Salt Lake Open will not tolerate harassment or abuse of any kind. Harassment includes but is not limited to offensive language related to gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, disability, religion (or lack thereof), or physical appearance, as well as deliberate intimidation, stalking, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention. Please contact the event organizers, individuals wearing tan aprons, if you experience or observe any of the above behaviors.
All fencers in this tournament are expected to have read the rules before the tournament and request clarification if a rule is unclear to them. All fencers are expected to follow the rules.
Honorable and sportsman-like conduct is both expected and encouraged. Fencers are to obey the instructions of the judges as promptly as possible. This includes stopping when a hold is called, returning to one's corner when prompted, and acknowledging readiness.
Fencers are to be ready to fight once their pool or match is called and remain ready once matches have begun.
The Open Longsword - Advanced tournament is open to all fencers, but it is strongly recommended that fencers be very experienced, having performed well in other HEMA tournaments.
The Open Longsword - Intermediate tournament is open to all fencers, but it is recommended that fencers have at least an intermediate experience level.
The Women and Gender Minority Longsword tournament is open to women and gender minority fencers of all experience and skill levels.
The Open Single Rapier tournament is open to all fencers of all experience and skill levels.
The Open Messer tournament is open to fencers who have some familiarity with messer fencing systems and are comfortable with grappling.
Each tournament will have a round of pools to determine fencer standing, with the top fencers from the pools seeding one or more single elimination brackets. See individual tournament rulesets for details. All elimination brackets are single-elimination.
Where possible, the tournament pools will have 5 fencers to prevent back-to-back matches and give fencers at least 4 matches.
Match time is three minutes with a continuous clock; this includes judging time, so deliberation will be kept to a minimum. The continuous clock will only be stopped if there is a safety hold or the director deems it necessary.
During pool matches, any of the following conditions will end the match: three minutes elapse, three double hits, or nine points are scored by a fencer. If three minutes elapse and the fencers are tied, the match will resume until there is no longer a tie. If the match ends with three double hits, it will result in a double loss during pool matches.
During elimination matches, the same conditions will end the match, but three double hits do not result in a double loss. If there are three double hits during an elimination match and the fencers are tied, the match will resume until there is no longer a tie.
Each match will have a director and two judges. If an insufficient number of judges is available, a ring may be run with just a director and a single judge. The director will be responsible for starting and stopping the match and communicating decisions to the fencers and the table. The judges will call out when a point is scored, they will communicate their judgment of the exchange to the director, and call safety holds as needed. All judges should make their decision on what occurred during the exchange before looking at their fellow judges’ calls.
In matches, points should be awarded based on the agreement of two of the judges, including the director, see 'Directing and Judging Guidelines' for more details. Agreement between judges is not required if a fencer self-calls. If you have concerns with judging, please address the event organizers, the individuals wearing tan aprons.
If a scoring error occurs during judging, such as the points being recorded to the wrong fencer, the fencer or the fencer’s corner should notify the director immediately, or by the end of the match. If a correction is required, the match time can be stopped. If an error is identified later, such as after the pools or several matches later, scores will not be adjusted.
There will be no video challenges to judging calls made during or after a match.
Spectating must take place in the stands. Only active fencers and one corner coach per fencer will be allowed in the ring area. There will be gear stowage and free fencing elsewhere on the field.
The corner may notify the judging staff of scoring errors or if there is a safety issue. The fighter may converse with their corner, but as time is limited and the clock is not stopped for judging when the director tells the fencer to resume the match, they are expected to do so immediately. If the fencer fails to resume the match immediately, the director may issue a warning. The corner coach is responsible for keeping track of the match score and time via HEMA Scorecard and communicating that to their fencer if desired.
The ‘ring’ or the fencing area will consist of a circle 20-25 feet across, marked by a PVC pipe ring.
Fencers will start at a point marked on the edge of the ring and must be in contact with the ring or have one foot outside the ring and return to these points when a hold is called.
If both feet of a fencer leave the ring, a hold will be called, and both fencers will reset to their starting positions.
If a fencer repeatedly exits or repeatedly forces another fencer out of the ring, they will receive a warning.
Once a pool has begun, the fencer should remain near the ring and be ready for their match, wearing their gloves and mask, when their match is called. If a match is significantly delayed due to a fencer being absent from the ring or due to having to gear up, they will receive a warning, and if repeated warnings occur, penalties will be applied, see the ‘Warnings and Penalties’ section below.
Fencers are encouraged to self-call if a scoring action is made against them and it is missed by the judges. If the fencer wishes to self-call, they should raise their hand to get the director's attention. The following rules apply when self-calling.
