II. “DUEL” - Rules

1. GENERAL REGULATIONS

1.1. There is no weight class segregation for Duel battles.

1.2. A panel of judges consists of a Knight Marshal, field referees and a secretary.  

Important! In case of disagreement the Knight marshal has a decisive vote.

1.3. Battles are held according to the Rules of Historical Medieval Battles (HMB) with the consideration of the accentuated blows delivered onto the opponent’s kill zone with the percussive part of the weapon.

Important! The kill zone excludes an open face, groin, feet, rear of the neck and knee pit.

1.4. Battle consists of 3 rounds, each of which is held with various weapons:

• the 1st round  "hand and a half sword" lasts for 1.5 min (90 sec). The winner is the one who has delivered more accentuated blows to the opponent during the round.

• the 2nd round "sword-buckler" lasts for 3 bouts and each bout lasts to the first three accentuated blows. The winner is the one who wins the majority of the bouts in a round.

• the 3rd round "sword-shield" lasts for 1.5 min. The winner in a round is the one who has delivered more accentuated blows to the opponent during the round.

1.5. Characteristics of the weapons for the nominations “Duel”:

1.5.1. Weapons characteristics for the round “Hand and a half sword”:

• The length of the blade (from a hilt to the point) - from 80 to 100 cm;

• The length of the handle (including a cross-guard and a pommel) - from 20 to 35 cm;

• The weight is from 1500 to 2300 g;

• The diameter of curvature of the percussive point is not less than 1 Euro coin (23.25 mm).

1.5.2. Weapons characteristics for the round “Sword – shield”:

• The length of the blade (from hilt to point) - from 60 to 80 cm;

• The length of the handle (including a cross-guard and a pommel) - from 12 to 20 cm;

• The weight is from 1000 to 1500 g;

• The diameter of curvature of the percussive point is not less than 1 Euro coin (23.25 mm);

• The chopping edge of a blade is not less than 2 mm and rounded;

• The maximal length of a shield is up to 75 cm.

1.5.3. Weapons characteristics for the round “Sword – buckler”:

• The length of the blade (from a hilt to the point) - from 60 to 80 cm;

• The length of the handle (including a cross-guard and a pommel) - from 12 to 20 cm;

• The weight is from 1000 to 1500 g;

• The diameter of curvature of the percussive point is not less than 1 Euro coin (23.25 mm).

• The chopping edge of a blade is not less than 2 mm and rounded;

• The maximal length of a buckler is up to 35 cm.

1.6. Each fighter gets points for delivering accentuated and deliberate blows to the opponent’s kill zone.

1.7. Battles in the nomination “Duel”, according to the rules on HMB, are held in a rigid list of the following dimensions: length is between 15 to 40 meters, width is between 7 to 20 meters; height of the list borders is from 0.9 to 1.2 m.

2. PROCEDURES FOR CONDUCTING BATTLES

2.1. The round lasts for 1.5 min (90 sec).

2.2. For each deliberate blow to the opponent’s kill zone the fighter is awarded with one point.

2.3. A strike is counted when the blow is deliberate and not blocked by the opponent’s defensive action (with a shield or a sword).  The hit is accompanied by awarding points to the fighter who has delivered the blow.

2.4. "Technical victory" - a victory that is awarded due to non combat condition. 

2.4.1. Technical victory with a score of 3-0 is awarded to one of the fighters in the following cases:

• If opponent refused to participate in battle before its beginning;
• If opponent did not show up on time on the list when called by Knight marshal;
• If the opponent did not prepare own equipment in time specified by Knight marshal.
• If the fighter has been suspended from further participation in the tournament (due to injury or disqualification), then "technical victory" in the round is also awarded to his/her opponent.

Important! Not showing up on the list will result in a warning (one yellow card).

2.4.2. If his opponent can not continue to fight because of "an accidental injury". 

NOTE: If a fighter can not continue the bout due to acquired injury, resulting from violation of rules by the opponent, than the last one receives a double warning (two yellow cards) and is removed from participation in the duel. "Technical victory" is awarded to a fighter against whom the rule violation has occurred.

2.4.3. Technical victory is awarded if the opponent has received three warnings (three yellow cards).

2.4.4. In case of factors that, by the Knight marshal’s opinion, obstruct continuation of duel: i.e. failure of protective gear, which is not fixed or replaced within allocated time (no more than 1 minute) by the fighter; a technical victory will be awarded to his/her opponent.

3.  AUTHORIZED AND PROHIBITED COMBAT TECHNIQUES

3.1. «Sword-Shield» and «Sword-Buckler»:

 3.1.1. Authorized techniques are following:

• chopping strikes with the blade aimed at  the opponent’s kill zone;
• blocking opponent’s strikes with a shield or blade;
• pushing, shoving or pressing of the opponent with a flat surface of a shield or a shoulder;
• hitting with the flat surface of a shield;
• repulsion of a blade, a shield or opponent’s arms or hands with the shield’s flat surface or the shield’s edge;
• repulsion of the opponent’s shield or arms using own arms;
• hooking opponent’s shield with own shield;
• hitting opponent’s armored torso (above the waist and below the neck) or an arm with the edge of the shield;
• pressing or overlapping of the opponent’s shield with your own shield.

3.1.2. Prohibited techniques are following:

• thrusting with a bladed weapon (any thrusts);
• blows to the opponent’s unauthorized striking areas;
• blows to the fallen opponent or the one who is rising;
• blows to the opponent who has lost a weapon;
• hitting with the edge of the shield below the waist or in the opponent’s head and/or neck;
• strikes with the head;
• kicking or kneeing opponent;
• back heels, wrestling throws and clinches;
• punches and elbow strikes;
• strikes with a hilt of a weapon;
• grasping with hands opponent’s body, head, limbs, as well as grabbing his equipment, including blade of a weapon or shield.

