The United States Fencing Association Rules shall be the rules that govern, unless expressly changed in these rules.  Teams are permitted to participate in a total of 19 competitions.  

1. A team consists of nine total competitors - three each in sabre, foil and epee.

2. Failure to field a complete squad will result in a forfeit of the missing fencers' bouts. Forfeits will be scored as a victory for the opponent but will not count in the cumulative score of the present individual’s victories.

3. A fencer may fence in only one weapon per meet, and for a total of three bouts.

4. Substitutions are permitted. Notice must be given to the director (referee) one bout prior to the change. When the meet has been decided, substitutions may be made at any point. ("Mercy Rule").

5. Once a fencer is substituted out of the match, he/she may not return.

6. A match will consist of 27 bouts - nine each in sabre, foil, and epee. Fourteen bout victories or more will constitute a team victory.

7. In each weapon, the three competitors from one school will fence each of the three competitors from the opposing school, for a total of nine bouts (in each weapon). The order of bouts shall be: 3-6, 1-5, 2-4, 1-6,3-4, 2-5, 1-4, 2-6, 3-5. The home team shall be Team A and use numbers 1, 2, 3. The visiting team will be Team B and use numbers 4, 5, 6.

8. A match will consist of three sabre bouts, then three foil bouts, and ending with three epee bouts. A two-minute team break will be taken after nine total bouts have been fenced. Nine more bouts will then take place in the same manner ending with a second two-minute team break. The final nine bouts will then be fenced.

9. A bout will be to five touches and for three minutes stop time for foil and epee. If there is a tie at the end of three minutes, priority will be determined by the machine or a coin toss done by the director (referee) and will be fenced to the next valid touch or the expiration of an additional minute. Should the additional minute expire, the winner will be the fencer who was awarded priority prior to the start of the additional minute.

10. A one-minute time-out may be called by a coach or their designee during any valid stoppage of a bout.

11. At the beginning of the match the fencers will salute their opponent, the referee, and the spectators. At the conclusion of the match the fencers will return to the on guard lines, salute then shake hands. **COVID rules-Fencers will continue to salute from their on guard lines, then approach each other to tap blades after the bout has ended with their masks on.

12. The USFA penalty chart will be enforced. Equipment penalties will be given with illegal equipment confiscated for the bout. Currently, we are using the August 2020 USA Fencing Penalty Chart.

13. Sabre gloves will be marked with the FIE/800N label from the manufacturer. If an over-glove is used, the glove underneath it must be FIE/800N.

14. All female fencers must wear chest protection. Foil fencers of any sex must have one that has the padded covering of 4mm thickness and density of 22kg/ m3. The material must have the SEMI technical mark at the center of the upper edge. USA Fencing rule m.25 4c.

15. Masks worn by competitors must be specific to the weapon they are fencing. **COVID rules-Fencers must wear surgical masks under their fencing masks at all times while competing. All participants in USA Fencing sanctioned events, including coaches, athletes, spectators and staff, MUST wear a facemask that covers mouth and nose at all times, including competition. USA Fencing website Health and Safety Protocols Update 08/26/2021

08/2020 USA Fencing Rules for Competition

Section XI Team Tournament

1. All teams must field a nine-person team, three each in sabre, foil and epee. Should any team not be able to field a full team, the strongest positions must be filled first. Forfeits will be charged for any bouts not fenced because of team shortage, with wins being awarded to opposing teams. No score will be recorded for a forfeited bout, nor will a win be awarded to the victor in their cumulative total.

2. Each team will fence all other teams in a round robin, seeding to be decided by league dual meet records. The order of competition shall be:

3. Each team encounter shall be for nine points. In each of the three weapons, the weak fencer will fence the opposing weak fencer first. The middle fencer will fence the opposing middle fencer second, and the strong fencer will fence the opposing strong fencer last. The order shall be sabre, foil, then epee. Each individual win shall count as one point in a team's score. At the conclusion of all rounds the point shall be totaled, high score is the winner. Ties shall not be broken.

Section XI Individual Tournament

1. Nine fencers in each weapon (sabre, foil, epee) will qualify for the individual championships - two from the weak pool, three from the middle pool and four from the strong pool - to be double stripped when possible. Winning percentage will be the first selection criteria. Any ties in winning percentages will be decided by indicators (touches scored minus touches received). Ties in indicator will be decided by which fencer received the least number of touches. Ties in winning percentage, indicator and touches received will be decided by a fence-off.

2. The individual finals will consist of a nine-person round robin pool in each weapon. Bouts fenced in the team portion are in no way carried over to the individuals. USA Fencing rule o.70 (page 92) shall be used to ensure that teammates fence first in the final pool. The rule is, if you have another teammate in your pool, you would fence them first. Coaches do not coach when teammates are fencing, by having them fence first it makes it easier for the coach to coordinate when he or she needs to start coaching.

Section XI Tournament Procedures

1. At sign-in, each coach will list the team members in order of strength with the weakest fencer in each weapon designated number one, the middle fencer number two, and the strongest fencer number three. This order may not subsequently be changed.  A fencer may be removed from competition and a substitute put in. However, once a fencer is removed they may not return. The replacement is not eligible for the individual championships. Substitutes must be announced prior to the beginning of the preceding bout. Substitutes may not enter in mid-bout except with the approval of the tournament’s appointed head director.

2. Any delay due to an equipment failure with the machine, reel or strip that will unnecessarily prolong the proper running of the competition will be fenced on available strips. The existing team order will remain intact regardless of a change in strip.

3. The bout committee for resolving protests will consist of the first three available (present and impartial) of the following list: fencing sport chairman, fencing official rules interpreter, president fencing officials association, host coach, impartial fencing officials, impartial fencing coach.