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Referees' Commission Issues New Guidance on Bell-Guard Contact in Saber

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by Bryan Wendell

Close-up of the bell guards of saber fencers

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — With the 2025 Junior Olympics in Charlotte, N.C., fast approaching, saber competitors, coaches and referees should be aware of an important rule interpretation from the USA Fencing Referees' Commission.

Effective immediately for USA Fencing domestic saber competitions, any incidental contact made with the bell guard to an opponent’s mask during follow-through should be penalized as an infraction in the 1st group. This aligns domestic enforcement with international (FIE) practice and ensures that athletes at all levels compete under consistent standards.

Key points:

  • The first such offense in a bout will receive a yellow card (warning).
  • Subsequent offenses in the same bout will receive a red card (penalty touch).
  • If the referee judges the contact to be a forceful or deliberate “blow,” it remains penalized as a 2nd group infraction (red card for each instance).
  • Any touch scored by the offending fencer is annulled in these situations.

This clarification will help create a fair, safe and predictable environment for saber fencing at all levels. For further detail, please see the complete text of the rule interpretation at the bottom of the Resources & Protocols for Officials page.

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