Duck and Cover - Covering Target with the Mask

When is ducking in foil allowed, and when does it become covering target? This guide walks through what separates a properly executed duck from an infraction that should earn the fencer a yellow card.

Start with the rules that define the infraction.

What the rules say

Displacing the target and ducking (t.27.1):

Displacing the target and ducking are allowed even if during the action the unarmed hand and/or the knee of the rear leg comes into contact with the piste.

Substitution and use of the non-sword hand and arm (t.29):

The use of the non-sword hand and arm to carry out an offensive or defensive action is forbidden. Should such an offence occur, the hit scored by the fencer at fault is annulled and the latter will be penalized as specified for offences of the 2nd group (red card).

If a fencer substitutes a non-valid part of his target for a valid part, either by covering it or by any abnormal movement, the Referee must penalise him by applying the penalties … for the offences of the 1st group and any hit scored by the fencer at fault is annulled.

Foil has its own article covering the same ground, t.79.1: “At foil, it is forbidden to protect the target area or to substitute another part of the body for the target area, by covering it … any hit scored by the fencer at fault is annulled,” penalised as a 1st-group offence.

Note the distinction the rules draw: using the non-sword hand or arm to block is a 2nd-group offence and a red card, while covering target — including with the mask — is a 1st-group offence and a yellow card.

The important parts to note are:

1. Ducking is specifically allowed in the rules, so you can’t get penalised for simply ducking, and ducking properly is not an “abnormal movement”.
2. You are not allowed to protect your target area with non-target area, by covering or by an abnormal movement.
3. The rules never define an abnormal movement — it is left to the referee’s judgement.

Where referees draw the line

Given that we have an action that is allowed and a case where it could be penalised, how do we draw the line? In a Fencing.Net forums discussion, Omar Bhutta, a level 2 foil referee, offered this:

“ducking at any distance is legal. The head does not cover target any more at one distance than in another; it is just harder to get your weapon into position to hit the front….same as if someone didn’t duck.”

He continues:

“The current application of covering with the head is one of the more challenging rules to apply consistently. At most levels, it is not applied uniformly, which leads to a lot of frustration on the part of most fencers. As a general rule of thumb, if the fencer is looking at their feet, they are probably covering with their head. Their back does not need to be parallel to the ground to cover target. In the same vein, if your back is parallel to the ground, and your head is up, that is not covering target. Please note that simply applying that written statement carte blanche to an active bout will not get 100% of calls right….it is very dynamic and is best illustrated with video/live demonstration.”

Two patterns, side by side

Two actions from the same foil bout show the difference clearly.

The legal duck. The fencer comes in close and ducks to avoid a touch. The head stays up, the fencer keeps looking at their opponent, and the mask is never moved to cover target or to parry. This is fine even if the point lands square on the mask.

The infraction. The fencer ducks, but also moves the head so that the mask shields the front of the torso. They are looking at the floor rather than at their opponent, and the back is parallel to the floor. The mask is no longer incidental to the movement — it is doing the work of a parry.

The key to calling a penalty is whether the fencer is protecting valid target with non-valid target. A “classic” duck, head up and eyes on the opponent, is perfectly fine. If the mask is moved in a blocking action, or used to actively shield a target area, it should be penalised.

What all foilists should take from this: you can duck, just don’t cover.