Disclaimer: Throughout this handbook the term 'he' may be used when making subsequent references to the individual first mentioned. This term is for convenience only and to limit the more generic but less understandable terms such as he/she, his/her, etc. In all cases, the verbiage is intended to include all participants regardless of sex.
The Rules of the Lists are the compendium of the rules under which armored combat is performed in the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) in general and the Kingdom of Caid in particular. The following rules are a super-set of the rules established by the Society Marshal in his capacity as head Marshal of the Society. All rules indicated in this document are applicable at all heavy and light weapons fighting events (tourneys, wars, melees and demos) that are run by a group of the SCA except where explicitly indicated otherwise. Fighters visiting from outside the Kingdom of Caid shall be accorded fighting privileges on presentation of a valid SCA Fighter Authorization Card. All fighters relocating into the Kingdom of Caid shall be re-authorized under the rules of Caid delineated herein.
The first nine rules parallel the Rules of the Lists as printed in the Society Marshal's Handbook (1994 edition). The wording in this manual may have been slightly modified for Caid. Rules 10 and higher are strictly for Caid and can be waived by the Crown. Numerous rules listed in the second edition Caid Marshal's Handbook have been renumbered here to permit inclusion of the Society Rules of the Lists first. Some rules are modified or replaced in the specific sections listed below.
Rule 1: Each fighter, recognizing the possibility of physical injury to himself or herself in such combat, shall assume unto himself or herself all risk and liability for harm suffered by means of such combat. See note following Rule 10.
You, as a fighter, recognize that SCA combat is a potentially dangerous activity and accept all responsibility for possible injury to yourself due to these activities.
Rule 2: No person shall participate in combat-related activities (including but not limited to armored combat, rapier combat, combat archery, marshaling, scouting and banner-bearing in combat) unless and until he or she shall have been properly authorized under Society and Kingdom procedures and shall have signed two copies of the .'Waiver and Informed Consent to Participate" form. In witness whereof, the participant shall have and be prepared to present a valid Authorization Card to the Sovereign or his or her representative. See note following Rule 10.
You must have been properly authorized and must keep your Fighter Authorization Card on you during combat activities. Your unexpired SCA Fighter Authorization Card is evidence of having signed the fighter waiver but the site waiver must be signed at each event unless you also possess an SCA membership card (which indicates such a waiver is on file). Lost authorization cards can be replaced by a Lists officer, at a cost of $2.
Rule 3: All combatants must be presented to and be acceptable to the Sovereign or his or her representative (e.g. Territorial Barons or Baronesses, the Earl Marshal and his Deputies). All fighters participating in combat other than at fighter practices must be authorized in the weapons forms used.
Your privilege to participate in SCA combat activities is contingent on your acceptability to the Crown and the Crown's representative, the Earl Marshal. When not otherwise directed by the Crown, the Crown's representative upon the field and in all matters dealing with Society combat is the Earl Marshal and by delegation, members of the Kingdom Marshalate.
Rule 4: All combatants shall adhere to the appropriate armor and weapons standards for the Kingdom of Caid as delineated in this handbook The Sovereign may waive any standard in excess of the Society standards as delineated in The Marshal's Handbook of the Society of Creative Anachronism.
The Caid handbook uses as its base the Marshal's Handbook of the Society. Caid's rules are occasionally more restrictive than those of the Society and the Crown may at its option waive the more restrictive portion (only). Even though a warranted member of the Marshalate has inspected the armor and weapons used by a fighter, each fighter accepts full responsibility for the condition of his or her own equipment and has the obligation to himself or herself, the marshal and all opponents to see that his or her equipment meets all Society and Kingdom requirements.
Rule 5: The Sovereign or the Marshalate may bar any weapon or armor from use upon the field of combat. Should a warranted Marshal or Senior Marshal bar any weapon or armor, an appeal may be made to the Sovereign to allow the weapon or armor.
All fighters shall have their weapons, shields and armor inspected by a warranted marshal before they begin combat. All judgments of armor and weapons can be appealed to the Crown. Judgment made by the Crown may not be appealed. The Crown may not permit the use of weapons banned by the Society Marshal.
Rule 6: Combatants shall behave in a knightly and chivalrous manner and shall fight according to the appropriate Society and Kingdom Conventions of Combat.
This is the basic sportsmanship rule for the SCA. Any fighter, that in the judgment of the marshals, is flghttng in an unchivalrous manner, or appears to be unsafe on the field may be barred from participating in the lists (wars, demos, melees, etc.) until such time as the Earl Marshal or Crown can investigate the incident. A fighter should never intentionally take advantage of an opponent's accidental disability. A fighter does not strike the helpless, nor does a fighter seek to harm an opponent intentionally. A chivalrous person does not behave in such a manner that his or her honor could be called into question. Fighters should act honorably and courteously toward all, both on and off the field.
