THE UNOFFICIAL FIE RULES

FOR COMPETITIONS
2002 EDITION

Updated and revised by Mike Thornton.

As these are not the official rules they should not be used for disputes or appeals especial if they conflict with the most recent published B.F.A or F.I.E rule.

AMENDMENTS TO THE RULES

The FIE makes amendments to the ‘Reglements pour les Epreuves’ (RULES FOR COMPETITIONS) from time to time. Since the last English language edition of the ‘Rules’ were published in 2000, there have been numerous amendments. These amendments are available in French ‘on-line’ as the text of the ‘Reglements pour les Epreuves’ are published on the FIE website at www.fie.ch.

The text of recent amendments in English is available ‘on-line’ from the BFA website at www.britishfencing.com.

This version of the Rules has been prepared by Anglicising and updating the USFA 2000 edition of the Rules. The text of the USFA Rules was largely taken from a previous version of the BFA Rules translated and prepared by Steve Higginson and Peter Jacobs. The resulting product has then been compared with the FIE ‘Reglements par les Epreuves’ as published on their website in May 200 and the English text of the amendments also published in May 2002.

The passages which have been amended since the 2000 edition of the ‘English’ Rules are highlighted in blue in the following text.

Whilst I have made every attempt to ensure the accuracy of the following text, I must stress that it is an unofficial document and has not been approved by the FIE or the BFA.

I believe that this is, however, the only extant attempt at an updated text of the ‘Reglements pour les Epreuves’ in English.

Any errors are mine – unless the FIE made them first!

Mike Thornton May 2002.

