he most common cause of confusion and dispute in sabre matches is the Tallocation of points when both fencers have registered hits. The section, of the rules given here - VALIDITY OR PRIORITY OF THE HIT - governs that SABRE situation and is reproduced unedited and unamended. A DOUBLE HIT GUIDE The attack (t.101 to t.104) and the parry (t.105) are clearly defined. The procedure for applying those definitions to a match is given under rule t.106.

The full rules of fencing are available from the British Fencing website as a downloadable pdf: (https://www.britishfencing.com/the-fie-rulebooks/)

VALIDITY OR PRIORITY OF THE HIT 5. The fleche and any forward movement in which the rear foot completely passes the front foot is The Referee alone decides as to the forbidden. Any offence will be penalised as specified t.100 validity or the priority of the hit by for penalties in the 1st group (cf. t.158-162, t.165, applying the following basic rules which are the t.170). Any hit scored by the fencer at fault will be annulled. However, any hit correctly executed by his

conventions applicable to sabre fencing. PREFACE opponent is valid.

RESPECT OF THE FENCING PHRASE In order to judge as to the correctness of t.102 an attack the following points must be

considered: POINT IN LINE IN 1. Any attack properly executed (cf. t.9.1) 1. If the attack is initiated when the opponent has his t.101 must be parried, or completely avoided, point ‘in line’ (cf. t.15) the attacker must first deflect his and the phrase must be continuous. opponent’s weapon. Referees must ensure that a mere

ATTACK contact of the blades is not considered as sufficient to 2. The attack is correctly carried out when the deflect the opponent’s blade. straightening of the arm, with the point or the cutting edge continuously threatening the valid target, 2. If, when attempting to find the opponent’s blade to precedes the initiation of the lunge. deflect it, the blade is not found (dérobement), the right of attack passes to the opponent. 3. An attack with a lunge is correctly carried out: a) in a simple attack (cf. t.9.1) when the beginning 3. If the attack is commenced when the opponent’s of the straightening of the arm precedes the blade is not ‘in line’, the attack may be completed launching of the lunge and the hit arrives at the latest either direct, or by a disengagement or by a cutover, or when the front foot hits the piste; else be preceded by feints (cf. t.103) which oblige the opponent to parry. b) in a compound attack (cf. t.10) when the beginning of the straightening of the arm, on the 1. In compound attacks the feint must first feint (cf. t.103), precedes the launching t.103 be correctly carried out, i.e: of the lunge and the hit arrives at the latest when the FEINTS front foot hits the piste. a) A feint with the point, with the arm straightened and the point threatening the target continuously. 4. An attack with a step-forward-lunge is correctly carried out: b) A feint with a cut, the arm straightened, the blade a) in a simple attack (cf. t.9.1) when the beginning of and the arm forming an obtuse angle of about 135°, with the straightening of the arm precedes the step- the cutting edge threatening a valid part of the target. forward and when the hit arrives at the latest when the front foot hits the piste; 2. If during a compound attack the opponent finds the blade during one of the feints, he has the right to BEAT BEAT riposte. b) in a compound attack (cf. t.10) when the COUNTER beginning of the straightening of the arm for the first feint (Cf. t.103) precedes the step-forward, 3. In a compound attack the opponent has the right to stop-hit; but, in order to be valid, the stop hit must followed by the lunge, and the hit arrives at the HIT latest when the front foot hits the piste. precede the last movement of the attack by one period STOP t.106 fencing time between the hits: between time fencing of Therefore, whenthere an interval isnot the fencers. oneof of on thepart action aclearly faulty of the result 2 fencers. both for annulled are exchanged in thiscase thehits fencers; both by anattack of andexecution conception to simultaneous oradouble hit action asimultaneous thereis either simultaneously 1 as follows: t.105 t.105 t.104 contact with thetarget. with contact flexibility evenif, as such theReferee, by andjudged parried, declared be must the opponent b) to finish. attack thelineinwhichthat closing by attack is thearrival prevents it that of theattack, of completion a) therefore: made arriving the opponent by onthevalidhits target; theblade,back of 2 orpause. any hesitation attacker, immediately, out carried be must it without inorder tobut annulany movement the by subsequent right to animmediate riposte. the andthebeat theopponent gives executed badly theblade theguard, theattack of nearest one-third is is made 2 theguard. from theblade of furthest thetwo-thirds i.e. beat ismade whenthe priority its andretains out carried is correctly attack itself. thelast movement the of the attacker has started the i.e. time, fencing of . Whenduring are aphrase hit fencers both JUDGING OFHITS JUDGING . The double hit (coup. The doublehit double) hand, ontheother is . Against cuts with the with cuts . Against . In anattack ontheblade, beating by whenthebeat The parry is The parry When a parry is properly executed, theattack by executed, isproperly Whenaparry on the forte of theopponent’s of blade on theforte , the tip of the opponent’s weapon makes theopponent’s of , thetip

on the foible of theopponent’s of blade on thefoible sabre fencing, the Referee shouldjudge sabre theReferee fencing, basicIn these applying conventions of attack ontheblade, beating by theattack Attacks ontheblade: 1 bybeats simple riposte may be direct or indirect, orindirect, maysimple riposte direct be 1 properly carried out out properly carried . The parry gives theright gives to The parry the object of the parry isto prevent theparry of theobject : The simultaneous action isdue action : The simultaneous stop hit hit stop cutting edge, the flat orthe theflat cutting edge, as a result of its its of as aresult must arrive must before when, before the when, before riposte , i.e. the , i.e. . In an

; a ,

APPLY PARRY & BEAT ATTACK RIPOSTE his ‘inline’ point a) 4 made hisopponent. by hit adirect parrying of inlineagain hispoint insteadhis blade, orplaces heattacks theblade of whichdeflects (prisea beat orataking defer) e) intime; being d) remise or reprise); therightopponent to or renew theattack (redoublement, pause momentary c) insodoing; succeed not does b) a) 3 replace the competitors onguard thecompetitors replace has whichsideclearly thefault to judgefrom come, he must 5 withdrawing thearm. without time fencing of period inone whichisimmediate, simple andexecuted ariposte by a following f) movement. d’escrime) (temps time fencing of hemakes hisfinal before e) own attack. oranattack hit makes his astop whiletheattacker continues a d) immediately.ripostes theblade find c) a of (because b) blade. the opponent’s to deflect as sufficient considered isnot the blades ensure of must that amere contact - Referees weapon. the opponent’s . . . The fencer whois attacked The as is hit: alonecounted fencer

momentary pause momentary If he makes a hit by aremise, orreprise by redoublement Ifhemakes ahit If, after making a successful parry, If, after making hemakes asuccessful a If, during a compound attack, he allows his opponent to hisopponent heallows If, during attack, acompound If he initiated hisattack Ifheinitiated when Ifhemakes a If, during a compound attack, heis If, during attack, acompound If, instead of parrying, heattempts to If, parrying, instead of If he attempts to find the blade, does not succeed succeed not theblade, does Ifheattempts to find The If, during a compound attack, hemakes a If, during attack, acompound If, during a compound attack, he If, during attack, acompound When there is a double hit, and if the Referee isunable theReferee andif When there isadoublehit, If, having line’(cf. ‘in hispoint

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