In the United States, the rules of fencing are maintained by the RC. The rules are usually updated once per year, often in the fall before the start of the USA Fencing season. These yearly changes often incorporate changes in the international rules of fencing, which are maintained by the Federation International d’Escrime (FIE). All rules changes proposed by the RC must be approved by the USA Fencing Board of Directors, which usually occurs at their annual meeting in September.
The USA Fencing rules differ in places from the international rules of fencing. Referees who work internationally should be intimately familiar with the FIE rules as well as the differences between the international rules and the U.S. rules.
At the 2019 FIE Congress, the following modifications were made to the FIE rules, which took effect on January 1, 2020:
Questions about the rules should be directed to the Rules Committee.
