Tournament RuleSet

Feile Na Gaiscigh 2024

Team Fencing Ruleset

The Team Fencing ruleset is based on the HEMA Ireland competition ruleset with some minor alterations. Since each team will consist of THREE (3) fencers, changes were made to accommodate the greater number of matches that will take place during the tournament (e.g. reduced number of exchanges, shorter rounds, and elimination rules).


Team Specific Rules

  • For each team of three, two fencers should be assigned to use longswords, while the third fencer can use a weapon of their choice that is NOT a longsword.

Weapon choices available to the third fencer:

  • Rapier

  • Messer

  • Sidesword

  • Smallsword

  • Arming sword

  • Rapier and Dagger

  • Sidesword and Dagger

  • Smallsword and Dagger

  • Arming sword and Buckler

  • Matches begin with one fighter from each team competing. This is called a “round”. When a win condition is achieved, the round is over, and the defeated fencer is out of the match. The victor will remain in play and immediately face the next member of the opposing team in a new round.

  • The match continues, round by round, fencer by fencer until one team is eliminated.

  • The most successful teams from each pool will progress to the next stage.

  • Third place match will be held for teams eliminated in the semi-final stage.

  • Ways to win:

    • A team that has more victories i.e. the team that has at least one fencer that was not defeated.

    • A round will be ruled a DRAW if both fencers have the same number of points. In the case of a draw, both fencers are eliminated.

      • In the case where both fencers are the last remaining fencers in their respective teams and their round concludes in a draw – the match will be decided by a tiebreaker. 

    • Tiebreaker

      • In a situation where both fencers are the last remaining fencers in their respective teams and their round concludes in a draw, there will be an additional exchange between those two fencers.
        A winner of the match can be decided with the following win conditions during the additional exchange:

        • A fencer will win if they score a point and defend opponents afterblow.

        • A fencer will win if they score a deep hit, and the opponent deals a shallow hit in the afterblow.

          • Reset conditions in a tiebreaker exchange:

            • In case of a double hit with the same value score (deep hit against deep hit, shallow hit against shallow hit), tiebreaker exchange will be reset and fencers will continue to fight until a winning condition is met.

  • Fight Area

    • Circular ring area, 6m in diameter, with red and blue markings on the opposite ends.

  • Survivor Stays-On System

    • The winner of a round fights the next fencer from the opposing team.

    • A draw means both fencers are out (unless both fencers are the last remaining fencers in their team, in that case tiebreaker rule applies)

    • If the final fighter of a team loses the round, the team loses the match.

  • Team Rotation System

    • The team winning the first round must present the order of fighters – who have not fought – to fight next. This type of rotation will allow all fencers to compete in a tournament.

HEMA Ireland tournament ruleset (with changes made to accommodate Team Fencing ruleset)

Please note that the naming convention is slightly different:
Match: a fight between a team against another team. (The match can have as many rounds as necessary until one team is eliminated)

Round: a fight between an individual fencer from one team against an individual fencer from another team (Round consists of 5 exchanges)

Round last up to 5 exchanges or 2 mins or 15 points cap, whichever comes first

Clean Hit Scoring: 5 (deep) or 3 (shallow)

Double/Afterblow Scoring: fully weighted, hits deduct points from each other

Long Afterblow Rule = defender is allowed one afterblow action within one step range with no time limit

Bout: Each fight will consist of up to 5 exchanges with a 2 mins time limit and a cap of 15 points (points gained in the last exchange can go above 15, to max of 19 (14+5) for a deep target)

Final exchange called at 10 secs mark (no time limit)

Scoring:

CLEAN HIT (no afterblow or afterblow is parried):

5 points for a clean hit at deep target area (head, torso)

3 points for a clean hit at shallow target area (arms, legs)

DOUBLE/AFTERBLOW (both sides hit, valid afterblow delivered within one step):

Fully weighted afterblow: hits deducts points from each other:

5 Red 3 Blue = 2 Red

3 Red 5 Blue = 2 Blue

5 Red 5 Blue = 0 no score

3 Red 3 Blue = 0 no score

0 Red 0 Blue – 0 no score (no quality or unclear exchange)

Quality:

What counts as valid strike:

  • Cut made with at least 45 cm travelling arc with proper edge alignment

  • Thrust made with enough impact to make the bend of the blade visible

  • Slice made with at least 45 cm slicing (in or out) motion with proper edge alignment

What does not count as a valid strike and should be rejected:

  • Cut/Slice executed with a flat or poor edge alignment

  • Thrust executed without visible bend of the blade

  • Cut/Slice resulted in edge travelling less than 45 cm

  • Light taps, scratches, hits at the outer protecting layer that otherwise would have missed the body

  • Strikes with the body and wrestling do not score any points but can be used (in controlled manner) in order to facilitate scoring with a weapon (blade or pommel). Joint locks and throws/takedowns are not allowed!

