Martial Arts Tournament Rules – The Academy of European Swordsmanship

As in previous years the most prestigious prize for all participants is the sportsmanship prize. Sportsmanship includes all manners of conduct both in the Fechtplatz (fight ring) and outside of it. Any instructor participating will be judged by the behaviour of his/her students, as well. Thus, if an instructor is competing and one of his/her students is penalized for any reason, this may count against the instructor’s scoring for the sportsmanship award.

Nordschlag 2024 is using new rules.

These are based on a ruleset developed by Eric Edmonds. We are calling it “Edmonds’ Scorecard”.

Rules by Eric Edmonds, Summary by Jason Baldwin,
Assistance by many members of AES and the wider HEMA community

Good Sportsmanship and Safe behavior are required and expected of all event participants, staff, fencers and spectators, in all circumstances and always.
1. Please keep in mind that everyone is at the event to have fun, and ideally our actions should only increase the net fun that everyone has.
2. Both fencers in each match are responsible for both their own safety and the safety of their fencing companion. If you find yourself in a disadvantageous position, where continuing may be dangerous to you or someone else, please call Halt to pause the Bout and self-call any appropriate points. Don’t wait for a given Throw, Takedown, Disarm or retreat into the crowd to go badly.
3. Be nice. Your reputation is more important than your score. Assume the best in others and try to be on your best behavior. Treat others as you wish to be treated or better.
4. Act with Decency. Your reputation is more important than your score. We all get grumpy at times, adrenaline and/or the desire for glory can change our behavior in non-ideal ways. It’s always okay to apologize if you have misbehaved and it’s never too late to start behaving better. Try not to assume the worst of your companion or of event staff.

Each bout will be managed by a Ring Boss (referee) and ideally 3x Judges. Other event staff will assist as needed in administrative ways such as entering and managing points, calling Fencers to either prepare to fence, or to enter the ring to fence. When called please be prompt in attending the ring, failure to do so may result in warnings or in severe cases penalties. Please see rule 1.

Dealing with Inappropriate Behavior

1. The Ring Boss may give warnings, adjustments or penalties to fencers at their discretion. These may include:
  1. Adjustments to points.
  2. Declaring a fencer to have lost the match.
  3. Adjusting time to the Clock.
  4. If fencers need a cool down period in the middle of a match for any reason, the Ring Boss may require either a longer wait before resuming a bout, or may even “shelf” the bout until after the next bout has been completed.
  5. In extreme cases removing a fencer entirely from the competition, with the possibility of removing them from the site of the competition. See rule 1d. In the event that a fencer is removed from the tournament, they may be replaced with a bye fencer based at the discretion of the Ring Boss and availability of a fencer to take on the role.
2. Event organizers reserve the right to remove any participant who is deemed to be either dangerous or exceptionally disruptive from the site. Refer to rule 1d.

Weapons and Accessories shall be inspected by event staff to determine if they are sufficiently safe for use.

1. Participants are welcome to share weapons and accessories, once they have been inspected.
2. During a Bout, the Ring Boss has the right to rule any weapon or accessory either fit or unfit for use at their discretion keeping in mind Rule 1.

Sufficient Protective Gear shall be worn during bouts, and all Protective Gear shall be inspected prior to use in bouts. The level of inspection and any details of requirements are left to the discretion of event organizers. Recommended gear includes:

1. A fencing mask or equivalent with adequate coverage for the back of the head.
2. Adequate neck protection, which may be a composite of several factors such as a bib on a mask, the collar of a jacket and or some form of gorget or bevor.
3. Hands shall have adequate protection for the weapon styles and accessories being used.
4. Torso, arm and leg protection is to be rated to at least 350 N of puncture resistance.
5. Additional or alternative rigid protection is recommended for forearms, shins, elbows and knees.
6. Protective Gear should be constructed in such a way that it does not represent a safety risk to the user or other fencers, and in a way that does not provide unacceptable risk to the weapons and accessories of other fencers.
7. Adequate groin protection is required.
8. Rigid protection for the feet and ankles is recommended.
9. During a Bout the Ring Boss has the right to rule any protective gear to be either fit or unfit for use at their discretion keeping in mind Rule 1.

Fencing Bouts will occur within a Ring.

