Full tournament rules can be found here.

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Short Version:

General:

• 2-minute rounds fought to 4 points.

• Basic scoring:​

  • 3 points: Normal sword cuts, thrust to the mask or body, some slices, grapple with control.​ **Sideswords and daggers cannot score 3-point cuts to the body

  • 1 point: One-handed sword cuts, all dagger and spear cuts, thrust to the limbs, most slices, pommel strikes.

  • Only clean hits with no afterblow will be scored

  • Open Doubles will be Penalized. 3 ODPs equal a loss of that match.

• Fencers must provide their own weapons for longsword and sidesword. Dagger fencers may provide their own weapons.

• Spear and dagger weapons will be provided (Descendant Leather foam partisans or Purpleheart Armory rubber partisans with hickory shafts, Cold Steel parrying daggers).

• Longsword and spear fencers may bring a dagger (no more than 18" blade, thrusts only).

• Sidesword matches will have a 67% chance of being fought with chosen companion weapon, and 33% chance of being fought with sword alone.

• Sidesword fencers must register with a companion weapon, which will not change for the entire tournament:

  • Sword alone. Fencers may choose to register without a companion weapon.

  • Buckler (Center-Gripped Shield). No more than 15" diameter.

  • Targa/Non-Round Buckler. No more than 18" x 12".

  • Dagger. No more than 18" blade, may cut or thrust.

  • Cloak. May not be weighted; no limit on size. May be wrapped or thrown. Wrapped arm immune to all slices and cuts.

  • Targe (Arm-Strapped Shield). No more than 20" diameter.

• Shield punches not allowed; shield press to the arms or body permitted but non-scoring.​

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Cutting: full cutting rules are available here.

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2023 Short Version (for reference):

Requirements:

• Straight-bladed swords only, single- or double-edged.

• Longswords: two-handed swords of no more than 40" blade

• Sideswords: one-handed swords of any length

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Sidesword Round 1

Targets: 1 (7 points possible)

Pattern:

• Two diagonal descending cuts, alternating sides (1 point each)

• Two diagonal ascending cuts, alternating sides (1.5 points each)

• Two diagonal descending cuts, alternating sides (1 point each).

 

Special: You may measure your distance to the target in the first round. Doing so will incur no penalty. You may make each cut with or without a step, at your discretion. 

 

Sidesword Round 2 (top ~50% of the previous round)

Targets: 1 (9 points possible)

Pattern:

• Ascending diagonal cut, one side (1.5 points)

• Horizontal cut, same side (2 points)

• Descending diagonal cut, same side (1 point)

• Ascending diagonal cut, other side (1.5 points)

• Horizontal cut, same side (2 points)

• Descending diagonal cut, same side (1 point)

 

Special: You may not measure your distance to the target in the second round. You may make each cut with or without a step, at your discretion. In this round, your sword must stop in a forward position after a diagonal cut (e.g., in an Alber/wechsel/eisenport/porta di ferro mezzana/dente di cenghari/porta di ferro larga/coda lunga larga, or an ochs/finestra-like position).

 

Sidesword Round 3 (top ~50% of the previous rounds, cumulative score)

Targets: 1 (7 points possible)

Pattern:

• Linked diagonal cuts descending and ascending, one side (2.5* points)

• Linked diagonal cuts descending and ascending, other side (2.5* points)

• Descending diagonal cuts, alternating sides (1 point each)

 

* A “linked” cut consists of two cuts executed one after the other in smooth succession with the descending cut from one side and the ascending cut from the other side (e.g., one strong-side descending diagonal cut followed immediately by an off-side ascending diagonal cut, parallel to the first cut). Linked cuts are not double cuts; the second cut of the pair does not need to cut the portion of the mat severed by the first cut.

Linked cuts that are not linked by continuous motion will receive a 75% penalty. If both cuts of a linked cut sever the mat, the overall cut will be scored based on the most severe penalty for either cut. If the first cut of a linked cut is successful but the second cut fails, only the first cut will be scored: the cut will receive a score of 1 point, minus any penalties applicable to the first cut.

Special: You may not measure your distance to the target in the third round. You may make each cut with or without a step, at your discretion. In this round, your sword must stop in a forward position after a diagonal cut (e.g., in an Alber/wechsel/eisenport/porta di ferro mezzana/dente di cenghari/porta di ferro larga/coda lunga larga, or an ochs/finestra-like position).

 

Sidesword Round 4 (top 4 of the previous three rounds, cumulative score)

Targets: 2

Pattern:

• Target 1: Lightning cut, either side (7.5* points)

• Target 2: Three horizontal cuts, alternating sides (2 points each)

• Target 2: Three alternating ascending cuts, alternating sides (1.5 points each)

 

* A “lightning” cut consists of a descending, ascending, and descending cut executed one after the other in smooth succession with the descending cuts both coming from one side and the ascending cut coming from the other side.  

