| The dry (not using electronic scoring) fencing | | | | continuation of the attack is small, and requires |
| competition bout depends on the quality of the | | | | that you watch carefully so that you can |
| judges and director. Bad judges and directors lead | | | | distinguish between the two. |
| to bad fencing, pure and simple. That means that, | | | | Fifth, the judge must know how to respond to |
| if your fencing club is going to hold dry fencing | | | | the director's questions. It is a simple set of |
| competitions, you must train your members to be | | | | responses. "Yes" in all three weapons means that |
| good judges. | | | | a hit (criteria 1) landed on target (criteria 2). "Yes, |
| The skill set is deceptively simple. You see a hit; | | | | but not valid" in foil means that a hit (criteria 1) |
| you raise your hand. But there is so much more. | | | | landed but not on the target for the weapon. "No" |
| First, judges have to be honest and unbiased. You | | | | means that no hit landed; the attack fell short, or |
| see hits and misses; you do not see team mates | | | | landed flat or slid along the body without the point |
| or opponents. Dishonest judging and shading what | | | | arresting in foil or epee. "Abstain" means that you |
| you see to benefit one fencer or the other is | | | | cannot say with confidence whether or not the |
| corrupt cheating, and ultimately destroys the | | | | hit landed. Your viewing angle may allow you to |
| quality of the fencing. | | | | see direction but not depth or the target may |
| Second, every possible hit must be evaluated with | | | | have been obscured. |
| two simple criteria. | | | | Sixth, you must be in the right place to see the |
| (1) "Did it land with the point and arrest so that it | | | | action. Judging is a job in motion. You should be |
| would have caused an injury if the point were | | | | approximately one meter to the side of the piste |
| sharp" for foil and epee, and that plus "did it land | | | | and one meter behind your fencer, and move |
| with the cutting edge" for sabre. Note that cutting | | | | with the fencer, maintaining this distance. Move |
| edge means different things to different fencers - | | | | constantly to keep the correct position. This |
| the traditional meaning of with the front edge of | | | | provides you the best view of the opponent's |
| the blade or the last third of the back edge is | | | | target. Keeping one meter to the side and one |
| effectively superseded by the modern reality that | | | | meter back also keeps you safe from a flailing |
| any blade contact will result in a hit. | | | | blade. |
| (2) "Did it land on the target for the weapon or | | | | And finally, you have to look at the right fencer. |
| off the target?" | | | | You are watching the opponent opposite to the |
| Third, the judge must signal an observed hit | | | | fencer you are standing behind. You really don't |
| immediately. If you see a hit that meets the | | | | care if the fencer you are behind is hit. You should |
| criteria, immediately raise your hand to signal the | | | | be focused on the opponent down the strip. |
| director. If there are no hands, the director will | | | | The best way to become a competent judge is |
| not halt the action. Then it becomes impossible to | | | | to practice. Volunteer to judge whenever you can. |
| go back three phrases, reconstruct what | | | | Watch directors and how they call the action; this |
| happened, and award the touch correctly. | | | | applies not only to directors of dry fencing bouts |
| Fourth, the judge must be prepared to respond | | | | and competitions, but also referees of electric |
| to the director's questions about the action in the | | | | competitions. Your ability to see and correctly |
| correct time. This means that you must watch | | | | respond to hits is an important part of raising the |
| the action carefully and match what you saw to | | | | standard of fencing in your club. This is an |
| how the director calls the action. The difference | | | | important job, so practice, practice, practice. |
| between a hit on the initial attack and a hit on the | | | | |