Open Dagger

Tournament Structure:

• Pools: This tournament will take place over the course of one round of pools (due to time constraints), followed by finals.
  • We will aim to place 5 fencers per pool, but exact pool size may vary based on participant numbers
  • Finals will consist of the top 5 fencers following pools.
    • Points will accrue across pools, and the top 5 fencers following pools will proceed to finals. Points will then reset for finalists, and accrue across finals.

 

• Each match will consist of multiple passes- passes will continue until either fencer has accumulated a total of 6 points for the match. There will be no time limit per pass, and passes will continue until a scoring action is made (including doubles).
• Rings will be 12’x20’ rectangles. Rings will be on wrestling mats. Fencers will start each pass behind a designated starting line.

 

• Fencers will begin each pass with their dagger sheathed. Once the pass has begun, fencers may remove the dagger at any time. Fencers may not touch their dagger with their hands until the pass has begun.

 

• All daggers for this tournament will be provided. Loaner daggers will be the Fait D’Armes “Dagger with Retractable Blade.” All daggers are assumed to be rondel daggers with insufficient edges for cutting.
  • Loaner belts will be provided for the purposes of sheathing daggers.

• Staff:

• • Director/ Lead Judge
    • Officiates matches
    • Looks for scoring actions and halts passes
    • Determines score
  • Assistant Judge
    • Looks for scoring actions and halts passes
    • May help determine score
  • Table
    • Keeps track of score
    • Announces fencers currently fencing and fencers that are on deck
  • First Aid
    • Will be on hand to tend to any injuries or illnesses during event
    • If severe injury (such as concussion) is suspected by first aid or other staff, judges may elect to remove a fencer from the tournament, regardless of the injured fencer’s wishes.

 

Judging Style Guidelines

 

There will be two judges per ring.

• Judging Language:

• • • Judges should refer to competitors as “fencer,” and may differentiate the fencers by the color of their side of the ring (Ex. “blue fencer” and “red fencer”).
    • If pronouns are necessary, judges should use gender neutral pronouns when referring to fencers.
    • Judges will use the phrase “Ready, fence!” to begin a pass.
      • “Ready,” is a command, not a question. It is the responsibility of the fencers to alert the judge if they are not ready to begin the pass.
    • Judges will use the word “Hold!” to end a pass.
      • Hold should be called loudly and firmly. The call should last approximately one second. Both the lead and assistant judges may call a Hold
        • A judge should only call Hold once, unless the fencers do not respond to the initial call.
        • A Hold should be called as soon as a potential scoring action is seen.

• Fencers must immediately cease all action upon hearing Hold. Actions taken after a Hold is called may be penalized. Fencers should continue fencing until they hear Hold, even if they believe they have landed a touch.

• • • If a Hold is called by mistake or no scoring action can be identified, the judge should say “No exchange.” The pass will then be reset and refought.

• • When a judge opts not to award a point for an action, they must provide the reason why that decision was made. (Ex. “The dagger made contact with only the edge,” “The touch was late,” “The thrust was passe,” “The action incurred a penalty,” etc.)
  • When a judge gives a penalty, they must provide one of the reasons detailed in the “Penalties” section below.
  • When a judge assigns points, they should use the following format for announcing points:

• “Red Fencer landed a thrust to Blue Fencer’s head. Two points against Blue Fencer.”

Scoring

 

Points will accrue against fencers (more points= bad!). Fencers will be ranked by fewest number of points. (Ex. A fencer with 0 points is ranked ABOVE a fencer with 3 points.)

• Pool rankings will be determined by average points per match, to account for differing pool sizes.

 

Each time a fencer is struck or a scoring action is made against them, they will be assessed a number of points, depending on the action. Placement is dictated by the least number of points. This means that priority should be placed on defense rather than offense. Doubling impacts final standings, not just the individual match.

• Target Areas

• Target area includes the entire body from the head to 2” above the knees, excluding:
  • Back of head
  • Spine
  • Groin
  • Knees
  • Shins
  • Feet
• Any hits made to off-target areas may be subject to penalty.

• Scoring Actions

When striking, only thrusts will be considered valid. For the sake of this Ruleset, daggers will be assumed to have insufficient edges for cutting or slicing.

