Fencing·Combat Sports

NCAA

🏛️Official — NCAA

NCAA Fencing Rules of the Game· 2025-26 NCAA Fencing Rules Book (USA Fencing + FIE base; co-ed; team format with 3-weapon round-robin)Open source

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Section 1: Introduction

NCAA Fencing is the second of two NCAA-sanctioned co-educational team sports (alongside Rifle). Contested in the winter semester at NCAA Division I institutions; ~25 NCAA D1 programs as of 2026. NCAA Fencing uses the USA Fencing + FIE (International Fencing Federation) technical baseline with NCAA-specific modifications around team format, dual-meet structure, and scoring. The NCAA Fencing Championship is contested in late March. The current edition is the 2025-26 NCAA Fencing Rules Book. For the international FIE framework see the sibling FIE Fencing Rules entry.

Section 2: Equipment

Three weapons: foil (point-only target = torso), épée (point-only target = entire body), sabre (point + cut target = above waist)
Each weapon has FIE-approved spec for length (max 110 cm) and weight
Mandatory protective gear: jacket (FIE-approved 350N or 800N), plastron (underarm protector), mask (FIE-approved 1600N), glove, knickers, socks, fencing shoes
Underarm chest protector required; women's chest protector additionally required per FIE
Body-cord + electronic scoring apparatus connecting fencer to the scoring box
Reel for body-cord wire management

Section 3: Playing Area

Strip (piste): 14 m long × 1.5-2 m wide
Center line + 2-m on-guard lines on each side of center
End lines and warning lines (2 m from each end line)
Multiple strips arranged in parallel for simultaneous bouts at championships
Director's stand alongside the strip

Section 4: Players & Officials

NCAA team: 9 fencers per gender (3 per weapon × 3 weapons)
Dual-meet format: 27 individual bouts per dual (each fencer in each weapon faces each opponent fencer)
Officials: director (referee) on each strip, scoring keeper at the box, judges (when manual scoring used)
NCAA Championship: 24 fencers per weapon advance to the championship from qualifying

Section 5: Rules of Play

Foil

Target: torso (front + back)
Right-of-way (priority) determines who scores when both touch simultaneously
Touch with point only

Épée

Target: entire body
No right-of-way — both fencers may score simultaneously (double touch)
Touch with point only
Hardest weapon to score — full-body target with no priority

Sabre

Target: entire body above the waist (including arms + head)
Right-of-way determines simultaneous touches
Touch with cut OR point
Fastest weapon — emphasizes speed + tactical preemption

Bout Format

Individual bout: first to 5 touches (3-minute time limit; if tied, 1-minute sudden-death OT)
Team bout (relay format): 9 bouts × 5 touches each, accumulating to 45 (or until time limit)

Section 6: Scoring

Bout: first fencer to 5 touches wins (or higher score after time expires)
Team dual: most bouts won out of 27 wins the dual (best of 14)
NCAA Championship: relay-format team bout (9 × 5-touch bouts, accumulating to 45)
Tiebreakers: aggregate touches received vs scored

Section 7: Violations & Penalties

Yellow card: warning (no penalty); 2 yellow = red card
Red card: 1 touch awarded to opponent; subsequent red = black card
Black card: ejection from the competition
Common card-worthy: leaving the strip with both feet, body contact, blocking with non-weapon hand, dishonest behavior, refusal to fence
Equipment violation (broken equipment, illegal weapon length): yellow card + replacement

Section 8: Safety Considerations

Mandatory FIE-approved protective gear (mask 1600N, jacket 350N or 800N) reduces puncture risk. Equipment inspection pre-bout. Mask must remain in place; loss of mask = stop bout, replace gear. Concussion protocol: removal + graduated return-to-play assessment. Required: certified athletic trainer at every meet; team physician + EMT at championship-level. AED + emergency action plan at every venue.

NCAA

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Full Rulebook(11 sections)

Overview

How to win

The game

Section 1: Introduction

Section 2: Equipment

Section 3: Playing Area

Section 4: Players & Officials

Section 5: Rules of Play

Foil

Épée

Sabre

Bout Format

Section 6: Scoring

Section 7: Violations & Penalties

Section 8: Safety Considerations

Playing the ball

Fouls & penalties

Equipment

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