Editing Fencing (section)

==Competitive fencing==
===Governing body===
{{further|Fédération Internationale d'Escrime}}

Fencing is governed by the Fédération Internationale d'Escrime (FIE), headquartered in [[Lausanne]], Switzerland. The FIE is composed of 155 national federations, each of which is recognised by its state [[National Olympic Committee|Olympic Committee]] as the sole representative of Olympic-style fencing in that country.<ref>{{cite web |title=About FIE |url=https://fie.org/fie/structure |website=FIE: International Fencing Federation |access-date=4 August 2023}}</ref>

===Rules===
{{main|Fencing rules}}

The FIE maintains the current rules used by major international events, including world cups, world championships and the Olympic Games.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://fie.org/fie/structure|title=About FIE|website=fie.org}}</ref> The FIE handles proposals to change the rules at an annual congress.<ref>{{cite web |title=2022 FIE Congress Decisions and Rule Changes |url=https://fencing.net/20803/2022-fie-congress-decisions-and-rule-changes/ |website=fencing.net |access-date=1 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230601214601/https://fencing.net/20803/2022-fie-congress-decisions-and-rule-changes/ |archive-date=1 June 2023 |date=17 December 2022 |quote="The FIE Congress met on November 25 in Lausanne, Switzerland for their annual decisions regarding proposed rule changes as well as the additional decisions by the Executive Committee." |url-status=live}}</ref>

==== Bout scoring and duration ====
In fencing, each bout (i.e. a match between two individuals or teams) is decided by either reaching a set number of hits or outscoring the opponent within a specified time limit, depending on the format of the competition.

===== Individual matches =====
'''Pool bouts''': In pool rounds, each bout is fenced to 5 hits or a single period of 3 minutes. If neither fencer has reached 5 hits when time expires, the bout ends and the higher-scoring fencer is declared the winner. If the score is tied, a tie is recorded. At the end of each bout, the number of hits scored by both fencers is also recorded.

'''Direct elimination bouts:''' In the knockout stage, each bout continues until one fencer scores 15 hits, or until the 9-minute total fencing time (split into three 3-minute periods) expires. A 1-minute break separates each period. The clock is paused whenever the action stops, such as after a valid hit. If the score is tied at the end of the third period, a 1-minute sudden-death overtime period is fenced. The first valid hit decides the winner; if no hit is scored, the fencer with priority (determined by a draw) wins.

===== Team matches =====
Each team usually fields three fencers (plus a substitute). A match consists of nine consecutive bouts, with every fencer on one team facing each fencer on the opposing team in a preset rotation. Scoring is cumulative, generally progressing in increments of up to five hits per bout, until one team reaches 45 hits or time expires. If tied at the end of the final bout, a 1-minute sudden-death period is fenced; the first valid hit wins, or if no hit is scored, the team with priority (decided by a draw) wins.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Technical rules |url=https://static.fie.org/uploads/35/176253-technical%20rules%20ang.pdf |access-date=2024-07-29 |website=FIE International Fencing Federation}}</ref>

===Universities and schools===
{{See also|Collegiate Fencing| High School Fencing}}

University students compete internationally at the [[Universiade|World University Games]]. The United States holds two national-level university tournaments (the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]] championship and the [[USACFC]] National Championships).<ref>[http://usacfc.org USACFC] Retrieved on 2012-05-16.</ref> The [[British Universities and Colleges Sport|BUCS]] holds fencing tournaments in the United Kingdom. Many universities in Ontario, Canada have fencing teams that participate in an annual inter-university competition called the OUA Finals.

National fencing organisations have set up programmes to encourage more students to fence. Examples include the Regional Youth Circuit program<ref>US Fencing Youth Development Website, [http://www.usfaryc.org/Welcome.html Regional Youth Circuit] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070712223939/http://www.usfaryc.org/Welcome.html |date=2007-07-12 }}.</ref> in the US and the Leon Paul Youth Development series in the UK.

The UK hosts two national competitions in which schools compete against each other directly: the [[Public School (UK)|Public Schools]] Fencing Championship, a competition only open to Independent Schools,<ref>[http://www.publicschoolsfencingchampionships.com/home.htm Home :: Public Schools Fencing Championships<!-- Bot generated title -->].</ref> and the Scottish Secondary Schools Championships, open to all secondary schools in Scotland. It contains both teams and individual events and is highly anticipated. Schools organise matches directly against one another and school age pupils can compete individually in the British Youth Championships.

In recent years, attempts have been made to introduce fencing to a wider and younger audience, by using foam and plastic swords, which require much less protective equipment. This makes it much less expensive to provide classes, and thus easier to take fencing to a wider range of schools than traditionally has been the case. There is even a competition series in Scotland – the Plastic-and-Foam Fencing FunLeague<ref>The [http://www.paff.org.uk/ Plastic-and-Foam Fencing FunLeague] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201003152521/http://www.paff.org.uk/ |date=2020-10-03 }} website.</ref> – specifically for Primary and early Secondary school-age children using this equipment.