• Thrust quality:

• • Thrusts must travel a reasonable distance (approximately the length of the dagger blade) in order to score
  • Thrusts should make obvious, intentional contact with the opponent. Incidental contact or passe thrusts will not be considered scoring thrusts.
  • Thrusts do NOT need to plant the point in order to score. A thrust that slides off of protective equipment (such as a fencing mask) will still count as a scoring action, so long as the initial thrust was valid in landing on the target.
    • A thrust is considered valid if it lands on a generally perpendicular angle to the target. A thrust that lands on a generally parallel angle to the target is not considered valid.
  • There is no force requirement for thrusts- thrusts should be delivered with the least amount of force necessary to complete the action
    • The daggers used for this tournament have an internal spring- they compress, rather than flex. Thrusts do not need to compress the blade in order to score

 

Matches will continue until one fencer has accumulated a total of 6 points. Points assessed through penalties will count towards this total. The maximum number of points that a fencer can accumulate is 6, unless they receive points from a card. Points assessed from Scoring Actions will be added before points assessed from cards.

• EX. A fencer has 5 points. They are thrown. They will end the match with 6 points, even though the throw was worth 3 points as a Scoring Action.
• EX. A fencer has 5 points. They receive a red card. They will end the match with 7 points, as the red card is worth 2 points.
• EX. A fencer has 5 points. They are thrown, and receive a red card. They will end the pass with 8 points. The throw is worth 3 points, but the fencer can only accumulate 6 points via Scoring Actions made against them. However, since the red card is worth 2 points, they will receive those 2 points on top of their 6.

• Strike to a Shallow Target: 1 Point

• • • Strikes to arms, upper legs, or hands

• Strike to a Deep Target: 2 Points

• • • Strikes to head, throat, shoulders, or torso

• Strike with Control: 3 Points

• • • Strikes made to any target while demonstrating control of the opponent and their weapon. Such strikes require that the fencer’s opponent cannot make a strike or grappling action against the fencer (EX. arm wrap, suppression of the dagger and weapon arm, etc.)

• Throw: 3 Points

• • A throw is any action that forces an opponent to touch the ground with any body part other than their feet.

• Doubles

• If both fencers land hits within the lockout time (one tempo- details below), a double hit will be scored. In the instance of a double, both fencers will receive one point against them.

• • • • Doubles are bad for both fencers- both will receive points, which negatively affects both scores.

• Disarms

• • • Disarms will not end a pass. As it is possible to score via wrestling, a disarm is not a fight-ender in this Ruleset.

• Ring Out

• • • For safety reasons, ring outs are not a Scoring Action. If either fencer steps out of the ring (or gets too close to the edge of the mats), the pass will be reset without score.
      • Any fencer suspected to be intentionally stepping out of the ring or forcing their opponent out of the ring will be subject to penalty.

• Cede:

• • • At any point directly before or during a pass, a fencer may opt to cede either the pass or the match. If a fencer cedes a pass, they will receive 3 points against them. If a fencer cedes a match, they will receive the maximum number of points remaining against them (max 6).
      • To cede before the start of a pass, the fencer should clearly announce to the judge that they wish to cede.
      • To cede during a pass, the fencer should firmly tap on their opponent’s body, and loudly and clearly announce “Cede!”. If a fencer does this, the judges should call a Hold, and both fencers should immediately back away from one another.

• Lockout Time

• • • “Lockout Time” is defined as the amount of time after an initial touch is landed that the opponent’s touch will be considered valid. This is not a set period of time, but depends upon the action.
    • To be valid, an afterblow must land within one tempo of the other fencer’s action.
      • After the first action is performed, the opponent’s action is considered out of tempo if they need to re-chamber or initiate their action following the initial touch.
      • An action is considered in tempo if it has already been chambered or initiated before the initial action is performed.

• Important: There will be no doubles in a pass that ends in a strike with control. Only passes ending with strikes to deep or shallow targets without control can be doubles. If a fencer is struck while attempting a strike with control, then they have not achieved control of their opponent/ their weapon.

• For safety reasons, doubles during passes involving throws will be scored in the following manners:

• Both fencers touch the ground during a throw: No points are awarded, and the pass is reset.

