Armoured Combat:Structure

Outline

The Kingdom Earl Marshal has overall responsibility for the Lochac marshallate. There are three hierarchies that go by the name "marshal": authorised marshals, marshals who are group officers, and marshals who have specific roles at events. "Rostered marshal" is a general term for authorised Marshals and Senior Marshals who are current SCA members (subscribing members, not just event members). It doesn't include Auxiliary Marshals.

Types of authorised marshal:

1. Auxiliary Marshal
2. Marshal
3. Senior Marshal

Marshals as officers:

1. Group Marshals for local groups (Baronies, Shires, Cantons and Colleges).
2. The deputies of the Earl Marshal (e.g. Kingdom Rapier or Equestrian Marshal)
3. The Kingdom Earl Marshal

Marshals for Events:

1. Field Marshals
2. Marshal in Charge for a list or war field
3. Marshal in Charge of an event

Ranks of authorised marshal

Table 2.2.1 Summary of roles

		Rostered Marshals
	Auxiliary Marshal	Marshal	Senior Marshal
Subscribing Membership required	No	Yes	Yes
Inspect	No	Yes	Yes
Field Marshal	Yes	Yes	Yes
Marshal in Charge (field)	No	Yes	Yes
Marshal in Charge (event)	No	Yes	Yes
Authorise fighters	No	No	Yes
Authorise Marshals	No	No	Yes

A Marshal or Senior Marshal whose Subscribing Membership has lapsed counts as an Auxiliary Marshal until their membership is renewed.

Auxiliary Marshal

The auxiliary marshal role replaces the marshal in training role from previous Lochac rules.

An auxiliary marshal is a person who knows the basics of observing combat and how to move around safely on the combat field. They are not expected to be able to operate independently as a marshal.

The purpose of the auxiliary marshal role is to create a large pool of people authorised to assist the marshal of the field with observing and controlling combat, and to allow a person to gain the training and marshalling experience required to become an authorised marshal while under the supervision and instruction of authorised marshals.

If you are an authorised combatant you are automatically an Auxiliary Marshal as well (unless you are under 18). You can authorise as an Auxiliary Marshal without being a combatant; see: Authorisation of auxiliary marshals.

Auxiliary Marshal authorisations are separate for each type of combat (eg armoured combat, rapier, etc). For example, an armoured combat authorisation grants an Armoured Combat Auxiliary Marshal authorisation, but not a Rapier Auxiliary Marshal authorisation.

Auxiliary marshals are not Rostered Marshals.

An auxiliary marshal may:

1. Be a Field Marshal
2. Inspect armour and weapons under the direct supervision of a Rostered Marshal.

An auxiliary marshal may not:

1. Be Marshal in Charge of a field, or event
2. Inspect armour and weapons (except under the supervision of a Rostered Marshal)
3. Make rulings on equipment, revoke authorisations, or act in any marshallate capacity not specifically allowed in the rule above

Marshal

A Rostered Marshal may:

1. Inspect armour and weapons
2. Be Marshal in Charge (field or event)
3. Be a Field Marshal

Senior Marshal

A Senior Marshal is a Rostered Marshal who may also:

1. Authorise combatants and auxiliaries.
2. Authorise marshals.
3. Be Kingdom Earl Marshal.

Marshals as Officers

Local Group Marshal, or Knight Marshal

Baronies must have a Group Marshal as one of their officers, and Shires, Cantons and Colleges often do.

The term Knight Marshal can be used for the Group marshal of any official branch smaller than a kingdom, and whether or not the officer is a knight, or even an authorised fighter.

Group Marshals must be members.

Group Marshals do not have to be authorised Marshals, or authorised Fighters.

The Group Marshal is responsible for the administration of the marshallate in their group. They are not necessarily required to organise marshalling for any specific event (that is the responsibility of the Marshal in Charge for the event, who is appointed by the event steward).

Group marshals report to the Kingdom Earl Marshal. (see Chapter 7 - Chain of Command and Procedures for Reporting).

The Group Marshal has a role in the chain of appeals, if they are a Rostered Marshal in that area (see Chapter 8 - Sanctions and Appeals).

Deputy Marshal to the Earl Marshal

A deputy of the Earl Marshal who is responsible for a specific area of combat (e.g. Kingdom Rapier Marshal, or Kingdom Archery Marshal). They are appointed by the Kingdom Earl Marshal for a two-year term, as described in Lochac Law. A deputy marshal must be a Senior Marshal (or the equivalent for disciplines which do not have Senior Marshals) in the area for which they are responsible, and must be a member.

Kingdom Earl Marshal

The Kingdom Earl Marshal (KEM) is responsible for overseeing all combat-related activities in Lochac. They are appointed by the Crown. They must be a member. They must be a Senior Marshal (or equivalent) in at least one of the following fields: armoured combat, rapier, equestrian. The KEM must have deputies with responsibility for any combat-related activities for which they are not themselves a Senior Marshal. They may have warranted deputies for other areas (e.g. a KEM who is a Senior Marshal for both heavy and fencing may still choose to have deputies for one, or both, of those areas). In addition to their warranted deputies, the Kingdom Earl Marshal may appoint other deputies, for various purposes as they see fit, e.g. running test programs, maintaining the combat handbook, or maintaining the marshallate website. The Kingdom Earl Marshal must appoint a deputy within six months of assuming office, capable of assuming the office in case of emergency.

Marshals for Events

Roles

One person may fill several of the roles listed below. For example, it is common for the Marshal in Charge for the event, Marshal in Charge for a field of combat, and one of the Field Marshals to be the same person.

Field Marshals

Field Marshals:

1. may not be combatants at the same time as they are marshalling
2. are appointed by the Marshal in Charge of the field
3. declare the beginning and end of a passage of combat
4. report to the Marshal in Charge and/or the Earl Marshal as required
5. must see that the results of combat are carried to the list-keeper.

Marshal in Charge of a field of combat (any area where combat is taking place)

For every area where combat is taking place, there must be a Marshal in Charge for that field who has overall responsibility for that combat. The Marshal in Charge of a field may be a different person for different bouts or scenarios in the same tournament or war. The Marshal in Charge of a field:

1. must be satisfied that there are sufficient Field Marshals
2. must not participate as a combatant if the combat involves more than two people (e.g. melees and wars); in this case they must be on the field as a Field Marshal
3. may participate as a combatant for one-on-one pick-up fighting or tournament lists

Marshal in Charge of an event

Different people can be Marshal in Charge for armoured combat, rapier, equestrian and archery at the same event: they are separate roles. The Marshal in Charge of an event:

1. must be a Rostered Marshal (in that area of combat)
2. organises marshalling at the event, and must make sure there are sufficient marshals to oversee whatever combat takes place
3. reports on all combat activities at the event, as required by the event steward, Knight Marshal, or Earl Marshal

Requirements to Act as a Marshal

1. You must be at least 18
2. You must be be an authorised marshal (and your authorisation must be current)
3. To act as a Rostered Marshal you must also be a member. You don't need to be a current member to act as an Auxiliary marshal.
4. You must show your authorisation card and proof of membership to the lists officer or Marshal in Charge if required.