When does the attack end in foil?
This came out of a Fencing.Net forums discussion of foil right-of-way interpretations, where the subject of when the attack ends in foil came up. In 2010, user Erik Blank emailed USA Fencing for a rules clarification:
From: Erik Blank I have recently been getting some rather confusing information about a ‘new’ (to me) interpretation regarding the end of a foil attack. The information is being relayed to me by someone that I generally trust, but it seems quite counter intuitive to me, so I am hoping that you can either confirm, deny, or (better yet) explain what is going on. A friend and accomplished competitive fencer took the referee exam and passed quite well, under the watchful eye of a member of the FOC. She then went on to earn a 6 rating. As part of this training and study this person was informed that there is now an interpretation saying that the foil attack is now being judged to have ended with the full extension of the arm. I know that the attack in Saber is to be considered over with the landing of the front foot, but search as I may, I cannot find this rule regarding the foil attack anywhere in the rule book. This referee’s statement is that while this may not be in the rule book, this is how things are being called at top rated competitions, and it is how things should be called everywhere. Can you please provide me with some direction on where I might find supporting evidence for this new interpretation, or a heads up on when this may be actually added into the USFA rule book? Thank you for your time. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
The response came via Bill Oliver, then a member of the Fencing Officials Commission (FOC), whose site has since been folded into USA Fencing:
Mr Blank,
The end of the attack in foil is not definitively defined in the USFA rules, as is the case with many conventions of fencing. Coaches, athletes and referees, at the highest level in the USFA, have determined that there is a logical end to the attack in foil, which occurs with or just after the landing of the front foot. After this time, the opponent has the opportunity to initiate a new action that can have priority. No hesitation can be tolerated in this responsive action. I hope this sheds some light on this situation.
Sincerely,
Bill Oliver, Chair, Rules Committee, Fencing Officials Commssion
Key points to note:
- There is no formal definition in the rules of when the attack ends in foil, as there is in saber.
- Many referees apply the saber convention, rightly or wrongly, to foil.
- The FOC statement above moves foil towards saber, with the foil attack ending “with or just after the landing of the front foot”.
Has this changed since?
No. When this was written in 2010 there were rumours of a coming adjustment to the foil rules, adding wording similar to saber’s. That still has not happened.
In the FIE Technical Rules dated December 2025, t.83 sets out only when a foil attack is correctly executed — “the straightening of the arm, the point threatening the valid target, precedes the initiation of the lunge or the flèche” — and says nothing about when that attack ends. Saber is explicit by contrast: t.101 requires that the hit “arrives at the latest when the front foot hits the piste”.
So the asymmetry Erik Blank asked about in 2010 is still in the rulebook today, which is why the convention above continues to be applied by referees rather than quoted from the rules. You can check the current text yourself in the FIE rulebooks, and USA Fencing publishes its own rules at usafencing.org.