1. The Ring shall be marked or declared in such a manner that its limits and size are obvious to event participants.
2. Only the Ring Boss and the appropriate Fencers as determined by event staff are allowed in the Ring while a Bout is in Progress. See Rule 1.

The Clock:

1. Fencing Bouts last for at least 60 seconds of combat time.
2. The Clock is stopped whenever a Halt is called and the Clock resumes when the bout is resumed.
3. If a bout is ongoing but runs past 60 seconds, the fight continues until a Halt is called for any reason.

Fencers shall Halt fencing when a Halt is called.

1. When a Halt is called the Clock is stopped.
2. Anyone may call Halt if there is a safety issue.
3. Judges and the Ring Boss shall call Halt whenever they see a Point Scoring Event (described below).
4. Hits landing after a Halt is called are not counted for points.
5. If a Fencer exits the ring during an ongoing Bout (termed a “Ring Out”) a Halt shall be called by anyone, but ideally the Ring Boss or a Judge.
  1. A Ring Out occurs when both of a fencer’s feet (or the equivalent) have left the ring.
  2. Ring Outs do not result in penalties, however if they occur repeatedly or are done deliberately to gain an unsportsmanlike advantage, the Ring Boss has (as always) the option to give warnings or penalties at their discretion. See Rule 1.
  3. If a fencer maneuvers so one foot, or equivalent, is out of the Ring a Judge or the Ring Boss will repeatedly call “Ring!” until the fencer either re-enters the ring fully or “Halt” once a Ring Out has occurred, or as always, a Halt can be called if the situation is deemed to be unsafe.

Each Judge Awards Points Individually and Privately once a Halt is called. These are key differences from most other rulesets.

1. Individual Judges award points: The Judges do NOT consult with each other to arrive at a consensus on points, each Judge allocates points based on what they personally saw, with the points being recorded via an app, or if needed on paper or some equivalent. The individual scores are then averaged. One of the reasons for averaging the scores is to keep points consistent should there be more or less judges at any given point in time during the competition. Another reason is that not all judges will see the same thing, an average will show that the demonstration of a technique was not clear to all judges.
2. Point allocation is Private. This means that in addition to the Judges not communicating between themselves about points, the Fencers are not told what the score is after each Halt.
3. The fighters will be informed at the end of each Bout who won and who lost, and what the score for each Fencer was.
4. This system is intended to keep the Fencers focused on the match and on their technique, and not on the artificial construct of points. Experimentation has shown that Fencers typically agree with the outcome of a given Bout even if they are sometimes surprised by points. It is important to remember that all points are Judged privately and independently, so each Judge scores only what they personally see, and the resulting allocation of points after each called Halt are averaged. So, for example if two Judges saw a 3 point exchange and a third Judge didn’t see any scoring points, then the scoring fencer receives (3 + 3 + 0) / 3 = 2 Points. The Fencer who landed the given Hit may thus be expecting more points than they are awarded.
5. The logic of this system is that it rewards clear techniques, and it eliminates the “All or Nothing” effect of a single ruling on points. If one Judge sees a Hit they call Halt and award points for it, if more Judges see the Hit more points are awarded.
6. This system, like all other systems, has its benefits and flaws. Please keep in mind Rule 1.

Types of Strikes Permitted

Unarmed striking is NOT allowed. Punching, kicking, heat butts, elbow or knee strikes, and all related techniques are not allowed.
Grappling is allowed. Grappling is defined as using one’s hands, arms or any part of your weapon or accessory to manipulate the opponent’s body, weapon or accessory in order to gain a tactical advantage and to possibly earn a Control point. This definition is intentionally left vague, with final decisions in the case of dangerous or poor behavior (and any resulting penalties or warnings) being left to the discretion of the Ring Boss.
Striking with the quillons / crossguard / basket hilt is not allowed. These parts of the sword may be used in Grappling, if done in a non-percussive manner that is safe for both participants.
Brutality is not allowed. Brutality is any behavior that is deemed dangerous, or which uses Excess force. Penalties and Warnings will be given at the discretion of the Ring Boss.

