Broadsword League Championships 2008 and Rule Revisions for 2009

Announcing the official results of the Broadsword League Championships
for 2008.

The winner of the "Gormon" (which is awarded to the fencer with the
highest point average who has fought at least twenty bouts for the
year) is Christopher Scott Thompson of the Cateran Society Broadsword
Academy in Portland, ME, USA, with an average of 24.15 in 20 bouts.

The winner of the "McBane" (which is awarded to the fencer with the
highest point average who has fought at least five bouts for the year
but less than twenty) is Dirk Wolfram Neumann of the Glamorgan School
of Arms in Swansea, Wales, with an average of 26.25 in 8 bouts.

There were other fencers with very good fighting averages, who might
have won one of the international championships but were unable to
because they didn't fight enough bouts in 2008. Thomas Arthur Jones, a
Military Saber fencer from Lampeter, Wales, earned a 29-point average
in 2 bouts. Jeremy Oneail, the McBane Champion for 2007, earned a
24.57 average in 7 bouts. While Jeremy fought enough bouts to qualify
for the McBane, he lost this year to Dirk Wolfram Neumann. However, if
he had been able to maintain the same average over twenty or more
bouts, he would have won the Gormon. James Black of the Cateran
Society Broadsword Academy earned a 24.46 average in 15 bouts. If
James had been able to maintain the same average through just five
more bouts, he also might have won the Gormon.

In light of these facts, I have made some revisions to the rules for
2009, to remove some of the barriers that may have prevented some
Broadsword League fencers from fighting more often. Effective
immediately, fencers may now fight each other as often as once per
week. Also, if no seconds are available (a common problem in smaller
schools) it is now acceptable to fence your bout on the "honor
system." Please see the revised rules for more details.

The Broadsword League has a number of members with a background in
classical styles of heavy saber. The standard set of Broadsword League
rules is very different from a classical saber match, mandating an
entirely different mindset and approach to the bout. However, our
rules have always allowed for a high degree of flexibility and
customization as well. I have decided to add a new type of optional
bout, the "Five-Touch" match, which allows fencers to use a more
traditional five-touch format while still earning points within the
Broadsword League system. Again, please see the revised rules for more
details.

One advantage of the optional Five-Touch bout format is that the bouts
are more exciting for spectators than bouts fought according to the
standard rules. An advantage to the standard rules, however, is that
they mandate a very cautious approach similar to what one might expect
to see in an encounter with sharps. Fencers in the Broadsword League
will now have the option of deciding which of the two approaches they
find most appealing on any given day. The revised rules have been
extensively fight-tested in unofficial matches for the past several
months, and I am confident that they will work.

Here are the complete rules as of February, 2009:

The Broadsword League
Broadsword, Backsword, Heavy Sabre and Singlestick

Rules for Conducting Challenges
(Revised February 2009)

Our goal is to use a rule system that is as simple and flexible as
possible, to avoid bureaucracy and gamesmanship and maintain a martial
spirit in our competitions.

