How is the fencing competition scored?

The epee is a completely thrusting weapon. Only hits with the tip of the sword are effective, and side strikes with the blade are ineffective. The effective parts of the hit include the whole body: trunk, legs and feet, hands and arms, and helmet. Unlike the foil and saber, every hit with the epee is effective. If both sides hit each other within a quarter of a second, each side gets one hit. The most vulnerable parts to be hit are the hands. Therefore, epee competition requires a high degree of accuracy, and the best opportunity to attack the opponent is often when the opponent starts to attack. The two players' sword tips are equipped with red and green light detectors respectively. When a hit occurs, the tip of the sword emits a bright beam of light.

The foil sword is a complete thrusting weapon. Only a thrust with the tip of the sword is effective, and a horizontal strike with the rapier is ineffective. The effective hitting part is the upper body. The effective part of the hit is covered by a metal coat, so that electronic instruments can distinguish effective and invalid hits. Foil competition also pays attention to hitting priority. Whoever strikes first scores points. The person being attacked must first make an effective resisting action and then attack and hit to be effective. No points are scored if both sides hit at the same time. In this case, it is difficult to distinguish the priority of the hit. If the sword sometimes touches the arm, it is an invalid part in foil.

The sword is a weapon that can both chop and stab. In actual combat, most points are scored by hitting the target. The effective parts of the hit are the upper body, helmet and arms. The effective part of the hit is covered by a metal coat, so that electronic instruments can distinguish effective and invalid hits. Saber competition also pays attention to hit priority. Whoever strikes first and hits scores. The person being attacked must first make an effective resisting action and then attack to be effective. No points are scored if both sides hit at the same time. The sword is the fastest and often takes the shortest time. If the electronic instrument shows that a player has scored, the referee will immediately stop the game and the players of both sides will continue the game after preparation.