon.
Illegal Targets: Intentionally striking the back of the opponent's body or the back of the head.
Arguing with the Judge: Displaying unsportsmanlike conduct or disputing a call in a disrespectful manner.
Delay of Match: Not being present and ready to fence at the designated start time.
Excessive Force: Defined as any strike delivered with power significantly beyond what is required to score, posing a clear risk of injury. This includes full-power swings to limbs or actions that cause visible distress to the opponent from raw impact.
Driving a Thrust: Continuing to push a thrust forward with significant force after the point has already made contact with the opponent.
A Red Card results in an immediate loss of the current match for the offending fencer. A Red Card will be issued for:
Dangerous Behavior: Any action that willfully disregards the safety of the opponent or the rules. Examples include striking after "Halt" has been called, a prohibited throw, or any action deemed malicious by the Head Judge.
Three Doubles: Accumulating three (3) double hits in a single match.
Three Yellows: Receiving a third Yellow Card in a single match is grounds for a judge to issue a Red Card at their discretion.
A Black Card results in the immediate removal of the fencer from the entire tournament. This is reserved for the most severe infractions and is issued at the discretion of the Head Judge or Tournament Director.