• A fencer performs a throw, and is struck while performing the throw/ after performing the throw: Points are awarded for the throw, but not the strike. Attempting to land a strike while being thrown is unsafe, and will likely prohibit the fencer from falling safely. Attempting to make a strike while actively being thrown may be subject to penalty.

• A fencer lands a strike, and is thrown after landing their strike: If the throw is in tempo, both actions will score. If the throw is out of tempo, only the strike will score. If the throw is distinctively after the initial strike, it may be considered a revenge throw and may be subject to penalty. 

Gear Requirements

Protective equipment will be inspected at the start of each pool. Daggers will be provided. Staff have the final say on the inclusion of any and all equipment in events. Limited loaner gear will be available.

• Required Equipment

• • • Fencing Mask
      • No dents or holes in mesh
    • Back of Head Protection
    • Rigid Throat Protection
    • Mouthguard
    • Light Gloves
      • Padding is not required- leather gloves are sufficient
    • Groin Protection

• Required if anatomically appropriate

• • • Belt or Dagger Sheath
      • No metal fastenings or protrusions permitted
      • Fabric belts recommended- judo belts will be provided as loaners
    • Athletic lower body clothing
      • Sweatpants, leggings, athletic shorts, fencing trousers, etc. are all acceptable
    • Footwear prohibited

• No foot coverings of any kind will be allowed. Shoes and socks will not be worn on mats.

• Recommended Equipment

• • • Chest Protection
      • Chest Protection is recommended, but not required. Chest protectors should not be too bulky or stiff (EX- Mac Armour chest protectors should not be worn). MoF chest protectors are recommended, and loaners will be available.
    • Full Skin Coverage (from neck to ankles)

• Recommended, not required. It is recommended that participants wear full, thick skin coverage, such as a jacket and athletic pants or fencing trousers. Minimum coverage of shorts and a tank top is required. Fencing or wrestling jackets are permitted.

 

All daggers will be provided- personally-owned weapons are not permitted.

• Hygiene Requirements:

• • All piercings, jewelry, and other accessories must be removed before competing.
  • Glasses are prohibited- fencers must wear contacts if vision correction is needed.
  • Long hair must be tied back.
  • Fingernails and toenails must be trimmed to an appropriate length.
    • If fingernails or toenails are found to be jagged or too long, participants will be asked to correct the issue, or they will be disqualified from the tournament
  • Fencers must be free of contagious disease, infection, or fungus.
  • Fencers’ bodies and clothing should be free from visible filth.
  • Fencers must wear deodorant.
  • Fencers will be subject to hygiene approval by the tournament organizers. A fencer may be disqualified for concerns regarding health and hygiene, including excessive body odor or cold/illness.

• Gear Failure

• • In the event that a fencer’s gear needs to be repaired or replaced during a match, they will be given a reasonable amount of time (minimum of 2 minutes) to repair or replace their gear. If the fencer is not able to do so within the time allotted to them by the judge, they will incur all remaining points in the match (maximum 3). The fencer will then be given until their next match to repair or replace their gear, and if they are unable to do so, they will incur all possible points in the match (3). This process will continue until the fencer has repaired or replaced their gear, the tournament has ended, or until the fencer has decided to discontinue their participation in the tournament.

 

Penalties

 

The goal of this Ruleset is to specifically penalize and correct reckless or unsafe behavior within the ring. As such, cardable actions are those which jeopardize the physical, emotional, or mental safety of participants, staff, and/or spectators. Judges are given complete discretion in deciding if and when to card participants. While situations that will likely warrant a card are outlined below, judges should use common sense and their best judgment when assigning cards. There are no automatically cardable offenses, as judges should consider each situation individually.

 

Cards do not automatically escalate. While escalation is optional, judges are encouraged and empowered to escalate cards whenever they feel it is appropriate.

• Ex. A judge may assign a Yellow Card for a first offense, or they may immediately escalate to a Red Card
• Ex. A judge may opt to give a second Yellow Card to the same participant, or they may opt to escalate to a Red Card.
  • Judges are encouraged to escalate cards for repeated offenses

• Levels of Penalty:

• • Verbal Warning: no point penalty
  • Yellow Card: 1 point penalty
  • Red Card: 2 point penalty
  • Black Card: ejection from tournament
    • If a Black Card is issued, the receiving participant may also be subject to ejection from other tournaments, as well as prohibition from future IGX events. Such decisions will be made by event organizers on a per-case basis.

