Tournament Rules and Requirements

Full tournament rules

Rules for every tournament can be found here: Click here

Equipment Safety Requirements

Minimum Equipment Safety Requirements

All equipment will be checked when a fencer registers on the day for their tournaments. No fencer shall be allowed to participate until all of their gear has been inspected and passed.

Participants are encouraged to contact the tournament organizers ahead of time if they have any questions regarding equipment. There may be limited equipment available the day of the tournament for participants to borrow. Some equipment may also be available for purchase on the day of the tournament.

Rapier and Dagger

  • Mask: 3-weapon mask in good condition with no discernible rusting, breaches of the mesh, tongue, or bib. The mask must completely cover the participant’s ears and be neither too large nor small to snugly fit the competitor. Other headgear (i.e. steel helmets) will be allowed pending inspection for similar criteria as above.

  • Back of the head protection: Commercially manufactured back of the head protection is preferred, other methods will be accepted on a case-by-case basis

  • Neck Protection: Some form of rigid neck protection or gorget that covers the larynx must be worn.

  • Torso: A standard fencing jacket, or other jacket designed specifically for HEMA. Historical clothing designed to be worn for fencing is acceptable provided it meets minimum safety standards.

  • Gloves: Fencers must wear gloves or gauntlets which protect the hand, fingers, and the portion of the wrist nearest the hand.

  • Groin/Breast Protection: It is highly recommended to wear rigid breast protection.

  • Footwear: Fencers must wear some kind of enclosed toe footwear. Historical reproduction footwear is acceptable.

  • Elbow/Knee Protection: Use of rigid elbow and knee protection is mandatory. The protection must completely cover the knee and elbow.

Longsword, Sabre, and Sword and Buckler

  • Mask: (Back-of-head protection required for steel) 3-weapon mask in good condition with no discernible rusting, breaches of the mesh, tongue, or bib. The mask must completely cover the participant’s ears and be neither too large nor small to snugly fit the competitor. Other headgear (i.e. steel helmets) will be allowed pending inspection for similar criteria as above.

  • Protection for the back of the head is required for all participants.

  • Neck Protection: Some form of rigid neck protection or gorget that covers the larynx must be worn.

  • Gauntlets: Fencers must wear gloves or gauntlets which protect the hand, fingers, and the portion of the wrist nearest the hand. Gauntlets must have rigid and padded protection; unpadded gloves are not sufficient.

  • Steel Tournament: SPES Heavy Gloves, Sparring gloves (Fechtschule Gdansk/Ensifers), Neyman Thokks, St. Marks,ProGauntlet, Thokk GLoves, or modified lacrosse/hockey gloves with significant rigid exoskeleton are required. Contact us if you have any questions about the acceptability of your gloves. Gloves not on this list must be preapproved. No exceptions will be granted on the day of the tournament.

  • Sword and Buckler Tournament - For the Buckler hand gloves which have no voids in protection on the back of the hand may be acceptable, but final determination will be on a case-by-case basis. Lacrosse/Ice hockey gloves are recommended.

  • Groin/Breast Protection: It is highly recommended to wear rigid breast protection.

  • Jacket: Fencers must wear a padded jacket that completely covers the torso,back, and arms. Coaches fencing jackets or padded reproduction gambesons are recommended. For example, SPES AP or Fechtschule Gdansk Jackets, NEYMAN HEMA Jacket, PBT HEMA Jacket, etc.

  • Elbow/Knee Protection: Use of rigid elbow and knee protection is mandatory. The protection must completely cover the knee and elbow.

  • Forearm Protection: Required.

  • Footwear: Fencers must wear some kind of enclosed toe footwear. Historical reproduction footwear is acceptable.

  • Shin: Rigid shin protection is recommended for nylon and mandatory for steel.

Weapon requirements

Rapier and Dagger

  • Rapiers blades shall be between 35 and 45 inches in length from the crossbar to the tip.

  • Dagger blades shall be no longer than 18 inches in length

  • Only rapier and dagger blades intended for fencing will be allowed (Del Tin, Darkwood, Zen Warrior, Alchem, Hanwei, etc…​) Others may be accepted, contact the tournament organizers for more details

  • Flexi daggers are not allowed

  • Rapiers and Daggers must be covered with plastic blunts, held in place with tape of contrasting color

Longsword

For the Steel Longsword tournament you shall be using your own sword. Acceptable weapons include the following:

  • Albion Meyer

  • Arms and Armor Fechtbuch

  • Arms and Armor Fechterspiel

  • Aureus Feder

  • Black Fencer Feder

  • Ensifer Feder (Any style)

  • Regenyei Feder (Any style)

  • Pavel Moc (Any style)

  • Comfort Fencing (Any style)

  • Castille Armory

  • Sigi Feders

  • Kvetun Armoury

  • Poker Armoury

  • Krieger

Any other type of Feder style Longsword will be taken on a case by case basis. Please contact us with the type of sword before the tournament to get it cleared.

For the Steel Longsword tournament weapons that will not be allowed include blunt longswords, sharp longswords, fantasy styled longswords, etc. Examples include:

  • Albion Liechtenauer

  • Hanwei Practical Bastard

  • Hanwei Tinker Pearce Blunt Trainer

  • Arms and Armor Spada da Zogho

All Feder tips must be covered with plastic blunts/leather/etc, and held in place with tape of contrasting color

Sword and Buckler

For the Sword and Buckler tournament you shall be using your own sword. Sword brands are the same, though models must be either “side swords” or arming swords. Exceptions and edge-cases should be requested/reviewed as far in advance as possible.

  • Training Arming sword of any type are acceptable

  • Training Messers are acceptable. They must have a comparable flexibility to the Arming Swords and Side Swords allowed.

  • Training Side Swords are acceptable. A simple hand guard is allowed. Ports and Side Rings are allowed.

  • Maximum Blade length allowed is 38 inches.

  • Examples of Arming Swords:

    • Albion I:33

    • Arms and Armor Scholar Sword

  • Examples of Messers:

    • Arms and Armor Messer

    • Comfort Fencing Messer

  • Examples of Side Swords:

    • Darkwood Arms and Port

    • Darkwood 2 Port Cross

Buckler requirements:

  • Wooden or Steel Bucklers are acceptable

  • Nylon Bucklers are acceptable

  • Targa are acceptable

  • Max width is 16 inches

  • No miniumum width

Sabre

For the Sabre tournament you shall be using your own sword. Requirements are listed below

  • Must be a recognizable Sabre hilt design

  • Maximum Sabre weight is 850g

  • Acceptable makers include

    • Sigi Arms

    • Kvetun

    • Castille Armoury

    • Regenyei

    • Dark Wood

    • etc

  • If you are unsure if your sabre is acceptable please contact the organizers beforehand to verify it.