Point Scoring Events

1. Self-calling of hits is encouraged but not required. Note that a self-called Hit may not be valid if it lands flat or is in some other way not of sufficient quality, or if it lands sufficiently out of tempo or after a Halt is called.
2. Double Hits are awarded no points. Doubles are when both hits occur more or less simultaneously. There is no form of penalty for Double hits, they just waste time.
3. After Blows: 1 Contact point for the first fencer to strike, no points for the second fencer who strikes.
  1. In the case of an After Blow, no Targeting or Control points will be awarded. An after blow occurs when Fencer A scores a hit, but then Fencer B lands a Hit within one Tempo of the first Hit landing.
  2. The differentiation between Doubles and Afterblows is left to the discretion of individual judges.
4. Up to 3 points can be awarded for a Hit that isn’t a Double Hit or an Afterblow, with one point being awarded for each of Contact, Targeting and Control as follows:
  1. Contact: 1 point. Requires a Strike, Thrust or Slice of Sufficient Quality to a legal target. These are collectively referred to as Hits. Further discussion on Sufficient Quality is given below near the end of this document, but hopefully you already know what this means
    1. The entire body is a legal target with the following exceptions being illegal targets:
      1. The genitals.
      2. Feet and ankles.
      3. Strikes to the back of the torso, neck or head.
        
        Note that if a fencer turns their body or head, a clearly mimed or light touch with a valid point scoring capable weapon or accessory by their companion that is done safely is to be awarded full points.
        
        Note there is no penalty for turning one’s back on a companion, however if it is done repeatedly or in an unsafe way, or to obtain some advantage in an unsportsmanlike manner, then penalties or warnings may be awarded at the Ring Bosses discretion.
        
        Examples of safe ways to turn one’s back include:
        
        using a hanging parry to protect the back of the head.
        
        doing it sufficiently out of measure
        
        Doing so with good timing so as to avoid or minimize the chance of the companion landing a touch.
  2. Targeting: 1 point. Granted for hits to the Torso, Head or Neck.
  3. Control: 1 point. This is defined as any position or action where the subjugated fencer cannot respond with a directly threatening action or attack. Individual judges are to use their best judgment in this category. Examples of control include:
    1. They are grappled or displaced in such a way that they cannot attack with their weapon.
    2. Their weapon is bound by their opponent’s weapon in such a way that they cannot attack with their weapon. Common examples of this can be seen in certain single tempo actions such as “the exchange of thrusts” (Absetsen, Scumbiara di Punta, etc,), or certain types of “master cuts” (Schiessen, Mezzo Tempo attacks, etc.).
    3. The fencer who is hit is sufficiently out of position that they cannot attack or take efficient action.
5. Pommel Strikes: 2 Points, with a possible +1 point for Control.
  1. Pommel Strikes are to be mimed and are NOT to be delivered as actual strikes. The only legal target for a pommel strike is the head.
  2. As it can be difficult to tell if a pommel strike is being mimed or not while both fencers are engaged in some form of grappling. If the Pommel Striking fencer also has Control then another point can be awarded at the discretion of individual Judges.
  3. The base two points for a Pommel Strike are “Contact” (mimed) and Targeting.
  4. Actual full force Pommel Strikes are illegal and constitute a Brutality violation of the rules, see Rule 1.
6. Disarms: 2 points, with an optional +1 point for a Hit before a Halt is called.
  1. Fencers are encouraged to mime or gently place Hits after they have disarmed their opponent.
  2. If a fencer ‘self-disarms’ accidentally or on purpose, points will be awarded to their companion appropriately.
  3. Disarms are to be performed safely, however it is recognized that disarms, by necessity, require a certain amount of physical contact and grappling. Refer to Rule 1.
  4. Fencers are encouraged to release their weapon and allow a Disarm to occur if they are in a sufficiently disadvantageous position. Sportsmanship and Safety are required in all circumstances, refer to Rule 1.
7. Throws/Takedowns are not allowed in this tournament.
8. Accessory Hits, points to be determined as required.
  1. Some Accessories were used historically to harm opponents. If Accessories are allowed to be used, and if it is possible to do more than parry with them, then there will need to be specific rules regarding those accessories and how scoring works with them.
  2. All those possible rules are outside the scope of this ruleset.

