Fencing rules, for watching
Start with how a match works. Then the rules you see every few minutes, then the ones that change results.
Settling an argument? Search all 16 rules
- What is the difference between foil, épée and sabre?
- How big is a fencing piste, and what do the lines mean?
- How many hits win a fencing bout, and how long does it last?
- What do the referee's commands mean in fencing?
- What happens when a fencer steps off the piste?
- How does a fencing team match work?
- What is right of way in fencing?
- What happens when both fencers hit each other at the same time?
- What is "point in line", and what is a beat attack?
- Where can you hit in foil, and what happens if you hit somewhere else?
- How is épée different from the other fencing weapons?
- What are the special rules of sabre?
- What do the yellow, red and black cards mean in fencing?
- What happens if neither fencer attacks?
- How do video reviews work in fencing?
- Are fencers allowed to touch each other, turn round or use their free hand?
Where these rules come from
| Tag | Document |
|---|---|
| FIE t. plus article number | Fédération Internationale d'Escrime, Technical Rules (Book 1), August 2026. Read for this set: t.1, t.7 to t.49, t.60 to t.66, t.76 to t.106, t.124, t.125, t.158 to t.169 and the first three groups of the table in t.170 |
| FIE Organisation Rules | FIE Organisation Rules (Book 2), August 2026. Used only to confirm that a team is three fencers and a match nine relays |
| R | "Why the rule exists", or a point reasoned from the rule, not stated in it |
| C | Common usage or general knowledge, not a rule |
All checked on 14 October 2026.
One set for three weapons. The founder's list names fencing without sub-types, and the FIE writes one rule book with a section for each weapon, so foil, épée and sabre are covered in one set: shared rules in the first and third files, and the weapons' own conventions in the second. If the founder would sooner have three sub-types, the second file divides cleanly.
Not covered: the Material Rules (Book 3), so nothing is said about the weapons' dimensions, the mask and clothing standards or the timing of the scoring apparatus, and there is no kit page; the Organisation Rules beyond the two facts above (pool seeding, the direct elimination table, the order of team bouts, reserves); refereeing gestures (t.63) and the designation of referees; articles t.107 to t.157 on discipline apart from t.124 and t.125 (late arrival, protests and appeals, the fourth group of offences); injuries beyond one mention; wheelchair fencing.
Not covered: the Material Rules (Book 3), so nothing is said about the weapons' dimensions, the mask and clothing standards or the timing of the scoring apparatus, and there is no kit page; the Organisation Rules beyond the two facts above (pool seeding, the direct elimination table, the order of team bouts, reserves); refereeing gestures (t.63) and the designation of referees; articles t.107 to t.157 on discipline apart from t.124 and t.125 (late arrival, protests and appeals, the fourth group of offences); injuries beyond one mention; wheelchair fencing.