Fencers cannot self-call to their benefit.
A fencer may self-call if the target area was not observed correctly by the judges and is of a higher point value than that being awarded to the opposing fencer.
A fencer may decline awarded points if they deem their strike to be of poor quality.
A fencer may call back an after-blow if they deem it to be of poor quality or a late after-blow.
No points will be awarded for cuts, thrusts, or slices to the back of the head or neck, spine, groin, or ankles/feet, as these are non-target areas. Intentionally targeting a non-target area will result in warnings and penalties. Demonstrated actions to a non-target area should be awarded if appropriate.
Any strikes that are thrown with excessive force and or lack of control will result in warnings and penalties, see the ‘Warnings and Penalties’ section below. Excessive force is an amount of force that would likely cause injury to the opposing fencer. Lack of control is any action that is wild and/or without structure. Repeatedly striking the floor demonstrates a lack of control and will result in a warning. If you have concerns with safety, please address the event organizers, the individuals wearing tan aprons.
All unsafe techniques will result in a warning and or penalty, see the ‘Warnings and Penalties’ section below. The following techniques are deemed unsafe for SLO tournaments.
Exposing the back of the head or turning away from an opposed fencer.
Throwing a weapon.
Wrestling a fencer to the floor, throwing a fencer, or picking up a fencer.
Joint locks or wrestling techniques that can injure a fencer's limbs or joints.
Tripping.
Punches or kicks.
Jumping onto a fencer.
‘Mordschlag’ style techniques.
Pommel strike made to the sides or top of the mask.
Horseplay or otherwise dishonorable conduct within the match.
Warnings will be given to a fencer for excessive force, use of unsafe techniques, unsportsmanlike conduct, and failure to follow directions. Warnings are cumulative throughout the tournament for the same penalty issue/type (i.e., striking a non-target area, excessive force, unsafe technique). Therefore, warnings and penalties issued for exposing the back of the head will be distinct from those for excessive force.
The first warning will have no point penalty. If the judges deem an action egregious, they will proceed directly to the 2nd warning.
The second warning will incur a 2-point penalty.
The third warning will incur a 4-point penalty, and the fencer forfeits the match.
A fourth warning will disqualify the fencer from the tournament.
If the use of an unsafe technique results in an opposing fencer having to forfeit a match due to injury, the responsible fencer will be disqualified.
Abusive and unsportsmanlike behavior will result in the fencer forfeiting the match, and any additional warnings will result in disqualification from the tournament.
All fencers will be gear-checked before fencing in their designated tournament. All gear requirements are to be equivalent to or exceed the requirements set in the HEMA Alliance Safety Policy.
A fencing mask with the back of the head protection is required. The back of the head protection must be stiff enough to withstand strikes from a steel feder or messer. No major gaps are allowed. Mask overlay or covers are recommended.
A mask with severe denting and or soft spots in the mesh will not be permitted. Fencing masks with torn liners or a loose fit that allows any part of the face to make contact with the mesh will not be permitted.
A gorget or similar throat protection with hard protection in the front is required for all tournaments.
A fencing jacket, gambeson, or similar with a 350 N pierce resistance is required for all tournaments. A heavy or padded fencing jacket is recommended for the tournaments.
Fencing pants or similar are recommended for all tournaments, but are not required.
Groin protection, such as a cup or codpiece, is required for fencers with a penis and testes. Cod pieces must fit close to the body. Groin protection is also recommended for all fencers.
Hard protection for elbows and knees, which covers the side of the joints, will be required.
Shin protectors or guards are required for all tournaments.
Forearm guards are recommended.
HEMA sparring gloves, for example, SPES Heavies, Sparring Gloves, or HF Black Knight gloves, are required for the longsword and Messer tournaments; no lacrosse or Red Dragon gloves are permitted for the longsword or the Messer tournaments.
Steel gauntlets are not permitted.
Fencers are required to wear closed-toed shoes.
All swords must be free of splinters, burrs, or sharp edges, must have a rolled or spatulated tip. Sword quards and quillons must be rounded. All tips must be tipped with a leather patch or a similar material secured with tape. Rapiers may be tipped with a rubber tip or a leather patch; longswords and messers may not have a rubber tip. Tournament staff have leather patches available and will apply a high-visibility tape to all tips. Swords must be made by a reputable manufacturer and have sufficient flex for safe fencing. What constitutes “safe flex” is at the discretion of the tournament staff. The Purpleheart VB Techniques Feder (for example) is too stiff. See additional requirements for swords in individual tournament rulesets.
All skin must be covered, i.e., no bare legs!!!!!
