Fencing: how it is set up and scored.
Fencing is contested one against one on a piste 14 metres long and 1.5 metres wide, in the foil, epee or sabre disciplines. A direct-elimination bout is fought to 15 touches over up to three periods of three minutes, while pool bouts are to five touches in a single three-minute period. A touch is registered electronically when a valid hit lands on the target area for that weapon. FIE Technical Rules apply, administered in Britain by British Fencing.
How fencing is set up.
- Size
- 14 m by 1.5 m
- Match
- 3 periods of 3 minutes
- Squad
- 1 on the field per side, no rolling substitutes
- Scoring
- A score is a touch; the result is in touches.
- Rules
- FIE Technical Rules (August 2026)
How a result is recorded.
There is no lineup to pick in fencing. A coach records these for each athlete at every competition.
Scoring and results
- Touch Scored
- Double Touch (Épée)
- Bout Won
- Bout Lost
- Podium Finish
Defending
- Touch Received
Playmaking and performance
- Parry-Riposte
Turnovers and non-finishes
- Off-Target Hit
Discipline
- Yellow Card
- Red Card (Penalty Touch)
- Black Card (Exclusion)
Pick the shape, drag your players onto it and share the team sheet with parents before the game. The Vanta Club app is free.