3.2. “Hand and a Half Sword”.

3.2.1. Permitted techniques are the following:

• chopping strikes with the blade aimed at  the opponent’s kill zone;
• blocking opponent’s strikes with the blade;
• pressing and pushing the opponent with the blade or hands;
• repulsion the opponent’s arms using own arms;

3.2.2. Prohibited techniques are following:

• thrusting with a bladed weapon (any thrusts);
• blows to the opponent’s unauthorized striking area;
• blows to the fallen opponent or the one who is rising;
• blows to the opponent who has lost a weapon;
• strikes with the head;
• kicking or kneeing opponent;
• back heels, wrestling throws and clinches;
• punches and elbows strikes;
• strikes with a hilt of a weapon;
• grasping with hands opponent’s body, head, limbs, as well as grabbing his equipment, including blade of a weapon.

4. PENALTIES

4.1. Remark is a sanction imposed on participant during one battle in the following cases:

4.1.1. A fighter will receive a remark if he/she falls as a result of an active legal offencive actions from the opponent and does not recover to his/her feet, followed by indicating his/her readiness to continue the duel, while Knight marshal counts till “10”.

4.1.2. A remark will be imposed on a fighter if during a battle any part of protective gear breaks or malfunctions, which, in Knight marshal’s opinion, doesn’t allow the fighter to continue the battle. (Given that gear failure was eliminated in time period, defined by the Knight marshal, and the battle continues).

Important! Remark is not imposed If the failed gear is a weapon weapon (a sword, a shield etc.).

4.1.3. Loss of a weapon during the battle.

4.1.4. Passive conduct of a battle by one of the fighters.

Important! Passive conduct of a battle is considered to be refusal to engage opponent or failure to take offencive action against opponent during a long period of time (not less than 30 sec).

4.1.5. Leaving the list or falling over the list fence.

4.1.6. Important!!! Imposing any Remark on one of the fighters is accompanied with awarding his opponent with 3 additional points.

4.1.7. The fighter who gets three Remarks in one battle automatically loses it. And his opponent is awarded with a “Technical Victory”.

4.1.8. Remarks are NOT recorded in the Minutes of the Tournament and in Fighters’ Personal Cards.

4.2. Verbal Warning is a sanction which is imposed on the fighter for insignificant rules violation. It is intended to draw fighter’s attention to his/her actions. It is not recorded in the Minutes.

4.3. Warning – Yellow Card - is a sanction imposed onto a fighter for rules violation, which is recorded in minutes. Fighter may get up to three yellow cards during the event. Yellow card negatively impacts fighter’s and his/her team's rating.

Yellow card is given in following cases:

4.3.1. For any prohibited strikes or techniques;

4.3.2. For unethical behavior, rudeness, shouting at the referee or opponents;

4.3.3. For starting the battle before the command “Fight!”;

4.3.4. For continuing offensive actions after the command “Stop!”;

4.3.5. For ignoring the Knight marshal and field referees’ commands.

Important! Fighter can get one or two yellow card(s) for one of the above violations depending on the severity of the violation; this decision is up to the Knight Marshal.

4.4. Disqualification – Red Card is the sanction imposed onto a fighter for serious or recurring (the third yellow card) violation of rules, which is recorded in the competition minutes, implying his/her removal from the tournament.

Red card is given in following cases:

4.4.1. For systematic violation or rules when the fighter obtained three yellow cards in throughout the competition;

4.4.2. For injuring an opponent with prohibited strike or technique;

4.4.3. For rude and systematic dissents, not reasoned contest of referees’ decisions, insult of an opponent, disrespectful treatment of opponents as well as any other parties in the competition.

Important! Each red card applied to a fighter is also applied to his or her team.

5. APPEAL PROCESS

5.1. In case of a well-reasoned disagreement with the decision of the referees and the Knight Marshal, the captain of the Team or officially (in a written form) appointed assistant – fighter’s representative who didn’t participate in the battle can appeal marshals' decision.

5.2. Only well reasoned appeal can be submitted right after the end of a battle in the following cases:

5.2.1. Removal of the fighter from the battle by his/her opponent while violation of rules took place;

5.2.2. Blows that hit opponent’s kill zone, which significantly influence outcome of the battle were not accounted for by the referees.

5.2.3. Violations which result in imposing remarks during conduct of the battle;

5.2.4. Unregistered severe violation of rules followed by the yellow or red card(s), as well as any serious infractions committed by the fighters who were not penalized with corresponding sanctions.

5.3. An appeal can be submitted right after the end of the round in a battle when the fighters are asked if they have any comments. Appeal is submitted in a verbal form by the captain or fighter’s representative in a calm well-reasoned form addressed directly to Knight Marshal who observed that particular battle. Appeal is to be considered within 10-25 min before the next battle. 

5.4. Possible outcomes of Appeal Process:

5.4.1. General repeated round;

5.4.2. Reconsideration of the round score;

5.4.3. Reconsideration of the battle score;

5.4.4. Imposition of yellow and red card(s) on the fighter(s).

5.5. In the case that the Knight Marshal sees difficult and disputable situations or the team captains are dissatisfied with the Knight marshal’s decision, they can address their conserns to the supreme appellate marshals of the event. This can take place in especially important or complicated disputable moments. In this case the supreme appellate marshals, by analyzing the video and polling the referees, make decision within an hour. The decision of the supreme appellate marshals is final.

Disclaimer

Above rules were originated by "Battle of the Nations" - World Championship of full contact medieval martial arts and adopted for North America by Scallagrims Medieval Martial Arts Centre. Scallagrims Medieval Martial Arts Centre does not take any liability for any use or missuse of above rules outside of its training sessions and events.