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PREPARATION
Check your equipment beforehand.
1) Are the foils, epees & body-wires working? Are
the weapon tip weights & travel correct?
Genna sells test boxes. A multi-tester is good.
Weights & feeler gauges can be borrowed for a few
minutes. Ask Dennis nicely.
Faulty equipment carries a yellow card.
2) Does your mask have a TIGHT back-strap? Is the
mesh strong?
3) Do your jacket & breeches need fixing? – HOLES
ARE A BAD IDEA!
You will not be allowed to fence with them. Do you
want the hassle of borrowing jackets for every bout?
Re-stitch the open seams, patch the holes.
Or buy new equipment.
4) Do your breeches have the 10 cm strip of doubled
material above the waist? Add it, it is another
safety precaution to protect your trunk against
damage.
On the day
Be on time
Warm up.
Take a leak before dressing.
Dress rules – PLASTRON, plastic protectors,
breeches, long socks.
Get long hair OFF all lame jackets. It registers
off-target – a form of cheating. “Obscuring target”
also carries a yellow card.
Tuck in T-shirts. (a) A foil point under a loose
T-shirt may flip up over the lame & register
off-target - another form of cheating/obscuring
target.
(b) A blade caught under a T-shirt may break, & will
be held down against your body. (OUCH!) The degree
of serious damage is unpredictable.
Glove must cover the lower ˝ of the forearm.
Lengthen the cuff with chamois leather if necessary.
(Shield® sell a true leather washer for cars.)
The Referee is obliged to call the roll of all
fencers in the pool, check the dress rules, & check
that the equipment has been officially checked & is
working. Non-compliance carries a yellow-card
penalty.
2 YC’s = 1 Red Card = 1 hit against. Ie your
opponent gets a free point. (A YC for one offence &
another for a different offence in the same bout is
still = a RC)
Listen for all calls by the competition organiser (Directoir
du Technique).
DON’T leave the salle without clearing it with the
DT first.
ON THE PISTE
1) DON’T leave your allocated piste area. (If you
have to take a leak, tell the referee!)
2) During the bout, do not leave the piste without
the referee’s permission (YC). Yes, ask permission
to step off to straighten your weapon.
3) DO keep track of the order of bouts – know when
you are to go on.
4) WHICH SIDE of the piste? The fencer whose name is
first on the list for each bout goes to the
referee’s right. Unless there is a left-hander.
Lefties fence on the referee’s left. 2 left-handers
follow the rule for 2 right-handers.
NOTE - This convention is STRICTLY observed @
international level. And you are expected to know &
follow it without discussion. Get used to it.
5) Salute your opponent before and after the fight
6) Do NOT straighten your weapon on the piste. Do
NOT hit the piste with your weapon unless the
referee asks you to test the piste. This offence
carries a yellow card for each repetition.
7) Do NOT change your body-wire – or any other item
of clothing - whilst standing on the piste. This
also carries a yellow card.
8) Make sure that your spare weapons & body-wires
are next to the piste – not in your bag. If they are
not – guess what ? Yellow card. Even if you don’t
need them. (Minimum requirement – 2 working weapons
& 2 body wires @ the piste)
9) Corps-a-corps – No part of the body may touch the
opponent @ foil & sabre, no matter how lightly. (YC
offence) A certain amount of contact is permitted @
epee.
BUT if the referee considers that the contact is
systematic, brutal &/or intended to intimidate,
corps-a-corps will be penalised in epee bouts as
well.
10) DO NOT TURN YOUR BACK ON YOUR OPPONENT !!!!!!!!
Yes, you scored the hit. In fact, you scored it so
fast that your opponent was still doing a full-out
attack when you turned your back on him. If his
blade breaks & the broken bit goes thro’ your spinal
cord, that is you quadriplegic for the rest of your
shortened life.
The no-turning rule is a safety rule. Please respect
it.
Wait until all action has ceased before turning
around. Or use reverse gear.
Fleche past your opponent – don’t stop halfway.
11) Wear your mask with the back-strap across the
back of your head. This provides an extra level of
security. Who needs to lose an eye?
12) Asthmatics – I find it easiest to show the
referee my Ventolin @ the roll-call stage. If you
need a dose during the fight – ask the referee for
permission.
13) There is a list of “cardable” offences up on the
wall in the TFS salle. It is a blow-up from the
rule-book. Study it at your leisure
Marguerite Langton
Safety nut & general fuss-pot.
TFS
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