MK Marshal's Handbook - Society Conventions of Combat

Society Conventions of Combat

Introduction: All traditional SCA armored combat at SCA tourneys, wars, and other events shall be conducted in accordance with the rules of the Lists of the SCA, Inc., these Conventions of Combat, and such weapons and equipment standards, and event rules, as are established by the Marshallate of the SCA, Inc., and individual Kingdom Marshallate.

A. General Information

1. All Kingdoms shall have as their minimum Armor and Weapons standards those criteria established as Society minimum Armor and Weapons standards. Each Kingdom may require additional, more extensive, and/or stricter standards.
   • a. All fighters, prior to combat at each and every SCA sponsored event or fighting practice, shall insure that their Armor and Weapons are inspected by a warranted member of the Kingdom Marshallate.
   • b. Even though a warranted member of the Kingdom Marshallate has inspected the armor and weapons used by a fighter, each fighter shall accept full responsibility for the condition of his or her own equipment. Each fighter has the obligation to himself or herself, the marshals, and all opponents, to see that his or her equipment meets all Society and Kingdom requirements.
2. When not otherwise directed by the Crown, the Crown's representative on the field and in all matters dealing with Society Combat is the Earl Marshal, and by delegation, warranted members of the Kingdom Marshallate.

B. Behavior on the Field

1. Striking an opponent with excessive force is forbidden and considered an unchivalrous act.
2. All fighters shall obey the commands of the marshals on the field, or shall be removed from the field and subject to disciplinary action.
   • a. Disagreements with the marshals on the field shall be resolved through the established mechanisms outlined in the procedures for Grievances and Sanctions of the Marshallate Procedures of the SCA, Inc.
3. Each fighter shall maintain control over his or her temper at all times.
4. Upon hearing the call of "HOLD" all fighters shall IMMEDIATELY stop.
5. A fighter shall not enter the lists or participate in any form of SCA combat activity while impaired by alcohol or drugs (including, but not limited to: drugs prescribed by a licensed health care provider, over the counter medications, and illegal controlled substances).
6. Any behavior that takes deliberate advantage of an opponent's chivalry or safety-consciousness, or that takes deliberate unfair advantage of an opponent, is prohibited.
7. A fighter shall not deliberately strike a helpless opponent.
8. Any fighter who obtains an unfair advantage by repeatedly becoming "helpless" (e.g. by falling down or losing his or her weapon) may, after being duly warned by the marshals on the field, be forced to yield the fight at the next occurance of such behabior. The onus of this is on the marshals, not the opponent. However, the opponent may ask the marshals to let the fight continue.

C. Target Area

1. Torso: All of the body (excluding the head and arms) above the point of the hips including the groin, shoulder blades, and the area between the neck and the shoulders will be considered part of the torso.
2. Face: The area between the chin and the middle of the forehead and between the ear openings. All other areas of the head are proof against thrust.
3. Head: The whole head and neck except the face as described above.
4. Thighs: The leg from one inch above the top of the knee to a line even with the bottom of the hip socket.
5. Hips: Area between the bottoms of the hip socket to the point of the hip (iliac crest).
6. Shoulder: From the point of the shoulder down to a line even with the top of the underarm.
7. Arms: From the shoulder to one inch above the wrist.
8. Blows that land outside the legal target areas shall not be counted. Fighters may not intentionally strike areas outside the legal target areas.