Ending a Bout

1. A Bout is typically finished when the Clock is finished and the final Halt is called.
2. Typically, the winner of a bout is the fencer with the most Points when the Bout ends.
3. In the event of a tie in points, the match is a tie and does not count as either a win or a loss for either fencer. Note that given the averaging of points, the potential for ties is quite low.
4. In extraordinary circumstances where a given Bout does not run until the Clock is finished and the final Halt is called, then the winner is declared by the Ring Boss. This will be either or both of the fencers can no longer participate in the tournament. At that point then typically the fencer who has the most points at the time the Bout is stopped will be declared the winner by the Ring Boss.
5. Reasons why a fencer may not be able to continue in the tournament include, but are not limited to:
  1. Equipment failure which is not repairable or replaceable within a reasonable time frame.
  2. Bodily harm, preventing further participation.
  3. A fencer voluntarily removes themselves from the bout or competition.
  4. A fencer involuntarily being removed from the bout or competition.
6. However, as it is uncommon for any given Bout not to be completed under normal conditions of running out the Clock, the Ring Boss can adjust points or declare a winner as they see fit. For example, fencers should not be rewarded with a win if their opponent is injured through some form of poor behavior. See Rule 1. Likewise, if a Fencer is injured through their own fault or bad luck (pre-existing condition, equipment failure, etc.) then the remaining Fencer should not be penalized. Again, see Rule 1. These decisions are left to the discretion of the Ring Boss.

Advancing from Pools to finals is decided by:

1. Number of Wins.
2. If the number of Wins is tied by more people than can advance from a given pool, then ties in number of wins will be broken based on highest total points differential which is calculated for a given fencer as: All the points they have scored against companions MINUS All points scored on the given fencer.

Special Cases and Additional Explanations:

1. With all these cases listed below, all of the other rules apply regarding points, legal targets, pommeling etc. And specifically Rule 1.
2. Accessories are things like daggers, cloaks, side arms, bucklers or shields and also includes any other item/practice/technique which is physical, incorporeal, magical, mystical, chemical or spiritual, and may include items or constructs from this universe (or any other), which are not addressed elsewhere in these rules, and which may provide a fencer with an advantage or disadvantage.
  1. Accessories are only allowed under specified conditions which are outside the scope of these rules.
  2. For example: the use of Bucklers would be allowed in a sword and buckler tournament but would not be allowed in a Longsword tournament.
3. Slices are defined as the use of an edge against part of the opponent’s body in a non-percussive manner, where the blade is pulled deliberately into the companion for a distance of approximately 8” / 20.5 cm.
  1. Slices are scored like a normal hit with Contact, Target and Control.
4. Half-swording is allowed. Hits caused by halfsword attacks are scored normally and all the normal rules apply. Halfsword attacks must be with control and not excessive in force. Due to their nature, these are not advisable, even though they are permitted.
5. One-handed attacks with Longswords are allowed to targets above the knee and above the elbow.
  1. Hits caused by one-handed Longsword attacks are scored normally with Contact, Targeting, and Control.
  2. Given the awkward nature of one-handed attacks with a longsword, judges are encouraged to keep in mind that for a Contact point to be awarded, a given Hit must be of Sufficient Quality (see below for more on this topic)
6. Sufficient Quality of Hit is a requirement for a Contact Point to be awarded. This is possibly the most subjective part of these rules and ultimately is left to the discretion of individual Judges. Some factors to consider are:
  1. Hits to Illegal Targets are not counted for points. Repeated or Intentional Hits may result in warnings or penalties at the discretion of the Ring Boss.
  2. Excessive or Brutal Hits are not allowed and will likely result in penalties or warnings.
  3. “Flat Hits”: Proper Edge Alignment is required for a strike to count as having Sufficient Quality. Blows which are “flat” are not to be counted.
  4. “Tippy” Hits with the tip which do not make meaningful contact. This can be due to either:
    1. A swinging blow just barely touching with the tip of the weapon, to such a degree that it would likely have not inflicted a meaningful cut to the fencer had it been a sharp/real weapon.
    2. A thrust which at the maximum extension possible by the fencer at the time would not have caused a meaningful penetrating injury. Most well-made and maintained sparring weapons are designed to have some flex (which varies greatly by weapon), ideally there should be some flex.
    3. Either of these that would have only hit the equipment and missed the opponent were the opponent not wearing gear. Examples include barely touching the mesh of a mask or the extended part of an oversized glove.
  5. “Glancy” Hits lack Sufficient Quality. They are defined as swung blows which strike at some point along the blade between the tip and the cross guard, but which impart minimal force to the target, and which are not either stopped or at least significantly deflected by whatever target they struck.
  6. Intention is a key factor in determining if a Hit has Sufficient Quality:
    1. If a contact is made between one Fencer’s weapon and a legal target, but this contact is not Intentional, then it is liekly that the Hit does not have Sufficient Quality.
    2. A Hit which is partially parried but which continues on to make contact with a legal target either may or may not have Sufficient Quality, based primarily on the intent of the attacker, the geometry of the attack, and how well the resulting Hit lands. These techniques can be extremely difficult to Judge. Self-calling is always encouraged, but especially so in these situations. Giving credit by saying something like “Fantastic technique, well done!” shows good sportsmanship, helps simplify Judging, and brings honor to all involved. It is also recommended that Fencers be patient and recognize the difficulty of accurately Judging these types of exchanges.
    3. A deliberate strike to the hands which lands unimpeded has Sufficient Quality. However, if the blow is partially parried, and comes off of some combination of the blade, schilt, or crossguard to touch the hands, it may not have Sufficient Quality. Remember that most HEMA fencing gloves are quite bulky and often sit up to 1”/2.5 cm to 2”/5 cm from the fencer’s actual hands. Again, this is at the discretion of the Judges.
    4. During a grapple, blows are often partly interrupted by the companion pushing on each other’s arms/hands/weapons. This may or may not be enough to prevent a Hit from having Sufficient Quality, which is at each Judges’ discretion.
    5. A Slice should be intentional and delivered with some degree of pressure. A thrust that misses and barely touches a legal target on the way in or out would likely not have Sufficient Quality. However, if a fencer can intentionally apply adequate pressure either on the way in or out, then it would have Sufficient Quality. There are many other potential cases where the presence or absence of intention in either attack or defense may cause a given Hit to lack Sufficient Quality. As always this is left to the discretion of the Judges.
    6. Self-Damaging Behavior:
      1. Please remember that both Fencers are responsible for both their safety and the safety of their companion, refer to Rule 1.
      2. Note that although most Hits which land with excessive force are typically the fault of the person using the weapon, there can be exceptions to this. For example:
        
