Tournament Rules

 

Introduction

Have fun! The Bunny Bash Tournament should only be about fun and having great fights with other fighters!

If you cannot do this, then this tournament might be one to skip.

By playing unfair or overly aggressive you can only accomplish the following:

  • Win a Fluffy Bunny
  • Lose respect from other fighters (…but hey! At least you have a Fluffy Bunny to celebrate your win with ;))

So let the Bunny Bash be a tournament where fair play, the art and honesty rise above aggression and ego’s.

0. Bunny Bash Specific rules

Applaud when somebody acknowledges a point to the opponent! Or whenever you see something cool, like a nice execution of a technique or because you just feel like it.

Accept that judges can make mistakes, but trust in the honesty of your opponent that if he feels a hit he will acknowledge it. And return the favor.

Try to deliver the greatest and most fun fight to your opponent even if you feel like David against Goliath. You will learn more from a fight when you are having fun and trying techniques instead of doing a Tasmanian Devil-impression. (Oh man, I miss those cartoons… Ref.: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-l1ZhOWJtYY)

But again remember, the most important rule: have fun!

1. Equipment

No bare skin. This includes the back of the calf. If bare skin is exposed when the jacket is lifted (i.e. the midriff is exposed when the arms are raised), the fighter will be disqualified from that bout, and from the competition if the problem is not corrected.

Links provided are for example only, and in no way reflect an endorsement.

2. General

Fencers participate at their own risk and discretion, as long as they follow the spirit of the tournament rules. Each bout must maintain a polite quality, with instructions from tournament officials respected.

Fencers will receive either a red or blue armband before the bout, and will be known by their color during it.

Fencers will start the bout in their respective corner. The bout begins when the referee calls “fence”. When the referee calls “break”, the fencers must separate and return to their corners, remaining there until the referee calls “fence” again.

Bouts are fought until the bout time runs out, the fencer with the highest points will be declared the winner.

In a pool round, a bout ending in a draw will be registered as a half win.

During the elimination round, a bout ending in a draw will continue in a sudden death.

A sudden death is fought until one fencer scores a clean hit.

3. Illegal Targets

The following targets are illegal, and are worth no points:

  • Back of the head
  • Spine
  • Groin
  • Back of the knee
  • Achilles tendon
  • Toes

4. Bout time (eliminations)

  1. We will divide the whole group in two big pools of +-30 fencers(This is to make sure that the fencers don’t have to wait to long in between bouts, but still have a large portion of luck to fight a lot of different fencers)
  2. Every fighter will have to fight 12 bouts:
    • Every bout you will start with two life points 
    • The fencer only count his own life points: so yes… only count where you got hit, not where you hit the other.We are absolutely, positively sure that everybody will be honest since that is the only way of improving themselves.Also remember: a lot of people are watching and you don’t want to look like a dick, do you?Pardon our French (For the French: pardon our English) 
    • Target and Points:
      • A strike to the head (i.e. a strike cut with the blade or a thrust) above the level of the chin is worth 2 points
      • A thrust to the torso is worth 2 points
      • All other legal targets and pommel strikes are worth 1 point
      • Any strike made outside grappling with only one hand holding the sword is worth 1 point, no matter what target is hit
    • Naslag and Double hits will count as wellSo remember your abzug and value your life points.
    • When you get hit, stop the fight, go back to your corner and let the other fencer know where you got hit and subtract the target points from your life points.If one of the fencer (or both) has no life points left, the bout ends
      If both fencer have at least one life point left: restart fencing

      Remember double hit or naslag is possible, but be realistic in what is a naslag and what not…In any doubt; take the hardest approach: consider the naslag as valid
  3. The fencer will randomly be assigned to 1 of 3 paddocks and has to fence the opponent at the other side.
  4. When the bout has ended, see point 2, the fencer and his opponent have to go to the central table to let your result be marked on your personal score sheet
  5. Go to point 3 and repeat x 12

5. Bout time (eliminations onwards)

A bout is fought for 7 exchanges or 5 minutes, whichever comes sooner.

Timekeeping is not paused during scoring; in case there is a longer break in the bout for any reason, the referee will call a time-out.

Ten seconds before the time limit is reached the table will call “Last exchange!”.
That exchange will be allowed to be run to its end, as long as the fencers are actively trying to fence. If the exchange becomes too passive, the referee will call ”break”, ending the bout.

After this, the table will announce the score to the referee, who will officially announce the winner of the match and the final score.

5.1 Scoring

5.1.1 Targets That score points

Only attacks with the edge, point or pommel score points. Strikes with the crossguard are not allowed. All strikes must be executed in a controlled fashion.

  • A strike to the head (i.e. a strike with cut with the blade or a thrust) above the level of the chin is worth 2 points
  • A thrust to the torso is worth 2 points
  • All other legal targets and pommel strikes are worth 1 point
  • Any strike made outside grappling with only one hand holding the sword is worth 1 point, no matter what target is hit (to avoid abuse of one handed ”sling shots”).

At a clear hit, a referee will call “break”. After “break” is called, the fencers must cease attacking, separate, and return to their corners. Next, the referees will briefly discuss the exchange to reach an agreement on what happened. After reaching a consensus, the main referee will proclaim what they think happened and score accordingly.

In case of simultaneous hits, the difference in points is awarded to the fencer with the highest score. In case of an afterblow, the same scoring is used, except that the afterblow can not make points.

If the blue fencer hits the red fencer on the arm at the same time that the red fencer delivers a hit to the blue fencer’s head, the red fencer would receive 2 – 1 = 1 point.

If the same thing happened, but the hit from the red fencer was an afterblow, than the red fencer would not receive 1 point, because an afterblow can not make points.

Only indicating attacks with sword or body due to safety reasons will still score. For example indicating a strike to the back of the head during a grappling situation.

5.1.2 Scoring during grappling

In a grappling situation, a fencer can score by striking with the weapon(s), by using grappling actions or by demonstrating dominance. A referee will halt the action if there is a scoring grappling technique, if one fencer demonstrates dominance, if the referee thinks there is a safety issue or if the grappling is at stalemate (ca 5 seconds without anything happening).

Grabbing and maintaining a hold on a stationary sword is allowed.

6. Injuries

If a fencer is injured during the bout, the referee will call a time-out and the medical staff will examine the fencer. If the medical staff clears the fencer to continue, and the fencer wishes to do so, the bout can proceed.

7. Equipment failure

The referee will call a time-out when equipment being broken or displaced is noticed. If a fencer or judge notices an equipment failure, they should point it out to the referee.

If a piece of personal protective gear is broken, the fencer has 3 minute to find a replacement. If this is not possible the fencer will have forfeited the bout.

8. And have FUN!!!