All fighters shall obey the commands of the marshals on the field, or shall be removed from the field and be subject to disciplinary action. Disagreements with the marshals on the field shall be resolved off the field through the established mechanisms outlined elsewhere in these procedures.
Each fighter shall maintain control over his or her temper at all times. A fighter losing his or her temper on the field may be subject to a Marshal's Court at the discretion of the Marshal-in-Charge. Striking an opponent with excessive force is prohibited and shaU be grounds for convening a Marshal's Court.
A fighter shall not deliberately strike a helpless opponent. A helpless opponent is one who is incapable of either attack or defense (such as can occur when falling, dropping a weapon, or being on his knees and being pushed back and forced to lean on his or her weapon). Any fighter, who because of his or her position, can be assumed to be more prone to injury, shall also be considered helpless (on his or her back, on hand and knees, with his or her back turned, etc.). If a fight is stopped because a fighter has become 'helpless' the fighter should be issued a warning (to be treated like falling). If a fighter requests that a fight not be stopped for actions normally assumed to render him or her helpless (Le. placing the weapon hand on the ground, etc.) the Marshal may (at the Marshal's discretion) allow the fight to continue without holds after first warning both fighters that holds will not be called for that action.
Rule 7: No one may be required to participate in combat-related activities. Any combatant may, without dishonor or penalty, reject any challenge without specifying a reason. A fight in a tournament list is not to be considered a challenge and therefore may not be declined or rejected without forfeiting the bout.
No one is required to face a specific opponent in a challenge. All scheduled elimination tourneys are not challenges, so one may only request another opponent and then only for good and sufficient reason. If another opponent is not provided, you must fight the chosen individual or forfit the fight. Anyone may choose to forfit a fight without providing a reason.
Rule 8: Fighting with real weapons, whether fast or slow is strictly forbidden at any Society event. This rule does not consider approved weaponry which meets the Society and Kingdom standards for traditional Society combat and/or Society rapier combat, used in the context of mutual sport, to be real weaponry.
Rule 9: No projectile weapons shall be allowed and no weapons shall be thrown within the lists of a tournament. The use of approved projectile weapons for melee, war or combat archery shall conform to the appropriate Society and Kingdom Conventions of Combat.
These are 'waiver rules'. The Marshal's responsibility is to ensure that no one fights, officiates or participates in active sports on the field without having turned in a properly completed waiver. This is the jurisdiction of Lists, but the ultimate responsibility is the Marshal's. A veteran fighter who takes the field without a waiver will be banned from the field for the remainder of the event if the deficiency is discovered before it is rectified.
Rule 11: Fighters are expected to behave as though the weapons used in combat are real, and "injuries" sustained will be judged accordingly. In judging "injuries", all fighters are presumed to be fully armored unless otherwise stated.
Unless stated otherwise in the following sections, all fighters are assumed to be wearing light riveted chain mail over leather padding and an iron helm with a nasal, regardless of the armor actually worn onto the field (SCA rules).
Based on historical information, this type of armor could be penetrated by a solid, unimpeded one handed blow with a broadsword. To be counted, blows must be forceful and unimpeded, with blows from the tip or flat of the weapon being ignored. "Injuries sustained" is the reason for fighting from one's knees or on one leg f struck on the leg, etc. The Marshal observing a fight should ensure that this rule is observed accurately: that the leg with the knee on the ground is the one which was struck, that a previously wounded arm is not used to block a blow, etc.
If a blow is blocked by a "previously wounded" arm, the fighter is deemed defeated. If a leg blow lands on the hip or buttock, the fighter is unable to rise. Marshals should take into account the type of weapon used
Rule 12: Each fighter in the Lists for Crown shall have a consort to receive the Consort's Crown should he or she be successful in combat.
To participate in Crown Tournament, fighters and their consorts must be registered members of the Society on the date the registry list is requested from the Corporate Registrar. Practically speaking, your membership must be on file two months prior to the Crown in which you wish to fight. Additionally, all participants and their consorts must have been residents of the Kingdom of Caid for the previous 6 months and have attended six events during that period. Caidan Kingdom Law requires those wishing to fight in Crown Lists (and their consorts) submit a letter of intent to the Kingdom Seneschal
Rule 13: The Sovereign or His or Her representative may bar any weapons from use upon the field of combat.
Any weapon that appears unsafe, no matter how it is constructed, should be either banned from use or have its use placed under strictures. Non-standard construction materials may only be approved by the Crown or Earl Marshal for use within the Kingdom of Caid. Fighters are cautioned that non-standard materials approved for use within the kingdom may not be usable outsfde the kingdom unless the materials are also approved by the Society Marshal
Rule 14: Where the combatants mutually desire to use any weapons previously barred by the Sovereign's representative, they may present their cause to the Sovereign. The Sovereign shall, after receiving the advice of His or Her representative, pass judgment on the use of the barred weapons for a particular fight. Prior to the use of the barred weapon at a subsequent event, it shall be presented to a Quarter Court for determination of its safety and use.