1- All bouts are to be conducted in the spirit of an encounter with
sharps, and the rules are not to be construed in such a way as to
permit techniques that would not be possible in a fight with sharps.
Manipulating the rules is specifically forbidden, and grounds for the
match to be voided and a complaint to be filed with the League.
2- When a challenge has been given and accepted, the Broadsword League
is to be informed of the date, time and place of the match, as well as
the names and current rankings of the two principals, and the names of
their seconds. No two members of the League may fight more than one
official bout with each other per calendar week.
3- Each fencer is to bring one second to the match. The job of the
seconds is to witness the match and verify the score. This requirement
may be waived by mutual agreement if there are no seconds available,
but only if the fencers agree to accept full responsibility for both
the safety of the match and the results. This is called an "honor
system" bout. In the event of any disagreement or dispute in an honor
system bout, the match is to be considered void.
4- Fencers are to wear a minimum of a three-weapon mask, glove and
jacket as protection during the bout. They may fence with any blunt
broadsword or backsword, wooden, aluminum or otherwise appropriate
waster, modified shinai or singlestick, but their weapons must be of
the same type. Whatever type of weapon is used, the fencers must wear
sufficient safety gear to avoid injury. The seconds must prevent the
match if, in their judgment, the safety gear is insufficient.
5- Either second may stop the match at any time, either before or
during the bout. If a second feels that the fencers are not fencing
safely for any reason, it is his responsibility to call "halt." Once
the safety issue has been addressed, the bout may resume. If a throw
or fall occurs for any reason, or if a mask is knocked off, the bout
is halted and the fencers are to return to the starting point, salute,
and resume the bout. This rule applies no matter which type of bout is
being fought. Seconds may also call a halt to inquire if their own or
the opposing fencer was touched, however the judgement of the fencer
in question is to be accepted except in egregious cases. If either
second feels that the opposing fencer did not call touches accurately
or otherwise observe the rules, the match is voided.
6- The fencers, through their seconds, must determine the type of bout
to be fought. The following points must be determined: 1)- Will
thrusts be allowed, or only cuts? 2)- Will the action of the bout stop
on a touch? If the fencers agree to stop on a touch, the fencers are
to re-center and resume the bout after the halt. 3)- Will grips be
allowed? If grips are allowed, the fencers may grip each other in
order to get a touch or a disarm, and may grip the opposing blade if
they can do so in such a way that it would not cut them if the blades
were sharp. If grips are allowed, the seconds are to call a halt and
re-center the fencers if they get caught up in an extended clinch. In
this type of bout, a disarm or a throw is to be counted as a touch. If
grips are allowed, the action must stop on a touch. 4)- The fencers
must determine whether the match shall be fought in an open area, on a
fencing strip, or in a circle of any convenient size. If the bout is
fought in a circle, stepping outside the circle with either foot is
counted as a touch against.
7- The bout will begin after both fencers have saluted. A valid touch,
anywhere on the body, must be acknowledged by the fencer who has been
touched, and noted by his second. Each second has the responsibility
of recording the touches against his own principal.
8- A valid touch is defined as a touch that, in the judgement of the
affected fencer, would have drawn blood on him if the weapons had been
sharp. Flat or grazing touches that would not have drawn blood are not
counted, but should be acknowledged with the words "flat" or "light."
9- Bouts will continue for five minutes. At the end of the bout, the
Broadsword League is to be informed of the results, along with the
contact information for both principals and both seconds so the
results may be confirmed. The ratings of the two fencers will be
adjusted by the League according to the following method: The seconds
record and report the number of touches against each fencer. Each
fencer receives 25 points for participating in the bout, minus one
point for every touch scored against him, plus ½ point for every touch
scored against his opponent. ½ points are rounded down from the final
score, and negative final scores are adjusted to zero points. Example:
Fencer X and Fencer Y have a broadsword bout. Fencer X is touched 10
times and Fencer Y is touched 13 times. Fencer X receives 25 points
for fencing, minus 10 points for the ten touches against him, plus 6
points for the touches he scored against Fencer Y. He receives a total
of 21 points, to be added to his official ratings. Fencer Y receives
25 points for fencing, minus 13 points for the thirteen touches
against him, plus 5 points for the touches he scored against Fencer X.
He receives a total of 17 points, to be added to his official ratings.
10- The following types of special bout may be fought by agreement.
Both types of special bout may also be combined into one. 1)-
Off-Hand: Each fencer may choose a second weapon to use in his
off-hand, such as a target, buckler, dagger or second sword. The
off-hand weapons used by the fencers need not be identical. The
seconds are not to allow the use of any unhistorical off-hand weapon.
2)- Five-Touch: This bout is scored differently than a standard
Broadsword League bout, and is intended to allow for classical heavy
saber matches within the Broadsword League framework. In this type of
bout, the default rule is that double touches are to be disregarded.
However, the fencers may voluntarily agree to fence the bout according
to any mutually acceptable set of classical saber conventions. The
fencer who first receives five touches has lost the bout. In a
five-touch bout, Broadsword League points are earned according to a
special scale. If the score is 5-0, the winner earns 26 points and the
loser 16. If the score is 5-1, the winner earns 25 points and the
loser 17. If the score is 5-2, the winner earns 24 points and the
loser 18. If the score is 5-3, the winner earns 23 points and the
loser 19. If the score is 5-4, the winner earns 22 points and the
loser 20.

International, National and Regional Championships

Note: In the first year of the League's existence, the international
championships were awarded on a different basis than what is described
below. The Gormon was awarded to whoever earned the most points for
the year, and the McBane to the holder of the best overall average.
The rules described below went into effect on January 1, 2008.

To claim any Regional Championship title, you must have fought at
least five bouts in that region, and you must have the highest average
of points earned per bout of any fencer in that region for the
previous year. The region in question can be a city, state, province
or any other division of territory.
For instance, if you are a Broadsword League member in New York City,
and you have fought at least five bouts in the city since you joined
the League, and your average for 2007 was the highest of any League
member in New York, then you can describe yourself as the Broadsword
League Champion of New York City for 2007.
The same principle applies to National Championships, except that you
must have fought at least ten bouts in a particular nation in order to
claim to be its champion.
Regional and National Championships are not actually awarded by the
League- they are simply claimed, under the conditions described above,
by whichever swordsman can earn the title.
The Broadsword League awards three International trophies, along with
the title of "Broadsword Champion." These trophies are the Gormon, the
McBane and the Figg. These three championships are named after great
Stage Gladiators of the 18th century.
The Gormon is awarded at the end of each year to the fencer with the
best year-to-date average who has fought at least 20 Broadsword League
bouts for the year. The McBane is awarded at the end of each year to
the fencer with the best year-to-date average who has fought at least
5 but less than 20 Broadsword League bouts for the year.
If the winner of the Gormon and the winner of the McBane agree to
meet for a challenge match, the fencer who earns the most points in
that match will be awarded the Figg, as well as the title of
"Broadsword League Grand Champion."