| The following description pertains to the
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| | first to initiate an attack or the last
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| practice of modern competitive fencing,
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| | to take a successful parry receives
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| as governed by the FIE and does not cover
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| | priority. When both fencers hit more or
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| the many variations such as fencing
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| | less simultaneously, only the fencer who
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| within a circle popular with SCA
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| | had priority receives the point. If
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| enthusiasts.
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| | priority cannot be assigned
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| The fencing piste A fencing bout takes
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| | unambiguously, no points are awarded.
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| place on a strip, or piste, which,
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| | These rules were adopted in the 18th
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| according to the current FIE regulations,
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| | century as part of teaching practice.
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| should be between 1.5 and 2 meters wide
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| | Their aim is to encourage „sensible”
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| and 14 meters long. Two meteres either
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| | fencing and reward initiative and
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| side of the mid-point, there are two the
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| | circumspection at the same time. At least
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| en-garde lines , where the fencers stand
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| | in principle, in a prolonged phrase, the
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| at the beginning of the bout. There are
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| | initiative passes smoothly from one
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| also two warning lines two metres from
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| | fencer to the other, and back again, and
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| either end of the strip, to let a
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| | so on. The risk of both duellists
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| retreating fencer know that he is nearly
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| | charging onto one another’s swords is
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| out of space. Any fencer who retreats off
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| | kept to a minimum. Despite the simplicity
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| the end of the piste automatically loses
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| | of the underlying principles, priority
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| a point.
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| | rules are pretty convoluted, and their
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| The participants There are at least three
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| | interpretation is a source of much
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| people involved: two fencers and a
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| | acrimony. Much of this acrimony is
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| referee. The referee may be assisted by
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| | centred on the definition of attack.
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| two or four side-judges. This was common
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| | According to the FIE rules, an attack is
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| practice prior to the introduction of
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| | defined as „the initial offensive
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| electronic scoring. Their function is
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| | action made by extending the arm and
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| somewhat similar to that of linesmen in
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| | continuously threatening the opponent’s
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| soccer.
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| | target...” The general consensus is
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| Their primary job used to be to watch for
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| | that the referee should look for whose
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| hits scored. Consequently, the arrival of
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| | arm starts straightening first. In
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| the electronic scoring apparatus has
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| | practice, referees, especially
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| rendered them largely redundant. Under
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| | inexperienced ones, may go for the easy
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| current FIE rules, a fencer may ask for
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| | option an give priority to whichever
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| two side-judges (one to watch him, one to
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| | fencer happened to be moving forwards.
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| watch his opponent), if he thinks that
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| | This is wrong, but, unfortunately, it is
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| the referee is failing to notice some
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| | far from unusual.
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| infringement of the rules on his
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| | There is also a school of thought,
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| opponent’s part (such as use of the
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| | subscribed to by a relatively small
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| unarmed hand, substitution of the valid
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| | minority, that priority should be given
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| target area, breaching the boundary of
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| | to the fencer who was the first to
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| the piste etc.).
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| | straighten his arm fully. This, again, is
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| The protocol The referee stands at the
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| | out of line with the current rules. The
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| side of the piste. The fencers walk on
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| | adherents argue that this is the more
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| piste fully dressed, aside from the mask.
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| | classical way of doing things, but this
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| If necessary, they plug their body wires
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| | claim is somewhat dubious. It is clear
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| into the spools connected to the
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| | that an attack which has failed (i.e. has
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| electronic scoring apparatus and test
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| | missed or been parried) is no longer an
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| that their weapons against each other, to
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| | attack. The priority then passes to the
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| make sure everything is functioning.
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| | defending fencer; he is now free to
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| They then retreat to their en-garde
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| | launch a riposte (if he has just parried
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| lines. Prior to starting a bout, the
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| | an attack) or a counterattack (if the
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| fencers must salute each other. Refusal
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| | attack missed of its own accord).
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| to do so can result in a fencer’s
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| | Whatever he choses to do, he must do it
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| suspension. They must also salute the
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| | immediately, as hesitation also leads to
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| refree and, strictly speaking, their
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| | loss of priority. A hesitant defender may
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| audience (although this is rarely done
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| | lose priority and get hit with a renewal
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| other than at some exhibition events).
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| | of the initial attack.
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| There are many variations of the salute,
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| | A parry, just like an attack, to be
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| including some fairly theatrical ones,
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| | counted as valid must fulfil certain
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| but the common theme is that the fencer
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| | criteria. In foil any action that
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| stands upright, mask off, facing whomever
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| | deflects a linear attack from its passage
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| he is saluting and raises his the sword
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| | towards the target (i.e. temporarily
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| to a vertical position with the guard
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| | removes the threat) or breaks the
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| either at or just below face level, and
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| | momentum of an attack deliverd by a
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| then lowers it again. Various colourful
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| | swinging motion will, generally, be given
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| stories abound about the origin of the
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| | as a parry. Consequently, foilists often
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| salute, like gladiators saluting each
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| | parry with a sharp beating motion which
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| other in the arena, crusaders pointing
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| | does not necessarily end in a full cover.