The Crown, if present, has the final decision at an event where the weapon is banned by the Marshal in-Charge. The Crown cannot permit the use of any weapon banned by the Society Marshal.
Rule 15: No combat weapons used in activities other than Rapier Combat shall be made of metal, and no metal weapons shall be brought onto the field during a combat except those approved for use in a sanctioned Rapier Combat event. No metal weapon shall be drawn in an offensive manner at any Society event except as used in a Rapier Combat event.
This rule does not prohibit hand guards or pommel weights on SCA weapons. Guards and pommels shall have no protruding points or sharp edges which could cause infury or damage to SCA weapons. No metal shall ever be used in the construction of the head of a weapon except that metal clamps may be used to construct laminated weapons provided they are covered with at least 1/8" of heavy leather or equivalent and are not used on the strfking surface of the weapon. No combatant or Marshal shall wear a metal weapon, other than a rapier being used in combat, on the field during a combat. No combatant shall wear spurs onto the field that extend beyond his or her boots (mock spurs where no spike is present are acceptable).
Rule 16: If a shield is to be used as a weapon, the shield becomes subject to all restrictions placed on a weapon with the same properties (i.e. if a thrusting buckler is used, it must conform to all the rules applies to a thrusting sword). All shields intended to be used as weapons must be approved by either the Crown or Earl Marshal.
This does not prohibit the use of the shield to displace, immobilize or deflect the opponent's shield or weapon, nor to oppose or deflect the opponent's motion, so long as the shield edge does not strike the opponent's body or limbs and the shield is not used in an offensive manner. Simple contact between an opponent's body and the shield does is not a problem provided that shield is not thrust toward the opponent. Shields that will be used in an offensive manner are subject to all construction and weight requirements of mass weapons. Control over shield technique is the responsibility of the user and any combatant who consistently strikes an opponent with his or her shield edge, intentionally or not, may be banned by the Marshal-in-Charge from further use of the shield in an offensive manner or 'high form' until such time as he or she can demonstrate proficiency.
Rule 17: There shall be no thrusting except with weapons specifically designed for thrusting and in use by a fighter authorized to thrust. All thrusting weapons must be approved by a Senior Marshal prior to use. All thrusting tips shall be visibly marked to indicate the tip with a cross of contrasting tape.
A fighter who thrusts with a weapon that does not contain a thrusting tip, uses a thrusting tip that does not meet the published minimum requirements, or uses a thrusting tip when he or she is not authorized to thrust, may be banned from fighting by the Marshal-in-Charge until such time as Marshal's Court can be convened to review the situation.
Only weapons designed to be used for thrusting may be used for that purpose. Feinting as if to thrust with a weapon not approved for that purpose is prohibited.
In general, a weapon with an illegal tip should not be allowed on the field and fighters not authorized with a thrusting tip should not bring a weapon with a thrusting tip onto the field
Rule 18: A bladed weapon may not be grasped by the blade as a means of stopping a blow, nor may It be trapped in contact with the fighter's body as a means of preventing the opponent's use of the weapon. The back of the fighter's own blade may NOT be grasped to enhance its blocking. The unbladed haft of pole weapons, the basket hilts of swords and the edges of shields are legal areas to grasp during fighting provided the fighters hands are adequately protected. If a weapon or armor is broken or dropped on the field, the combat will be stopped while the fighter is rearmed (subject to the 'three drop' rule Rule 21).
This rule refers not only to grasping or blocking with the hand, but to trapping a blade in contact with any part of the body. However, catching a blade between one's shield and the ground, another shield, the opponent or an inanimate object is NOT prohibited. nor is a blade considered grasped if it becomes entangled behind one's shield provided no attempt is made to keep it there such as clamping one's elbow against one's side. It is legal to grasp the haft or hilt of any weapon. When grasping a weapon or shield the hand loses it's normally illegal target status and a blow to the hand shall be considered that limb lost. When a combatant drops or breaks a weapon during a List combat (not a melee or war), the combat is stopped and the blow which involved the dropped or broken weapon is not counted unless the opponent feels it still landed with sufficient force. Blows started AFTER a call of 'HOLD' are not counted.
Rule 19: All fighters must be authorized with the weapons they will use on the field.
Any fighter caught using a weapon that he or she is not authorized to use, at any society event other than practice, shall be immediately banned from the field until a Marshal's Court can be convened to review the situation.
Rule 20: Uncovered carpet armor, undisguised sports gear, tennis shoes, 'blue jeans', military type fatigues and all other undisguised equipment clearly 'modern' in nature is explicitly banned from the field.
This rule promotes the image of medieval fighting. Fighters who are unable or unwilling to disguise such gear do not belong in these current Middle Ages.
