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Fencing is a unique sport in which two
competitors fight one against the other using
bladed weapons. Each fencer attempts to
touch the other with the tip of his/her
weapon to score touches, or points.
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WINNERS OF OLYMPIC MEDALS
WEAPONS
Fencers can use three different
weapons: a foil, an épée or a
sabre.
 A fencer must touch his opponent in an approved
target zone of the body to register a point, with the
target changing depending on the weapon used.
 The foil is a light weapon that targets the trunk, neck
and groin, including the back but not the arms.
Touches are scored only with the tip but not with the
side of the blade.
 In sabre fencing the target zone is the trunk, meaning
anywhere above the waist but excluding the hands.
Hits with the edges of the blade or the point are valid.
Like the foil, the sabre is a light weapon.
 The épée is a heavier weapon that targets the entire
body. All hits must be with the tip and not the sides of
the blade.
foil
épée
sabre
 Fencing competitors must wear the necessary proper
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equipment. This includes:
a face mask (with a bib to protect the neck);
a fencing jacket;
a plastron (an underarm protector, which goes
underneath the jacket, providing double protection);
a lamé (a layer of electrically conductive material
worn over the fencing jacket that entirely covers the
target area; it is worn only in foil and sabre, and
serves to distinguish hits on target from those that
are off-target);
 a body cord is necessary to register scoring (it
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attaches to the weapon and runs inside the jacket
sleeve, then down the back and out to the scoring
box);
a pair of fencing breeches, to protect the legs;
a fencing glove that covers the sleeve on the swordarm.
Women also use a chest protector.
Referees will check participants before each bout to
make certain the equipment reaches all safety
standards.
 The most important rule in fencing is that the attack
must be made by extending and straightening the
sword-arm so that the weapon threatens the target.
This gives the attacker the “right of way”. The person
attacked must then defend himself/herself but
he/she is not allowed just to simply hit back. The
attacker loses the right of way if he/she stops
threatening the target or if his/her opponent parries
or beats his blade so that it is no longer threatening
the target. A bout should look like a backwards and
forwards exchange of attacks and parries.
 A fencing bout follows rules which are interpreted by
a Referee (or President) assisted by four judges. Two
judges watch each of the fencers.
 There is also an electrical scoring apparatus, with an
audible tone and a red or green light indicating when a
touch landed.
 Fencing utilizes a simple scoring system, awarding one
point for each time a fencer touches his opponent
with his/her weapon.
 A bout, or fight, consists of two fencers trying to
score a set number of hits in order to win.
 The first fencer to score the required number of hits
is the winner of the bout.
 Depending on the manner of competition, bouts may
last 5 touches with a time limit of three minutes or 15
touches and a time limit of nine minutes.
 Politeness in fencing is very important.
 Before a bout a fencer should salute his/her opponent
as well as the Referee and judges.
 At the end of a bout the fencer should salute the
opponent, remove his/her mask and place it under
his/her sword-arm and should shake hands with the
opponent using the non-sword arm.
 Fencers compete on a long, narrow strip, specially
marked out and must remain on the fencing strip at
all times.
 The strip, or piste, must be 14 metres long and
measure between 1.5 and 2 metres wide.
 The strip contains a centre line, two on-guard lines,
roughly 2 metres from the centre line and two lines
marking the rear limits of the strip, about 2 metres
from the limit line.