The Use of Weapons and Shields

1. Weapons shall be used in accordance with their design (i.e. spears may only be used for thrusting, axes for striking along the edge of the blade, et cetera).
   • a. Only weapons approved for thrusting may be used for that purpose. Feinting as if to thrust with a weapon not approved for that purpose is prohibited. Before any bout where a thrusting weapon is used the opponent and marshals shall be informed that such a weapon is on the field, and the thrusting tip shall be shown to the opponent.
   • B. The blade of a weapon may not be grasped at any time, nor may it be trapped in contact with the fighter's body as a means of preventing the opponent's use of the weapon. Neither may the blade of a fighter's own weapon be grasped to enhance the block.
   • c. Wrestling with or grappling the opponent, to include grasping the opponent's torso, limbs, shield, or weapon's strike surface, blade, or head is prohibited.
2. The striking surface of a weapon in motion may not be grasped or blocked by the hands or limbs as a means of impeding a blow. Inadvertently bringing the hands in contact with the striking surface of such a weapon when attempting to block a blow with another weapon shall not be considered to be in violation of this convention.
3. Blows repeatedly blocked by a weapon in contact with a fighter's helm, body, or shield at the moment of impact may, at the Crown's or Marshallate's discretion, be considered to have broken the blocking weapon. This will force a fighter to forfeit a fight, unless a secondary weapon is carried or the opponent chooses to allow the fighter to rearm with another weapon.
4. A shield may be used to displace, deflect or immobilize an opponent's shield or weapon, so long as such use does not endanger the safety of the combattants.

E. Acknowledgement of Blows

1. When judging the effect of blows, all fighters are presumed to be fully armored. Special tournaments or combat may be held which may redefine what areas of the body are armored, and to what extent, so long as all the participants are made aware of the special conditions prior to the start of the combat.
   • a. All "fully armored" fighters are presumed to be wearing a hauberk over a padded gambeson, with boiled leather arm and leg defenses and an open-faced iron helm with a nasal. The help may be presumed by Kingdom convention to include a very light chain mail drape, permitting vision and preventing cuts by the mere touch of a bladed weapon.
     1. Under this standard, an acceptable cutting blow to the face would be lighter than to other portions of the head or body. Areas deemed illegeal for attack (the wrists from 1 inch or 25.4 mm above the hands, from 1 inch or 25.4 mm above the knees and below) shall be considered safe from attack.
   • b. An acceptable thrusting blow to the face shall be a directed touch and shall be substantially lighter than to other body parts.
2. Blows must be delivered with effective technique for the particular type of weapon used, and must strike properly oriented with sufficient force, to be considered an effective, or good, blow.
   • a. An effective blow to the head, neck, or torso shall be judged fatal or totally disabling, rendering the fighter imcapable of further combat.
   • b. An effective blow from an axe, mace, polearm, greatsword, or other mass weapon which lands on the hip above the hip socket, or strikes the shoulder inside the shoulder socket, shall be judged fatal or totally disabling.
   • c. An effective blow to the arm above the wrist will disable the arm. The arm shall then be considered usless to the fighter and may not be used for either offense or defense.
   • d. An effective blow to the leg above the knee will disable the leg. The fighter must then fight sitting, kneeling, or standing upon the foot of the uninjured leg. Kingdoms may place limitations upon the mobility of such injured fighters.
   • e. If a wounded limb blocks an otherwise acceptable blow, the blow shall be counted as though the limb were not there.
   • f. Kingdoms may institute a "bleed rule" that would render a fighter who has suffered an effective would to a limb incapable of further combat after a specified time.# Pas d'Armes Dispensation
   • a. Fighters participating in a Pas d'Armes tourney may deviate from the above rules in favor of the "blows received" (or counted-blows) method of determining a bout.
3. All fighters are expected to take into account the nature of the weapon being used by their opponent and the location of the point of impact of that weapon when judging the outcome of a blow delivered. Fighters are also expected to take into account the timing of the blow and the collision of the weapon with any other object other than the fighter's persumed armor.
   • a. The fact that a blow struck a shield or another weapon before striking the combatant may be a reason why the blow was not effective. However, a blow that strikes with sufficient force and proper orientation shall be considered effective, regardless of what it hits prior to striking the opponent.
4. Sometimes a blow which would normally be accepted occurs at almost the same moment as an event that would cause the fight to be stopped (a "HOLD" being called, the fighter throwing the blow being killed, etc.). If the blow was begun before the occurance of the event that would cause the bout to be halted, it shall be deemed a legal blow and acceptable if of sufficient force and not blocked or deflected. If the blow was begun after the occurance of the event that would cause the bout to be halted, it shall be deemed not legal, and need not be accepted.
5. A blow that includes the dropping of a weapon at the moment of impact need not be counted. (Note: If the force of the blow causes the weapon to be dropped, the rule shall be suspended.)

End Society conventions of combat