A participant may not be awarded a Scoring Action in the same pass that they receive a card. A participant may be awarded a Scoring Action in the same pass that they receive a verbal warning.

 

Note on Doubles- If a fencer receives a card in a pass that resulted in a double, their Scoring Action will be negated. The Scoring Action made by the fencer who did not receive a card is still valid.

• Cardable Actions

• • Striking any off target area (back of head or body, groin, etc.)
  • Striking with the pommel.
  • Failing to cease all action when a Hold is called
    • Performing a revenge strike (immediately subject to Black Card)
  • Manipulating an opponent’s joints in unsafe ways- attempting to perform a submission or joint manipulation is prohibited
  • Repeatedly falling in an unsafe manner, or neglecting to protect oneself when falling
  • Restraining an opponent while falling or forcing an opponent to fall unsafely; performing an action that disallows an opponent from performing a breakfall
  • Attempting to drag an opponent to the ground during a throw in order to force a double
  • Failing to cease all action when a Hold is called
    • Performing a revenge strike or throw (immediately subject to Black Card)
  • Performing any action that a judges deems to be reckless, dangerous, or excessive, including, but not limited to:
    • Performing a throw that slams the opponent onto the ground
    • Performing a throw meant to land an opponent on their head
    • Punching, slapping, kicking, headbutting, or otherwise striking an opponent with anything other than the dagger
    • Biting, scratching, choking, hair-pulling, eye-gouging, or penetrating orifices
    • Pushing/ shoving an opponent out of the ring
    • Intentionally removing protective gear during a pass
    • Performing any other illegal action, as defined within this Ruleset
  • Arguing with or disobeying a judge
    • Influencing judges (as defined below) may be considered disobeying judges if done repeatedly
  • Exhibiting any other conduct within the ring which creates a hostile or unsafe environment for spectators, staff, or other fencers
    • Throwing gear
    • Insulting or yelling at other persons
    • Responding with excessive anger to ranking or judge decisions
    • Violating the IGX Code of Conduct

 

• Judges may also assign a card for any action they deem unsafe which does not explicitly meet criteria given here but otherwise poses a safety risk.

• Other Prohibited Actions

• • • Violating the IGX Code of Conduct, in or out of the ring
      • While actions taken outside of the ring are not cardable, they will be taken just as seriously as actions taken within the ring. Harassment or other violations of the IGX Code of Conduct will be immediately addressed by event staff, and may result in expulsion, suspension, or other punitive action.
    • Improper interaction with judges (defined below)
      • Repeated prohibited interaction with judges may become a cardable action

• Fencer’s Rights and Interaction with Judges

• • Fencers may have up to 1 coach accompanying them at the ring.
  • Fencers and their coaches may ask questions, request clarification on a scoring/ penalty decision, or raise safety concerns with the judges. Fencers may not argue with the judges, nor may they make friendly/casual conversation with judges during a match.
    • Fencers and their coaches are empowered to approach judges or other staff (not during an ongoing match), if they feel there has been an oversight related to safety or penalty. If a fencer is injured, suspects injury, or has been caused pain by an opponent, they should immediately approach event staff.
  • Coaches may not speak with fencers or judges during an ongoing pass, except in the case of a safety concern.
    • Coaches may not yell out advice, encouragement, etc. to fencers during passes
  • Fencers have the right to deny a point to their opponent. This includes in the case of a double, which would turn it into a single point against the fencer. Points assessed against yourself cannot be denied. Fencers must wait until the judge has announced the score for the match before denying a point.
    • To deny a point, the fencer should clearly state to the judge “I’d like to deny the point.” A fencer may only deny a point that was awarded in their favor (i.e. against their opponent).
  • Fencers should remain calm and collected following each pass. Excessive celebration or anger may be considered to be influencing the judges, and therefore subject to penalty.
    • Fencers may not self call in any way- including, but not limited to:
      • Tapping their body where they believe they were hit.
      • Correcting a judge.
      • Early point denial
      • Arguing with a judge.
      • Announcing a hit made by themself or their opponent.
      • Attempting to end an exchange before a hold is called by a judge, except for safety reasons.