ANSWERED||FENCING REFEREE GENERAL RULE TEST

What are the uniform format requirements? - CORRECT ANSWER The letters must be in dark blue, in capitals, between 8 cm and 10 cm high, and between 1 cm and 1.5 cm wide, according to the length of the name. The protective plastron must be checked every: - CORRECT ANSWER Pool, team match and direct elimination bout. What action should a Referee take if a fencer reports to the strip with a jacket that has a torn sleeve? - CORRECT ANSWER Safety is of the utmost importance and under no circumstances should Fencer X be allowed to fence a competition with a jacket that has tears/holes. Clothing/equipment non-conforming to the rules is an offense of the 1st group and should be penalized with a Yellow Card. Practically speaking, give them a time limit. The rule says "reasonable amount of time." However, some people might think that means a half hour. That would cause considerable delay to the tournament - enforce the rule but have common sense. If you want to alter the order of pool bouts, you must ask Bout Committee permission. A fencer in a Y-12 women's sabre competition presents to the strip without chest protection and without a plastron. What should the referee do? - CORRECT ANSWER This fencer has committed two individual offenses of the first group for equipment not conforming to the rules, one for the missing plastron and another for the missing chest protector as this is a women's event. For the first of these offenses the fencer receives a Yellow Card and for the second she receives a Red Card. The fencer should then be allowed a reasonable amount of time to find conforming equipment. It is important to enforce this rule for the safety of all fencers. A fencer at a national event reports to the strip without their last name on the back of their uniform between the shoulders. What is the correct outcome? - CORRECT ANSWER The absence of a fencer's name on the uniform is a second group offense punished with a Group 2 Red Card at the start of each bout in which the fencer reports without an appropriate uniform. In the case of USA Fencing events, the name may also be on the leg, so in this particular case the referee should ensure that the fencer's name is not present on the rear leg of the knickers before applying a 2nd group Red Card. Fencer comes to the strip and the mask's tongue/spring does not touch the back of the fencer's head and the elastic strap does not lay next to the lower back of the head. What does the referee do? - CORRECT ANSWER The referee must ensure that the mask is safe for use, even if there is an inspection mark on it. The rule states that the strap must be positioned low enough across the rear of the cervical region that the position of the strap on the head ensures the mask cannot slide off. The band must be in a solid material: when stretched the material should not sustain permanent plastic deformation and should quickly return to its original shape and size. Before the start of the bout and with no other penalties given, the Referee notices that there is no safety strap on the back of the mask of Fencer X. What does the referee do? - CORRECT ANSWER All masks must have lateral straps as specified in the rules. In this case, Fencer X has committed an offense of a 1st group by presenting with non-conforming equipment and a Yellow Card should be issued. If Fencer X cannot affix a horizontal strap to the mask, then the mask should be confiscated and Fencer X should be required to find another mask. A fencer with one foot off of the SIDE of the strip is a: - CORRECT ANSWER "Halt." If a fencer has one foot off the side of the strip, that fencer loses: - CORRECT ANSWER One meter during their next attack. If a fencer has one foot off the side of the strip while deep in the warning zone, what will happen? - CORRECT ANSWER A point is awarded to their opponent and both move back to en garde position. If a fencer has one foot off, can they still earn a touch? - CORRECT ANSWER Yes if the action is started before the ref calls "halt." If BOTH of a fencer's feet are off of the strip, that fencer loses: - CORRECT ANSWER One meter during their next attack. If Fencer X lands a touch on Fencer Y while both of X's feet are off the rear limits, X's touch is: - CORRECT ANSWER Annulled. If Fencer Y lands a touch on Fencer X while both of X's feet are off the rear limits, X's touch is: - CORRECT ANSWER Awarded, provided the action was started before the ref called "halt." Fencer X executes an attack. After scoring a valid touch, Fencer X then leaves the side of the strip with both feet. What should the Referee do? - CORRECT ANSWER The hit that Fencer X scores stops the bout, so the fact that Fencer X crosses the lateral boundary with one or both feet after the hit is irrelevant and Fencer X's hit is valid. Fencer X makes an attack. Fencer X is off the side of the strip in front of Fencer Y with both feet before Fencer Y parries and starts his riposte. Fencer Y's riposte lands valid. What should the Referee do? - CORRECT ANSWER When Fencer X is off the strip with both feet, "Halt!" should be