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.

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 shall only come into effect after all of these steps are complete:
   1. The change is approved by:
      1. the Crown; and
      2. the Kingdom Seneschal; and
      3. the Board of SCA Ltd, and
      4. the Committee of SCA NZ Inc.
   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 must be sought from the Society Fencing Marshal and SCA Inc Board of Directors.

Requesting rule changes

1. The procedure for requesting a change to these rules is as follows:
   1. Discuss the proposed change with the Group Fencing Marshal.
   2. The Group Fencing Marshal forwards the proposed change to the Kingdom Fencing Marshal.
   3. The Kingdom Fencing Marshal conducts appropriate consultation with the fencing community, including discussion with the Kingdom Earl Marshal.
   4. The Kingdom Fencing Marshal formally submits the proposed change to the Kingdom Earl Marshal, and to the Society Fencing Marshal if required.

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 onlyapprove an experimental program with the agreement of:
   • the Kingdom Earl Marshal; and
   • the Society Fencing Marshal; and
   • The Committee of SCA New Zealand Inc and Board of SCA Ltd Australia.
4. 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
   • 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.
5. The Kingdom Fencing Marshal will report at least quarterly to the Kingdom Earl Marshal and the Society Fencing Marshal on the progress of the experiment, including any injuries and any concerns from fencers or marshals involved in the experiment.
6. The Society Fencing Marshal will decide if the rule change should be recommended to the Society Marshal.
7. The Society Marshal will decide whether to recommend that the SCA Board of Directors approve changes to the Society Fencing Marshals' Handbook.
8. More information about Society experiments is in Appendix 6 of the Society Fencing Marshals Handbook.