Fencing:Changing The Rules

Precedence

1. These rules have precedence as set out in section I.A of the Corpora of the Society for Creative Anachronism Inc.
2. At all times, mundane law has precedence over any and all rules of the SCA.
3. Where there is conflict between Lochac and Society fencing rules, Lochac's rules have precedence. They are the rules accepted by the Board of SCA Ltd Australia and Committee of SCA NZ Inc (and their insurers), and they hold the legal liability, not SCA Inc. Lochac has variances which have been approved by the Board of SCA Inc.

Changes to the rules

1. In accordance with section II of the Laws of the Kingdom of Lochac, which can be found at https://seneschal.lochac.sca.org/laws-of-lochac/, temporary restrictions on activities normally allowed by these rules may be made by proclamation of the Crown, but they will expire after 30 days unless renewed by proclamation, or permanently incorporated into the rules.
2. Permanent changes to the rules can only be made using the following procedures, and will only come into effect after all of these steps are complete:
   1. The change is approved by:
      1. the Kingdom Earl Marshal, then
      2. the Crown, then
      3. the Kingdom Seneschal (who will consult with relevant depurties with regards to risk), then
      4. the Board of SCA Ltd and the Committee of SCA NZ Inc (who will confirm coverage with our insurers).
   2. The change is proclaimed by the Crown at an official event.
   3. Notification of the change is distributed to all Group Fencing Marshals.
   4. The Fencing Combat Handbook (this document) is updated.
   5. Notification of the change is published in Pegasus.
3. The only exception to this procedure is in the case of mundane law changes that contradict these rules. In the event of a change to mundane law, that law will become effective immediately and these rules will be updated as soon as possible.
4. Typographical corrections and minor changes to clarify wording, that do not change the substance or intent of a rule, can be made by the Kingdom Fencing Marshal without going through this procedure.
5. Where a proposed rule is less restrictive than Society level rules, a variation must be sought from the SCA Inc Board of Directors, via the Society Fencing Marshal and Society Marshal.
6. There may be activities or equipment permitted in New Zealand and not in Australia, or vice versa, whether due to mundane law or insurance requirements. If so, the rules will include a clear statement as to which country the rule applies to.

Experimenting with the rules

1. Members of the fencing community can propose a substantial change to these rules, such as the addition of a new category of weapons, a new technique, or a reduction in protective equipment requirements.
2. These changes can only be considered following an approved experiment where training and combat is conducted according to the proposed new rules.
3. As experiments may create liability issues, the Kingdom Fencing Marshal can only approve an experimental program with the agreement of:
   • the Kingdom Earl Marshal; and
   • the Society Fencing Marshal (if the rule change needs to happen to Society fencing rules); and
   • the Committee of SCA New Zealand Inc and Board of SCA Ltd Australia, and their insurers.
4. If an experiment is approved in one country and not the other, it may only be conducted in the approved country.
5. To obtain approval, the people proposing the change must submit an experimental program plan including:
   • a description of the proposed new weapon, technique or equipment change
   • Which rules don't allow it to occur now and how the rules would need to change to allow it.
   • a description of how the experiment will be conducted in training or combat
   • a minimum time frame for the experiment to be conducted
   • a reporting schedule (at least quarterly)
   • anticipated risks
   • contact information for the person who will conduct the experiment and report to the Kingdom Fencing Marshal.
6. The Kingdom Fencing Marshal will report at least quarterly to the Kingdom Earl Marshal, and the Society Fencing Marshal where relevant, on the progress of the experiment, including any injuries and any concerns from fencers or marshals involved in the experiment.
7. Where relevant, the Society Fencing Marshal will decide if the rule change should be recommended to the Society Marshal.
8. The Society Marshal will decide whether to recommend that the SCA Board of Directors approve changes to the Society Fencing Marshals' Handbook.
9. Incorporating the change into the rules permanently will follow the procedures set out in Changes to the rules.
10. More information about Society experiments is in Appendix 6 of the Society Fencing Marshals Handbook.