RULES FOR COMPETITIONS

PRELUDE

BOOK 1. TECHNICAL RULES

PART I. GENERAL RULES AND RULES

COMMON TO THE THREE WEAPONS

Article

CHAPTER 1. APPLICATION OF THE RULES

Obligatory use of the Rules t.1

CHAPTER 2. GLOSSARY

A. Competitions

1. Assaults and bouts t.2

2. Match t.3

3. Competition t.4

4. Championship t.5

B. Explanation of some technical terms

1. Fencing time t.6

2. Offensive and defensive actions t.7

3. Explanation t.8

4. Defensive actions t.9

5. The ‘in-line’ position t.10

CHAPTER 3. THE FIELD OF PLAY t.11-14

CHAPTER 4. THE FENCERS’ EQUIPMENT

Responsibility of fencers t.15

CHAPTER 5. FENCING

1. Method of holding the weapon t.16

2. Coming on guard t.17

3. Beginning, stopping and restarting the bout t.18

4. Fencing at close quarters t.19

5. Corps à corps t.20

6. Displacing the target and passing the opponent t.21

7. Substitution and use of the non-sword hand and arm t.22-23

8. Ground gained or lost t.24-25

9. Crossing the limits of the piste

(a) Stopping the bout t.26 (b) Rear Limits t.27

(d) Leaving the piste accidentally t.29 10. Duration of the bout t.30-32

11. Accidents, withdrawal of a competitor t.33

CHAPTER 6. REFEREEING AND JUDGING OF HITS t.34

1. The Referee t.35

2. Judges t.36

3. Attribution of referees

1. Olympic Games and World Championships

a. Individual competitions t.37

b. Team competitions t.38

2. World Cup Competitions t.39

4. Method of judging hits

(a) Materiality of the hit t.40-41

(b) Validity or priority of the hit t.42

5. Regulation equipment and checking of equipment by

the Referee t.43-44

6. Non-regulation equipment t.45

PART 2. FOIL

THE CONVENTIONS OF FENCING

A. METHOD OF MAKING A HIT t.46

B. TARGET

1. Limitation of the target t.47

2. Hits off the target t.48

3. Extension of the valid target t.49

C. JUDGING OF HITS AT FOIL t.50

I. Materiality of the hit t.51-52

II. Annulment of a hit t.53-54

III. Validity or priority of the hit

1. Preface t.55

2. Respect of the fencing phrase t.56-59

3. Judging of hits t.60

PART 3. EPEE

THE CONVENTIONS OF FENCING

A. METHOD OF MAKING A HIT t.61

B. THE TARGET t.62

C. CORPS A CORPS AND flèche ATTACKS t.63

D. JUDGING OF HITS IN EPEE t.64

1. Basic principle t.65

2. The annulment of hits t.66-69

PART 4. SABRE

THE CONVENTIONS OF FENCING

A. METHOD OF MAKING A HIT t.70

B. LIMITATION OF THE TARGET t.71-72

C. JUDGING OF HITS AT SABRE

I. Materiality and annulment of hits t.73

II. Validity or priority of the hit

1. Preface t.74

2. Regard of the fencing phrase t.75-79

3. Judging of hits t.80

PART 5. DISCIPLINARY RULES

FOR COMPETITIONS

CHAPTER 1. APPLICATION

1. Persons subject to these rules t.81

2. Maintenance of order and discipline t.82-83

3. The competitors

(a) Pledge of honour t.84

(b) Refusing to fence an opponent t.85

(d) Fencing etiquette t.87

(e) Personal effort t.88

4. The team manager t.89

5. The team captain t.90

6. The referees and judges t.91

7. The instructors, trainers and technicians t.92

8. The spectators t.93

CHAPTER 2. THE DISCIPLINARY AUTHORITIES

AND THEIR COMPETENCE

1. Jurisdiction t.94

2. Principle of jurisdiction t.95

3. The Referee t.96

4. The Directoire Technique t.97

5. The Executive Committee of the IOC at the Olympic Games t.98

6. The Executive Committee of the FIE t.99

7. The Congress of the FIE t.100

CHAPTER 3. PENALTIES

1. Classification of penalties t.101

2. Penalties related to fencing t.102-105

3. Disciplinary penalties t.106-112

4. Announcement of penalties t.113

CHAPTER 4. OFFENCES, THEIR PENALTIES AND THE

COMPETENT JURIDICAL AUTHORITIES

1. The types (groups) of penalty t.114

2. Competence T.115

3. The first group of offences t.116

4. The second group of offences t.117

5. The third group of offences t.118

6. The fourth group of offences t.119

7. Offences and penalties t.120

CHAPTER 5. PROCEDURE

1. Basic principle t.121

2. Protests and appeals t.122-123

3. Investigation — Right of defence t.124

4. Method of decision t.125

5. Stay of execution t.126

6. Repetition of offence t.127

7. Pardon, remissions and commutation of penalty t.128

CHAPTER 6. DRUGS

1. General rules t.129

BOOK 2. ORGANISATION RULES

CHAPTER 1. COMPETITIONS o.1-2

CHAPTER 2. BODIES RESPONSIBLE FOR ORGANISATION

AND CONTROL

1. The Organising Committee o.3

2. The Central Office of the FIE o.4

3. The Directoire Technique o.5

4. Referees o.6

5. Auxiliary personnel o.7-8

CHAPTER 3. ENTRIES FOR COMPETITIONS o.9

CHAPTER 4. TIMETABLE o.10

CHAPTER 5. INDIVIDUAL COMPETITIONS o.11

1. General rules for the round of pools o.12

Composition of pools o.13-19

Withdrawal o.20

2. General rules for direct elimination o.21-24

Withdrawal o.25

Order of bouts o.26

The final o.27

Classification o.28

A. Mixed Formula (Open competitions) o.29-34

B. Mixed Formula (Junior/Cadet competitions) o.35-41

CHAPTER 6. TEAM COMPETITIONS

A. Open and Junior World Championships

(and Olympic Games) team events o.42-44

B. Open World Cup team competition o45-47

CHAPTER 7. ORGANISATION OF OFFICIAL FIE COMPETITIONS

A. Common conditions

(a) Programme of competitions o.48

(b) Venues, installations, equipment, accreditation, etc o.49

(d) Age of participants o.55

(e) Technical management of major competitions o.56-62

(f) Supervision by the FIE o.63

(g) Anti-doping testing o.64

B. Open World Championships

1. Annual championships o.65

2. Candidature o.66

3. Entries o.67

4. Referees o.68

5. Invitations for international officials o.69

C. REGIONAL GAMES o.70

(a) Technical delegates of the FIE o.71

(b) Technical officials and referees o.72

D. Junior and cadet World Championships

1. Annual championships o.73

2. Candidature o.74

3. Entries o.75

4. Age of the competitors o.76

5. Referees o.77

6. Invitations for international officials o.78

E. World Cup competitions

1. Introduction o.79-82

2. Criteria o.83-85

3. Participation o.86-87

4. Referees o.88

5. Team World Cup o.89

6. World ranking o.90-91

F. Nations’ Grand Prix o.92

CHAPTER 8. SPECIAL RULES FOR THE OLYMPIC GAMES o.93

BOOK 3. MATERIAL RULES

PART 1. FENCERS’ WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT

CHAPTER 1. WEAPONS