Fencing glossary, the terms explained
Every word you'll hear on the strip, in plain English.
En gardeThe referee's command to get into your ready stance before fencing.
Allez / Fence"Go", the command that starts the action.
Halt"Stop", the command that ends the action; fencing pauses.
Piste (strip)The ~14m playing area. Stepping off the back edge concedes a touch.
TouchA valid hit that scores a point ("touché").
BoutA single match between two fencers (to 5 touches in pools, 15 in DE).
PoolA round-robin group of bouts used to seed the elimination round.
Direct elimination (DE)The knockout bracket, lose and you're out.
Right-of-way / priorityIn foil and sabre, the rule that decides who scores when both fencers hit.
AttackThe initial offensive action that can establish right-of-way.
ParryA defensive block of the opponent's blade.
RiposteThe counter-attack made right after a successful parry.
LungeThe classic explosive step-and-extend to reach the opponent.
FlecheA running attack (foil and épée) that closes distance fast.
FeintA fake attack meant to draw a reaction.
Counter-attackAn offensive action made against the opponent's attack.
LaméThe conductive vest/jacket that marks a fencer's electric target area (foil, sabre).
Body cordThe wire connecting a fencer's weapon to the scoring system.
Bell guardThe metal bowl that protects the weapon hand.
DoubleIn épée, when both fencers hit at once and both score.
CardA referee penalty, yellow (warning), red (gives a touch), or black (expulsion).
Referee / DirectorThe official who runs the bout and awards touches.
FIEFédération Internationale d'Escrime, the world governing body of fencing.
USA FencingThe national governing body in the United States (ratings, tournaments, the national team).
← How scoring works · Find a club
