These rule changes have been published by the FIE, but were not promptly published by the USFA to the general
membership. They are now available in three formats:
- Now all (instead of some) first group offenses which involve the scoring of a touch, where the person
committing the offense has some sort of advantage due to the offense, result in the annulment of that touch as
well as the penalty. This change involved "simple corps-à-corps (foil and sabre)", "touching/taking hold of
electrical equipment", and "covering/substitution of valid target".
- Reversing the line of shoulders is no longer an offense (it never was in epee), and watching for this
is no longer something for judges to do. However, nothing about this makes it legal to cover target with your
off arm, and turning back is still illegal.
- Judges are now required to switch ends between bouts of a team match...
- It is illegal for the fencer to have electronic communications equipment which, e.g., would allow his
coach to whisper into his ear during the bout. The referee will check this, and treat it just as if a weapon
was found which might have been rigged for cheating.
- The penalty for absence of a satisfactory name or national colors on the clothing (in such situations
where there is a requirement) is a single red card for the bout, followed fencing the bout anyway.
- The rules concerning calling a fencer, or the balance of a team, to strip have been revised. There is
no longer a yellow card for absence at the first call, but it is now sufficient for the referee to make all
calls for the missing fencer (instead of there being "an announcement").
- Saluting is now required both before and after the bout, in addition to a handshake after the bout. Failure
to do any of this results in suspension continuing for the next two competitions.
- Passivity is handled slightly differently. If passivity happens in ANY situation when the upcoming time
expiration DOES NOT produce a final score, just pretend time expired already. If passivity happens in ANY
situation when the upcoming time expiration DOES produce a final score, then 1) if it is too late to advance to
one minute remaining, ignore, and 2) if it is still possible to advance to one minute remaining, issue a warning
the first time and the second time advance to the one minute point with priority determined in advance just in
case. (Y10 and Y12 DE bouts, which are best two out of three encounter bouts, which were not explicitly
addressed.)
- Penalizing people not fencing in the bout for disturbing the bout has changed slightly. Warnings and
expulsions are the same as before, but whether or not to use a card at all, and which card if so, has been
clarified. The warning uses a yellow card, and the expulsion uses a black card.
- A deliberate touch not on valid target has been moved on the penalty chart from a first group to a
second group offense (i.e., you don't get one free deliberate non-target hit any more).
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