Rule 21: If a fighter drops a weapon one or two times, he or she will be warned and the fight shall be stopped while the fighter rearms. If the fighter drops his or her weapon a third time, the fighter is considered unarmed and shall be considered defeated.
This rule is waived for war fighting and melee fighting utilizing war rules. A fighter with two weapons that drops one weapon is not to be considered unarmed and the fight shall not be stopped unless the arm without the weapon is inadequately armored. In this case the fight will be stopped only long enough to armor the weaponless arm or have it secured in a safe position out of the fight.
Rule 22: If a fighter retreats to the eric's edge one or two times such that the Marshals are required to call "HOLD" to prevent the retreating fighter from presenting a threat to the populace, the fight will be stopped, the offending fighter warned and the fighters moved back into the center of the eric. If a fighter retreats to the eric edge a third time, requiring the Marshals to call "HOLD", the fighter shall be considered to have 'fallen off the edge of the world' and be defeated.
The fighter who has not caused the HOLD shall have the option of retaining the same relative position gained before the HOLD was called (he or she may start in an already 'closed' position). Marshals will attempt to warn fighters when they are nearing the edge with a call of "WARE EDGE" but are under no responsibility to do so. It is the fighter's responsibility to know his or her location in the eric.
This rule is waived for war fighting and melee fighting utilizing war rules.
Rule 23: If a fighter on his or her knees falls over or forces the Marshal to call HOLD due to becoming 'helpless' (and was not pushed) one or two times, the fight shall be stopped with a call of "HOLD", the offending fighter shall be warned, and the fight restarted. If the fighter falls over or forces a 'helpless' HOLD without being pushed a third time, he or she shall be considered defeated.
This rule is intended to prevent fighters from using the fact that the Marshal will call a hold for a 'down fighter' to their advantage. If, in the opinion of the Marshal, the fighter was driven to the ground, even if they weren't strictly speaking "pushed", they should not be warned for falling. Give the benefit of the doubt to the down fighter.
A fighter who assumes an extreme backward bend In an attempt to prevent his opponent from closing shall not be considered 'pushed over' just because the opponent assumes a stance directly above the reclining fighter. When a fight is restarted due to a fighter's falling over, the opponent may choose to remain in the position gained before the fall (he or she does not have to retreat and re-close). It would be preferable to allow the erect fighter to force his or her opponent to yield' after the third fall; however, to prevent the possibility of the fighter on the ground being inadvertently struck or attempting to strike while prone, he or she shall be considered defeated.
This rule is waived for war fighting and melee fighting utilizing war rules.
Rule 24: If a blow 1s blocked with a static block (anviling - a block with the weapon directly touching the user's helm or shield at the instant struck - not knocked into it), the fighter shall be warned once. On the second occurrence of a static block the blocking weapon shall be considered to be destroyed.
If the fighter has brought a secondary weapon onto the field prior to the beginning of the match, he or she may continue top fight with the secondary weapon. If the fighter has not brought on a secondary weapon and the opponent does not volunteer to allow the fighter to obtain a replacement weapon, the fighter shall be considered held helpless and defeated. If the secondary weapon is also broken by anviling, the fighter is defeated.
This rule is waived for war fighting and melee fighting utilizing war rules.
Rule 25: No fighting shall occur in the eric without a Marshal present. This includes all lists combats, melees, challenges and warm-ups that involve full-speed fighting. It is permissible to perform l /2 to 3/4 speed warm-ups without a Marshal present. Fighting without a Marshal present is grounds for an immediate Marshal's Court. At tournaments and demos, no full speed fighting shall take place outside the eric. At other fighting events, fighting shall only occur when a clear and safe area around the combatants is maintained.
It is permissible to have only an MIT on a challenge field but a Marshal or Senior Marshal must be present during any list combats and melees.
Rule 26: Any secondary weapon brought onto the lists field shall be declared to the fighter's opponent. If a secondary is not brought onto the held (or next to the entrance), it may not be retrieved later.
By Caidan convention, secondary weapons are presented to the marshals on the field, who informs the opponent of its presence. A secondary weapon that is worn against a fighter's body is not considered effective in blocking blows (I.e. counts as armor and not shield. Any secondary being carried in any manner (and not being used) that receives two "good" blows (clean, unimpeded, and with sufficient force) is considered broken and cannot be used (i.e. treat as anviling).
Rule 27: A fighter shall not intentionally turn an opponent on his or her knees such that they face into the sun. A fighter shall not 'corkscrew' an opponent on their knees.
Corkscrewing' is defined as rapidly circling an opponent to put them at a disadvantage due to being required to turn from their knees. Simply stepping to one side or the other as part of a normal offense would not normally be considered 'corkscrewing'.
| Caid Combat Handbook - Volume II | 8/30/95 |