Can wheelchair fencers challenge a referee's call?
A · Advanced · The bout · 1 of 1A chair repair or a medical time-out is allowed up to 10 minutes, once a day for the same fault. A condition linked to the impairment, such as a spasm, gets as long as needed. A minute without a hit is unwillingness to fight. Fencers may ask for video review: one per pool bout, two in direct elimination.
How it works
- Repair: 10 minutes, once a day.
- Medical: 10 minutes, attested by a doctor.
- Spasm: time to recover.
- Inactivity: one minute without a hit.
- One-sided: penalty after 15 seconds.
- Both-sided: next period starts early.
- Video: one per pool bout, two in DE.
- Final: the referee's decision after review.
The glossary has the wheelchair repair break, the medical time-out (wheelchair fencing), the disability-related break, the unwillingness to fight (wheelchair fencing), the video review appeals (wheelchair fencing) and the losing balance.
Tricky cases
A coach asks for a video review. Allowed?
No. Only the fencer on the piste.
A correct appeal. Is it lost?
No. The fencer keeps it.
An unjustified medical break. Result?
A second-group offence.
Both fencers lean back for 15 seconds in DE. Result?
Treated as both-sided inactivity.
Why the rule exists
Breaks for impairment-related problems recognise the athlete's body; caps on other breaks stop tactical pauses.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Repair | 10 minutes | t.35 |
| Spasm | Unlimited | t.36 |
| Video | One or two appeals | t.60 to t.62 |
From the rule book
World Para Fencing, Book 1 Technical Rules (January 2026), articles t.35, t.36, t.45, t.60 to t.62 and t.124. Checked 14 October 2026. Official documents: World Para Fencing rulebooks 0 to 4.