Lightning cuts that are not linked by continuous motion will receive a 75% penalty. If a lightning cut severs the target on the first cut but fails to sever the target on the second cut, the cut will be scored with a maximum possible score of 2.5, and the first cut will be scored for penalties.  If the lightning cut severs the target on the first and second cuts, the cut will be scored with a maximum possible score of 5 points, and the overall cut will be scored based on the most severe penalty assigned to either cut.  If the lightning cut severs the target on all three cuts, the cut will be scored with a maximum possible score of 7.5 points, and the overall cut will be scored based on the most severe penalty assigned to either cut.  

 

Special: You may not measure your distance to the target in the fourth round. You may make each cut with or without a step, at your discretion. In this round, your sword must stop in a forward position after a diagonal cut (e.g., in an Alber/wechsel/eisenport/porta di ferro mezzana/dente di cenghari/porta di ferro larga/coda lunga larga, or an ochs/finestra-like position).

 

Longsword Round 1

Targets: 1 (7 points possible)

Pattern:

• Two diagonal descending cuts, alternating sides (1 point each)

• Two diagonal ascending cuts, alternating sides (1.5 points each)

• Two diagonal descending cuts, alternating sides (1 point each).

 

Special: You may measure your distance to the target in the first round. Doing so will incur no penalty. You may make each cut with or without a step, at your discretion. 

 

Longsword Round 2 (top ~50% of the previous round)

Targets: 1 (9 points possible)

Pattern:

• Ascending diagonal cut, one side (1.5 points)

• Horizontal cut, same side (2 points)

• Descending diagonal cut, same side (1 point)

• Ascending diagonal cut, other side (1.5 points)

• Horizontal cut, same side (2 points)

• Descending diagonal cut, same side (1 point)

 

Special: You may not measure your distance to the target in the second round. You may make each cut with or without a step, at your discretion. In this round, your sword must stop in a forward position after a diagonal cut (e.g., in an Alber/wechsel/eisenport/porta di ferro mezzana/dente di cenghari/porta di ferro larga/coda lunga larga, or an ochs/finestra-like position).

 

Longsword Round 3 (top ~50% of the previous rounds, cumulative score)

Targets: 1 (7 points possible)

Pattern:

• Linked diagonal cuts ascending and descending, one side (2.5* points)

• Linked diagonal cuts ascending and descending, other side (2.5* points)

• Descending diagonal cuts, alternating sides (1 point each)

 

* A “linked” cut consists of two cuts executed one after the other in smooth succession with the ascending cut from one side and the descending cut from the other side (e.g., one strong-side ascending diagonal cut followed immediately by an off-side descending diagonal cut, parallel to the first cut). Linked cuts are not double cuts; the second cut of the pair does not need to cut the portion of the mat severed by the first cut.

Linked cuts that are not linked by continuous motion will receive a 75% penalty. If both cuts of a linked cut sever the mat, the overall cut will be scored based on the most severe penalty for either cut. If the first cut of a linked cut is successful but the second cut fails, only the first cut will be scored: the cut will receive a score of 1 point, minus any penalties applicable to the first cut.

Special: You may not measure your distance to the target in the third round. You may make each cut with or without a step, at your discretion. In this round, your sword must stop in a forward position after a diagonal cut (e.g., in an Alber/wechsel/eisenport/porta di ferro mezzana/dente di cenghari/porta di ferro larga/coda lunga larga, or an ochs/finestra-like position).

 

Longsword Round 4 (top 4 of the previous three rounds, cumulative score)

Targets: 2

Pattern:

• Target 1: Lightning cut, either side (7.5* points)

• Target 2: Three horizontal cuts, alternating sides (2 points each)

• Target 2: Three alternating ascending cuts, alternating sides (1.5 points each)

 

* A “lightning” cut consists of a descending, ascending, and descending cut executed one after the other in smooth succession with the descending cuts both coming from one side and the ascending cut coming from the other side.  

Lightning cuts that are not linked by continuous motion will receive a 75% penalty. If a lightning cut severs the target on the first cut but fails to sever the target on the second cut, the cut will be scored with a maximum possible score of 2.5, and the first cut will be scored for penalties.  If the lightning cut severs the target on the first and second cuts, the cut will be scored with a maximum possible score of 5 points, and the overall cut will be scored based on the most severe penalty assigned to either cut.  If the lightning cut severs the target on all three cuts, the cut will be scored with a maximum possible score of 7.5 points, and the overall cut will be scored based on the most severe penalty assigned to either cut.  

 

Special: You may not measure your distance to the target in the fourth round. You may make each cut with or without a step, at your discretion. In this round, your sword must stop in a forward position after a diagonal cut (e.g., in an Alber/wechsel/eisenport/porta di ferro mezzana/dente di cenghari/porta di ferro larga/coda lunga larga, or an ochs/finestra-like position).