called. At this point, no hits can be scored by Fencer X. Fencer Y may still score hits against Fencer X, but only if the hit results from a simple, immediate action. Since Fencer Y starts the parry and riposte after Fencer X has left the strip, this hit should be annulled. Since Fencer X has crossed the lateral boundaries of the strip, once the fencers are returned to the position the action occurred on strip, Fencer X should be made to retreat an additional meter. During an advance-lunge attack, Fencer Y steps off the side of the strip with one foot during the advance, but recovers the strip and then scores a valid touch on Fencer X. What should the Referee do? - CORRECT ANSWER When Fencer Y stepped off the side of the strip with one foot on the advance, the referee should call "Halt!" The lunge that resulted in a hit did not start before Fencer Y stepped off the strip, so the touch should be annulled. Fencer Y has retreated behind the end line with both feet while parrying Fencer X's attack. Fencer Y makes an immediate valid riposte. What should the Referee do? - CORRECT ANSWER Crossing the rear limit of the piste immediately stops the bout and incurs a hit against the fencer who went behind the end line. In this case, Fencer X's parry and riposte are irrelevant, and a hit should be given against Fencer Y for retreating behind the rear limit of the piste. During an action, Fencer Y goes off the side of the strip with one foot between Fencer X and the end line. Y was standing with his front foot one half meter in front of his own end line at the start of the action. What should the Referee do? - CORRECT ANSWER Fencer Y has gone off the side of the strip, so "Halt!" should be called. A distance penalty must then be applied, and the application of this penalty places Fencer Y behind Fencer Y's rear limit of the piste, so a touch should be awarded to Fencer X. Fencer X is attacking and steps off the side of the strip with one foot during the attack, but does not hit his opponent. The Rules direct the Referee to: - CORRECT ANSWER Fencer X has gone off the side of the strip, so "Halt!" should be called. Crossing the lateral boundaries of the piste incurs a one-meter distance penalty, so Fencer X must retreat one meter from where the attack began. During a halt, a fault is found in Fencer Y's equipment; the equipment appears fraudulent. What should the Referee do? - CORRECT ANSWER In the case of possibly fraudulent equipment, the referee should confiscate the weapon so that both Fencer Y and Fencer Y's coach do not have access to it. Determinations of fraudulence should be made with the armory/SEMI staff at the tournament since the referee is not necessarily always an equipment expert. The referee should apply no penalty until a determination is made by the expert. Fencer X has a YELLOW CARD. During a halt, Fencer X's weapon is found not to conform to the Rules with a fault that could have been caused by the fencing. What should the Referee do? - CORRECT ANSWER Since Fencer X's weapon is non-conforming, Fencer X cannot continue to use that weapon. Whenever a weapon is taken, the referee must confiscate it for the remainder of the bout. However, since the fault was possibly caused by fencing, no penalty is applied in this case. No penalties have been given. While retreating, Fencer Y parries Fencer X's attack and ripostes, touching X on the valid surface, which is registered on the machine. Y retreats then falls; X's remise arrives on the valid surface, which is registered on the machine. What should the Referee do? - CORRECT ANSWER While Fencer X has fallen, this fall is at least one period of fencing time after a valid hit, which stops the action. Therefore, the hit is valid and no penalties should be given. In a pool bout, Fencer X has received a YELLOW CARD for non-conforming equipment and is losing 3-2. Fencer Y attacks and scores a valid touch while X trips and falls. What is the outcome? - CORRECT ANSWER While Fencer X has fallen and hit, this is not a Group 1 Yellow Card for touch while falling because Fencer X is trying to defend and has tripped - this penalty is designed to prevent fencers for diving for touches. Moreover, Fencer Y is not falling, so it is not fair to annul a touch for Fencer Y, just because Fencer X has lost their balance. Therefore, Fencer Y's hit is valid and no penalties should be given. Having already received a YELLOW CARD for raising the mask before the Referee called Halt! Fencer Y parries while turning the back to the opponent and then makes a riposte that arrives on the opponent's valid surface. What should the Referee do? - CORRECT ANSWER Turning the back to the opponent is an offense of the 1st group. Since Fencer X already has a Yellow Card, a Red Card must be given in this case. Moreover, any penalty committed during fencing annuls a touch scored by the fencer committing the infraction, so Fencer X's touch must be annulled. In a pool bout, Fencer X has received a YELLOW CARD for non-conforming equipment and is winning 4-2. X attacks, sees the machine register a valid touch and, in excitement, removes the mask