        A Hit to an illegal target caused by the Hit Fencer moving the illegal target into the way of the Hit. The most common example of this is raising a foot to the height where it gets Hit instead of the shin or leg.
        
        Stepping or running into a thrust or a strike can increase the force of the given Hit to the point that it would be an Excessive or Brutal Hit.
      3. Intention is a key factor with Self Damaging behavior, as it is the consideration of all Hits. Was the resulting problematic Hit an unfortunate byproduct of bad timing or was there some form of hostile intent. These situations can be difficult to Judge, and any warnings or penalties are up to the discretion of the Ring Boss and Judges as appropriate for the situation.

Event Specific Rules

Baskethilt

Swords are to have a fully enclosed basket type guard. Examples include Scottish broadswords and Schiavone swords.
Blade length is a maximum of 91 cm.
Swords must be in decent enough repair that there are no burrs that will cause damage to another person’s gear.
Loaner swords should be available. If necessary, participants can spar with synthetics.

Mixed, random weapons

This is single elimination.
A die is rolled to see who rolls their weapon first.
Each participant rolls a d10 and their weapon is selected from the result on a chart.
They then fight with the given weapons.

Coaches, Scorekeepers’ Table

Each competitor (fencer) is allowed only one coach in his or her corner. Only coaches, competitors, and the tournament staff are permitted in the Fechtplatz (fighting ring/square). If competitors and their coaches are not currently fighting, they are not permitted in the Fechtplatz area, except for first aid and safety reasons. Only the tournament staff are to approach the scorekeepers, unless permission is given by the referee on duty or head referee.

Note: in previous years we had photographers interfering with the judges right of way. If a photographer, or any other observer, they will be ejected. The referee has the right to eject anyone who interferes with the judges or the ring in any manner from the event.

No bare skin is permitted to show! This means no shorts.

Those accustomed to doing so may wear “barefoot” style footwear as a minimum, so long as no skin is showing.

Waivers are available to be signed at the tournament and are also available online.

Finally, we hope you enjoy these rules and look forward to hosting you at future events!

2016 sportsmanship winner with prize (sharp sabre from SGT Blades Inc.)