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| their sword heavenward in pre-battle
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| | In sabre, according to the FIE rules,
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| prayer, duellists showing each other that
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| | „the parry is properly carried out
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| their swords are the same length etc.
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| | when, before the completion of the
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| These are probably apocriphal. The most
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| | attack, it prevents the arrival of that
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| likely source of the modern fencing
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| | attack by closing the line in which that
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| salute is military drill originating some
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| | attack is to finish”. In practice, when
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| time around the Enlightenment period, in
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| | blades clash, sabre referees tend to look
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| particular the „Present arms!”
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| | at the point of blade contact: contact of
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| command.
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| | a defender’s forte with an attacker’s
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| After the salutes are completed, the
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| | foible is generally counted as a parry,
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| referee will call „On guard!” The
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| | and the priority passes to the defender;
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| fencers put on their masks and adopt the
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| | whereas contact of a defender’s foible
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| fencing stance with the front foot behind
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| | with an attacker’s forte is counted as
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| the en-garde line and the blade in one of
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| | a malparry, and the priority stays with
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| the orthodox fencing positions (generally
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| | the attacker.
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| sixte). They are now in the on-guard
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| | Penalties Modern fencing also includes
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| (en-garde) position. The referee then
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| | the addition of cards/flags (or
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| calls „Ready?” In some countries, the
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| | penalties).
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| fencers are required to confirm that they
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| | Each card has a different meaning. A
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| are. Finally the referee will call
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| | fencer penalized with a yellow card is
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| „Play!” or „Fence!”, and the bout
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| | warned, but no other action is taken. A
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| will start. To interrupt the bout the
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| | fencer penalized with a red card is
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| referee calls „Halt!”. There may be a
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| | warned, and a touch is awarded to his
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| number of reasons for why a bout is
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| | opponent. A fencer penalized with a black
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| interrupted: it could be because a hit
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| | card is excluded from the competition,
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| has been scored; it could also be because
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| | and may be excluded from the tournament,
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| the rules have been breached, or because
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| | expelled from the venue, or suspended
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| the situation is unsafe, or because the
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| | from future tournaments in the case of
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| fight has degenerated into such a mess
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| | serious offenses.
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| that the referee can no longer follow it.
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| | Offenses are broken down into four group,
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| Once the bout is stopped, the referee
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| | and penalties are assesed based upon the
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| will, if necessary, explain his reasons
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| | group of the offense. Group 1 offenses
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| for stopping it, analyse what has just
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| | include actions such as making bodily
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| happened and award points or give out
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| | contact with the opposing fencer (in foil
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| penalites. If a point has been awarded,
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| | or sabre), delaying the bout, or removing
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| then the competitors return to their
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| | equipment. The first group 1 offense
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| en-garde lines; if not, they remain
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| | committed by a fencer in a bout is
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| approximately where they were when the
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| | penalized with a yellow card.
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| bout was interrupted. The referee will
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| | Subsequent group 1 offenses committed by
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| then restart the bout as before. This
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| | that fencer are penalized with a red
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| procedure is repeated until either one of
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| | card. Group 2 offenses include actions
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| the fencers has reached the required
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| | that are vindictive or violent in nature,
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| number of points (generally, 1, 5, 10 or
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| | or the failure to report to the strip
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| 15, depending on the format of the bout)
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| | with proper inspection marks on
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| or until the time allowed for the bout
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| | equipment. All group 2 offenses are
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| runs out. Fencing bouts are timed: the
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| | penalized with a red card. Group 3
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| clock is started every time the referee
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| | offenses include disturbing the order of
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| calls „Play!” and stopped every time
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| | a bout, or intentionally falsifying
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| he calls „Halt!”. The bout must stop
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| | inspection marks. The first group 3
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| when the designated time has been reached
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| | offense committed by a fencer is
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| (this again, varies, depending on the
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| | penalized with a red card, while any
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| format of the bout). If the bout goes to
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| | subsequent group 3 offense is penalized
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| full time, the fencer who has scored more
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| | with a black card. Group 4 offenses
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| hits wins. If the fencers are drawn at
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| | include doping, manifest cheating, and
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| full time, they will be given a minute of
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| | other breaches of protocol, such as a
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| extra time. At the beginning of that
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| | failure to salute. Group 4 offenses are
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| minute a coin will be tossed to decide
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| | penalized with a black card. There is
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| who is going to win if neither fencer
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| | also a specific penalty for walking off
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| scores during it.
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| | the side of the piste: loss of one metre
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| Priority („right of way”) rules Foil
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| | distance. If this puts the fencer beyond
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| and sabre are governed by priority rules,
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| | the back edge of the piste, the
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| according to which the fencer who is the
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| | fencer’s opponent receives a point.
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