PRAIRIE FENCING CLUB RULES & ETIQUETTE

Be Safe

• Our swords are not sharp, but they can hurt others if used improperly- please control your sword, keep your sword tip down, and do not point your sword tip at people who aren’t wearing a mask and protective clothing
• Do not stab your sword tip into the floor or walls
• NEW, FALL 2025:  Do not play with the weights in the training room, or stab the fans, lamps, or coat hangers
• Everyone must wear masks, gloves, sous-plastrons, and jackets when fencing. U12 fencers and women should wear chest protectors 
• NEW, FALL 2025:  Pants are required for épée bouting. Pants are also highly recommended for all weapons. Any pants are safer than shorts. Please wear fencing pants with fencing socks, track pants, leggings, sweat pants,  cargo pants or jeans. The épée fencers should keep a spare pair of pants in their bags
• At the end of your bout, hand the hook-up at the end of the reel cable to the next person waiting to fence, or bring it back to the reel box. Don’t let the cable snap back to the reel from the en garde line

Be Respectful

• Please respect the coaches, volunteers, and other fencers. Our club does not tolerate pestering, bullying, or intentional exclusion of others. Please report any issues or incidents to the coaches and/or board members (Club President Ethan at prairiefencingclub@gmail.com, Lindsay, or Richard)
•  If a clubmate or coach asks you to fence a bout, do not refuse. It is poor fencing etiquette to refuse a bout. At tournaments, refusal to fence results in a black card and expulsion
• Please do not play in the Field House halls, lobby, or on the exercise equipment
• Use respectful language at our training facility
• NEW,  FALL 2025:  Do not use your phones or distracting electronic devices during class time
• Salute your opponent (and coach or referee, if applicable) before and after bouts and lessons, and clank blades at the end of bouts (and shake hands if an opponent offers)

Be Helpful

• Please help with electric fencing (reels and scoreboxes) set up and take down. Ask a coach or a clubmate if you are unsure how. This rule applies to Intermediate and Advanced Fencers, and Teen & Adult Beginners. The electric fencing is usually already set up for the U12 Beginner groups and does not need to be taken down after their class. 
• Offer to help if you see a coach moving equipment to or from the storage closet
• Spectators please put away your chairs after use

Be Responsible

• If you borrow a body wire, lame, or sword from the club or a clubmate, please return it at the end of the class (or tournament). Please fold the lame and body wire
• Please wash and hang-to-dry any loaned fencing clothing before returning it to the club