Disarms can score only if used in control manner and will be awarded with 5 points, grabbing the blade is allowed but only on the strong half of the blade,

Pommel Strike and Ring out (only with both feet and only if the other fencer didn’t step out as well) is awarded 1 point

Disallowed targets: groin area, back of the head & spine area, back of the knee, ankle and feet

Exchange:

Each fighter starts an exchange in their dedicated corner

Only one designated person (Second) is allowed in the corner

Main referee will call the start (Fight) and stop (Hold) of the exchange

After the HOLD command both fighters need to stop immediately and go back to their corners

Parrying a late attack is allowed but attacking is not.

Any attack made after the HOLD command is nullified

Fighters can only dispute referee decisions through their Seconds (and only when standing in their corners)

Main referee will always make the final call, after consulting with fighters and side referees

Penalties:

  • There will be a Warning/Yellow/Red Card system in place to be used as a penalty system.

  • There can be only one warning per fighter per tournament, each next warning will result in Yellow Card

  • Yellow Card will nullify the points gained within the same exchange and is recorded on the scorecard, there can be no more than 2 yellow cards given to one person in a tournament

  • Red Card disqualifies fighter from the tournament (3rd Yellow Card automatically becomes Red Card)

Warning and further penalties will be used by referees in order to control the order of bout and fighters behaviour during the event. Excessive force, dangerous behaviour, time delaying tactics, presenting lower value targets and any other forms of gaming the ruleset will result in a warning/yellow card penalty.

Women’s Open Longsword and Beginner’s Open Longsword ruleset:


• Fights last up to 9 exchanges or 3 mins or 20 points cap, whichever comes first.

• Clean Hit Scoring: 5 (deep) or 3 (shallow)

• Double/Afterblow Scoring: fully weighted, hits deducts points from each other

• Long Afterblow Rule = defender is allowed one afterblow action within one step range with no time limit

Bout:

• Each fight will consist of up to 9 exchanges with a 3 mins time limit and a cap of 20 points (points gained in the last exchange can go above 20, to max of 24 (19+5) for a deep target)

• Final exchange called at 10 secs mark (no time limit)

Scoring:

• CLEAN HIT (no afterblow or afterblow is parried):

• 5 points for a clean hit at deep target area (head, torso)

• 3 points for a clean hit at shallow target area (arms, legs)

• DOUBLE/AFTERBLOW (both sides hit, valid afterblow delivered within one step):

• Fully weighed afterblow: hits deducts points from each other:

• 5 Red 3 Blue = 2 Red

• 3 Red 5 Blue = 2 Blue

• 5 Red 5 Blue = 0 no score

• 3 Red 3 Blue = 0 no score

• 0 Red 0 Blue – 0 no score (no quality or unclear exchange)

Quality:

What counts as valid strike:

• Cut made with at least 45 cm travelling arc with proper edge alignment

• Thrust made with enough impact to make the bend of the blade visible

• Slice made with at least 45 cm slicing (in or out) motion with proper edge alignment

• What does not count as a valid strike and should be rejected:

• Cut/Slice executed with a flat or poor edge alignment

• Thrust executed lightly/without visible bend of the blade

• Cut/Slice resulted in edge travelling less than 45 cm

• Light taps, scratches, hits at the outer protecting layer that otherwise would have missed the body

• Strikes with the body and wrestling do not score any points but can be used (in controlled manner) in order to facilitate scoring with a weapon (blade or pommel). Joint locks and throws/takedowns are not allowed!

• Disarms can score only if used in control manner and will be awarded with 5 points, grabbing the blade is allowed but only on the strong half of the blade,

• Pommel Strike and Ring out (only with both feet and only if the other fencer didn’t step out as well) is awarded 1 point

• Disallowed targets: groin area, back of the head & spine area, back of the knee, ankle and feet

Exchange:

• Each fighter starts an exchange in their dedicated corner

• Only one designated person (Second) is allowed in the corner

• Main referee will call the start (Fight) and stop (Hold) of the exchange

• After the HOLD command both fighters need to stop immediately and go back to their corners

• Parrying a late attack is allowed but attacking is not.

• Any attack made after the HOLD command is nullified

• Fighters can only dispute referee decisions through their Seconds (and only when standing in their corners)

• Main referee will always make the final call, after consulting with fighters and side referees

Penalties:

• There will be a Warning/Yellow/Red Card system in place to be used as a penalty system.

• There can be only one warning per fighter per tournament, each next warning will result in Yellow Card

• Yellow Card will nullify the points gained within the same exchange and is recorded on the score card, there can be no more than 2 yellow cards given to one person in a tournament

• Red Card disqualifies fighter from the tournament (3rd Yellow Card automatically becomes Red Card)

• Warning and further penalties will be used by referees in order to control the order of bout and fighters behaviour during the event. Excessive force, dangerous behaviour, time delaying tactics, presenting lower value targets and any other forms of gaming the ruleset will result in a warning/yellow card penalty.