Nepedia
Back to Discover
Fluent Reader
📖

Sabre (fencing)

sports Maturity 11-13 Next article →

Sabre is one of three main types of modern fencing.

Fencingsabre
Fencingsabre

It is a fast and exciting sport. Fencers use a steel weapon called a sabre. This weapon is different from the foil or the épée. In those other sports, you only score with the tip. In sabre, you can score by thrusting with the point. You can also score by cutting with the edge. You can even use the back of the blade to hit. This makes the sport very quick and decisive.

Fencing saber valid surfaces
Fencing saber valid surfaces

To score a point, you must hit a specific target area. This area includes the torso above the waist. It also includes the head and the arms up to the wrist. You cannot score points by hitting the legs, hands, or feet.

Fencing saber valid surfaces
Fencing saber valid surfaces

Modern sabre uses electricity to record every touch. A fencer wears a special conductive jacket called a lamé. They also wear a conductive mask. A glove with a conductive cuff, called a manchette, is often worn too. When the blade touches these parts, an electrical circuit is completed. This sends a signal to a scoring box.

Final 2013 Fencing WCH SFS-EQ t204424
Final 2013 Fencing WCH SFS-EQ t204424

The sabre weapon has a very specific design. The blade is made of steel and is often V-shaped. This shape helps the blade stay flexible at the end. The blade is attached to a handle by a part called a pommel. A large, smooth guard protects the fencer's hand from injury. The sabre is shorter and lighter than an épée. This makes it easier to move the weapon swiftly. However, the blade is not as strong as other weapons. It can be more likely to break because of its design.

Sabre was the last fencing weapon to use electrical equipment. The transition to electric sabre happened in 1988. This was 32 years after the foil became electric. It was also 52 years after the épée became electric. In 2004, the rules for timing changed after the Athens Olympics. The time allowed to record a touch was made shorter. This change made the sport much faster. It forced fencers to use smaller and more precise moves.

Final 2013 Fencing WCH SMS-IN t202316
Final 2013 Fencing WCH SMS-IN t202316

Sometimes, two fencers hit each other at the same time. When this happens, the referee must decide who gets the point. They use a rule called "right of way." This rule gives priority to the person who is attacking. An attack starts when a fencer extends their arm. They must keep that movement going to keep their priority. If a defender hits back too quickly, they might use a "stop-cut." The referee watches the lights on the scoring box to help.

Final 2013 Fencing WCH SMS-IN t202857
Final 2013 Fencing WCH SMS-IN t202857

They also listen for a ring or a note. This helps ensure the game is fair and exciting.

448 words

Where will your curiosity go next?

Keep exploring at your chosen reading level.

🖼️ Images & Media (8)
File:Final 2013 Fencing WCH SFS-EQ t204424.jpg
Final 2013 Fencing WCH SFS-EQ t204424.jpg
File:Fencingsabre.png
Fencingsabre.png
File:Fencing saber valid surfaces.svg
Fencing saber valid surfaces.svg
File:Final 2013 Fencing WCH SMS-IN t202316.jpg
Final 2013 Fencing WCH SMS-IN t202316.jpg
File:Final 2013 Fencing WCH SMS-IN t202857.jpg
Final 2013 Fencing WCH SMS-IN t202857.jpg
File:Refereeing 2014 Orleans Sabre Grand Prix t121425.jpg
Refereeing 2014 Orleans Sabre Grand Prix...
File:Kim v Zagunis 2014 Orleans Sabre Grand Prix t213626.jpg
Kim v Zagunis 2014 Orleans Sabre Grand...
File:Reshetnikov v Dolniceanu 2013 Fencing WCH SMS-IN t192032.jpg
Reshetnikov v Dolniceanu 2013 Fencing WCH...
More to explore

🔬 Go deeper

More advanced topics to explore

🪜 Step back

Simpler topics to build understanding

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.