Basic Movements

Tactics and Strategy

Attack Priority: The attacking fencer maintains the right of way unless their attack is parried or misses. If the defender successfully parries the attack, they gain the right of way and can launch a counterattack, which would then earn them the point. 

Feint: Feints are fake attacks designed to draw out a reaction from the opponent. A fencer might pretend to attack one area of the body, only to quickly change direction and strike another target.

Distance: Fencers use footwork to control the bout, advancing when they’re ready to attack and retreating when they need to defend or reset. 

Timing: Effective saber fencers develop a sense of timing, knowing when to launch an attack or when to wait for the perfect moment to counter. This involves both patience and quick decision-making.

Scoring and Bouts

Saber fencing bouts are fast, typically lasting until one fencer reaches the maximum points or until the 3-minute time limit for each round expires. If neither fencer reaches 15 points by the end of the bout, the fencer with the most points wins.

In an individual fencing event, the competition begins with a pool round followed by direct elimination rounds. During the pool round, fencers are grouped into pools of 5-7 competitors and face each other in short bouts, each aiming to score 5 touches or win within a 3-minute time limit. The results from the pool round are used to rank fencers, which determines seeding for the next stage. In the direct elimination (DE) rounds, bouts are longer, with fencers aiming to reach 15 touches or lead after three 3-minute periods. Losing a bout in the DE round means elimination, while winners advance until one fencer remains as the champion.  

In a fencing team event, each team of three (plus one substitute) competes in a relay format where each fencer faces each opposing fencer in nine bouts, aiming for a cumulative team score of 45 touches to win. Bouts progress in increments of 5 (e.g., 5, 10, 15), with the score carrying over, allowing teams to make up ground in later bouts. The match ends if one team reaches 45 touches or, if time expires, the leading team wins. In the event of a tie, a sudden-death overtime with priority assigned to one team determines the winner if no touch is scored. 

Fencers wear electric scoring equipment that registers valid hits. When a fencer makes a valid touch on the opponent’s target area, the scoring system lights up to indicate the point.