Equipment and Safety
Core concepts
Equipment rules cover the mask, jacket, glove, breeches, and weapon, plus the scoring apparatus. Know: masks must be rated for the weapon and inspected; the lamé must be conductive and correctly fitted; the body cord and mask cord (sabre) must be connected; the epee has a tip with a spring and travel tolerance; the foil has a tip with a spring and a barrel; the sabre has a guard and a conductive cuff.
Safety checks
The referee checks equipment before the bout: mask, jacket, glove, and weapon. A fencer with defective equipment that could be dangerous may not fence. Traps: assuming any mask is acceptable for any weapon (epee masks must be rated for epee); forgetting the glove; assuming the lamé is optional.
Scoring apparatus
Know that the apparatus registers valid and invalid (off-target) touches; in foil, off-target shows on a separate light. In epee, the apparatus registers any touch on the body. In sabre, the lamé and mask are the conductive target.
Worked example
A foil fencer's lamé has a tear. The referee may require replacement before the bout; a torn lamé can produce false off-targets. Rule of thumb: check mask rating, glove, and lamé conductivity before "En garde."
Traps
- Using a foil mask for epee.
- Forgetting the glove check.
- Assuming off-target lights are the same as valid lights.