Equipment Policy

All fencers must have a layer of protection that is certified for 350 N (according to EN 13567).

Coverage:

This layer must cover all parts of the body from the knees up to the neck and the arms to the wrists.
If you have a protective glove, the part of the glove that covers the underarm is excluded from this rule.
The back of the jacket is also excluded. So it is acceptable to have a perforated back for ventilation.

Equipment check:

No tests will be made by the tournament organizers: the fencer is obliged to prove that it is certified preferably by having the equipment marked by the manufacturer or tester.
Equipment will be checked at registration, and may be checked again at other times: Swordfish reserves the right to check equipment as many times as deemed necessary.
Equipment initially accepted may be rejected later if reconsidered unsafe.
Bouts will be stopped if equipment appears unsafe.
It is each competitor’s responsibility to ensure their equipment is suitable for the competition.

Safety:

Equipment inspection confirms that the correct items are in the competitor’s possession and is not a validation or warranty by Swordfish that the equipment is safe for use.
Remember, a steel tournament is full contact with a high risk for injury if the competitors are not properly protected.
Every competitor is responsible for their own safety and should make sure that these requirements are not only met, but also that gear can take a good hit.
Additional protective equipment is acceptable, provided it is approved by the Tournament Manager.
While a degree of personalisation is acceptable (including painted masks), equipment should be appropriate for a serious martial arts tournament and therefore not Cosplay or LARP equipment.

During the tournaments:

Borrowing equipment is acceptable, providing it complies with the standards.
However, competitors must be ready to fight; any delay may result in loss of that bout and continued delay will result in disqualification.
Equipment failure (snapped strap etc.) will be allowed a timeout at the referee’s discretion.

Remember!

As with the competition rules, all competitors must comply with these requirements.
Any questions should be addressed before the competition begins.
Failure to comply through not reading or any claims of incomprehension without evidence of seeking clarification will be deemed a breach of safety and the competitor will be disqualified.

Tournament-specific Minimum Protection Requirements

Steel Longsword, Sword & Buckler & Sabre Tournaments:

No bare skin. This includes the back of the calf. If bare skin is exposed when the jacket is lifted (i.e. the midriff is exposed when the arms are raised), the fighter will be disqualified from that bout, and from the competition if the problem is not corrected. 
Links provided for example only, and in no way reflect an endorsement by Swordfish.

Rapier Tournament:

No bare skin. This includes the back of the calf. If bare skin is exposed when the jacket is lifted (i.e. the midriff is exposed when the arms are raised), the fighter will be disqualified from that bout, and from the competition if the problem is not corrected. 
Links provided are for example only, and in no way reflect an endorsement by Swordfish.

  • Fencing mask. Masks must be in good condition, i.e. without dents, cracks, rust, be misshapen or exhibit any other form of overuse that demonstrates it may be unsuitable for competition.
  • Throat protector: this must be adjusted to cover the throat and not hang loose
  • Fencing jacket. This may be a heavier jacket as identified in the longsword and sabre section, or a thinner ‘sport fencing’ jacket. However, in the latter case, an additional gilet is recommended.
  • Hard knee and shin protection (mandatory)
  • Hard elbow protection (optional)
  • Gloves. These may be thin ‘foil’ gloves, though competitors should be aware the risk of injury will increase. Metal gauntlets are not allowed.
  • Groin protector (optional for women)
  • Chest protector (mandatory for men and women), e.g., https://pbthistoricalfencing.com/products/details/extended-chest-protector-for-men/
  • Padding for hips is recommended
  • Rapier. Must be a maximum of 45” / 114.5 cm blade length from cross-piece to tip (including any additional protective tip), and have a diamond section blade or similar. Epée blades or similar are prohibited. Darkwood square ‘rapier foils’ are prohibited, though their standard blades are recommended. All blades must be flexible, blunt, rounded and tipped or nail-tipped. If an additional tip is used, the blade itself should still be rounded (i.e. a sharp tip covered by a protector is unacceptable). Cup hilts, Pappenheimers, closed ports, etc., are recommended to protect the hands.
  • Dagger. Must be a maximum of 18” / 46 cm in blade length from cross-piece to tip. Blades must be flexible, blunt, rounded and tipped or nail-tipped. If an additional tip is used, the blade itself should still be rounded (i.e. a sharp tip covered by a protector is unacceptable) Hanwei dagger blades are prohibited. Sail hilts, ‘Spanish’ hilts, etc., are recommended to protect the hands. All equipment must be free from rust and be serviceable. Regardless of whatever safety certification the weapons may have received, the tournament staff reserves the right to refuse any equipment which is deemed unsafe or unsuitable for tournament use and at any time.