1936-37

FENCING.
(vi) The referee may caution or disqualify competitors who
break the rules, or who show lack of merit, or who behave in an
unsportsmanlike manner; and he should bear in mind that he
thereby holds a very considerable power to improve the style and
tone of fencing.
(vii) Except where otherwise provided for, all orders shall be
given by the referee.
(viii) The referee should see that competitors salute each other
and the jury correctly on taking their position on the board.
(ix) The referee should see that the competitors are seated at
such a distance from the board that their remarks cannot be heard
by himself or the judges.
(x) In addition to making himself thoroughly familiar with the
rules governing the competition, the referee should have a copy
of them with him.
Judges.
131. (i) Judges should, when possible, be at least ten feet from
the competitors.
(ii) It is the duty of each judge to watch the competitor
diagonally opposite to him, and to stop the play on seeing a hit
or other occurrence which under the rules stops play and report
it to the referee.
A phrase should not be stopped for a
"
lay
on
'1
or " drop on " when the point has missed the target.
(iii) A judge shall also follow the play generally, as by so doing
he will be better able to give his opinion regarding validity of
hits.
(iv) A judge should always endeavour to give a decided opinion
as soon as lie is questioned, and avoid such indefinite expressions
as " I think there was something there." He either saw whether
a hit arrived or he did not, and even if unable to follow the phrase,
can tell the referee whether he saw a hit, whether the target was
clear, or whether he could not see. (Strict adherence to the rules
for acknowledging by the competitors will assist judges when the
particular part of the target in question was screened from their
view.)
(v) All opinions must be given by the judges without leaving
their places. No discussion in private is allowed.
(vi) Any judge observing a breach of the rules or the display
of incompetence or bad fencing on the part of a competitor must
report the same to the referee, with whom alone decisions as
regards this element will rest.
Honorary President.
132. In the case where an Honorary President is acting, the
referee will be stationed opposite to him. The Honorary President
will place the competitors on guard upon each occasion and
announce the decisions of the referee, but otherwise he will not
take part in the conduct of the bout or in the judging.
286