Wheelchair Fencing equipment and weapons: Fencing Feature
Up till now we have discussed about the basic qualities and categories of disabled athletes who can fence in wheelchair fencing. The further rules and regulations for wheelchair fencing are mentioned in greater detail below.
Equipment used in wheelchair fencing
The equipment used in this type of fencing are fencing arm, gloves, masks, protective clothing, wheelchair fencing (almost same as in normal fencing). All the safety and fencing equipment are specified in the Rules and their standard are set according to
Material rules by FIE and IWFC. All the equipment is checked properly before starting the match.
The weapon includes foil, sabre and epee. All the weapons have common parts like a flexible blade, a handle with the savour of blade and a metal guard. The maximum length for foil in Wheelchair fencing cannot be more than 110 cm and weight cannot exceed
from 500g. Epee’s weight, set by FIE, is always less than 770 grams and length is 110 cm. The length and weight for sabre is 105 cm and 500 gram respectively. The blade used in these weapons must be of steel and comply with safety standards. Each weapon has
different guard shapes. Epee’s guard always has circular edge with diameter of 13.5 cm. Sabre has a guard being in same position as that of a blade. The Foil’s guard must be having a diameter of 12 cm. All types of guard have minimum length of 15 cm, but never
exceed 20 cm. Electrical mounting is provided in sabre and epee, but not in foil.
Wheelchair is the only utensil that differentiates both normal and wheelchair fencing because disabled athletes play on a wheelchair. The main thing about wheelchair fencing is that no side arm is used on fencing arm-side. The side guard is used on non-fencing
arm side. The maximum height for wheelchair is 53 cm. The elastic belt is used to fasten the unarmed hand in such a way that it would not cover the target area. If any damage occurs to the wheelchair while fencing, it must be repaired or replaced within ten
minutes.
Playing field for wheelchair fencing
The playing field for wheelchair fencing should be consisting of an appropriate space that both of fencers could reliably play the game. It should neither give any benefit nor have the drawback for both of the fencers. It is called “Piste” in wheelchair
also as in able-bodied fencing. The total length for able-bodied fencing is 14 metres, but in wheelchair fencing the total length may be 3 to 4 metres and is determined by the fencers with their non-weapon straight arms.
The wheelchairs are fixed in the field of play with a strong metal shield that is called fencing frame. These fencing frames obliged to be approved by the IWFC. The different sitting positions are set by the IWFC according to fencing arms.
For fencers with right/right or left/left fencing arm, fencing positions of wheelchair is set in this way that the fencer’s attacking arms (right/right or left /left) should be on front position, with left/right fencing arm, the wheelchair positions should
be set in this way that the attacking arms of both (left arm fencer and right arm fencers) should be on front side. The wheelchairs are always set at 110-degree to the midpoint of both sides. It is duty of the referee to check that the distance and positions
of both fencers are proper and according to the rules and regulation of IWFC and FIE.
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