Armoured Combat:Structure

Outline

General

1. There are three types of people that go by the name "marshal" in armoured combat:
   • authorised marshals
   • marshals who are group officers
   • marshals who have specific roles at events.
2. "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 assistant marshals.

Types of authorised marshal

There are three types of authorised marshal in armoured combat:

• Assistant marshal
• Marshal
• Senior marshal.

Marshals as officers

There are three levels of marshals as officers:

• Group Armoured Combat Marshals for local groups (Baronies, Shires, Cantons and Colleges)
• the Kingdom Armoured Combat Marshal
• the Kingdom Earl Marshal.

Marshals for events and practices

There are three types of marshals for events and practices:

• Field marshals
• Responsible marshals for a field (e.g. a tournament list, war field or pick-up area)
• Marshal-in-Charge for an event or practice.

Ranks of authorised marshal

Table 2.2.1 Summary of roles

		Rostered marshals
	Assistant marshal	Marshal	Senior marshal
Subscribing Membership required*	No	Yes	Yes
Inspect equipment	Only under supervision	Yes	Yes
Field marshal	Yes	Yes	Yes
Responsible marshal for a field	No	Yes	Yes
Marshal-in-Charge of an event or practice	No	Yes	Yes
Authorise fighters	No	No	Yes
Authorise marshals	No	No	Yes

* A marshal or senior marshal whose Subscribing Membership has lapsed can act as an Assistant Marshal until their membership is renewed.

Assistant marshal

1. The purpose of the assistant marshal role is to create a large pool of people authorised to assist the responsible marshal 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. An assistant 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.
2. If you are authorised as an armoured combatant, you are automatically an assistant marshal (unless you are under 18). You can authorise as an assistant marshal without being a combatant; see Authorising as an assistant marshal.
3. Assistant marshals are not rostered marshals.
4. An assistant marshal may:
   • be a field marshal
   • inspect armour and weapons under the direct supervision of a rostered marshal. The supervising rostered marshal is still responsible for decisions.
5. An assistant marshal may not:
   • be responsible marshal for a field, or Marshal-in-Charge of an event or practice
   • inspect armour and weapons (except under the direct supervision of a rostered marshal)
   • make rulings on equipment, revoke authorisations, or act in any marshallate capacity not specifically allowed in the rule above.

Marshal

A rostered marshal may:

• inspect armour and weapons
• be responsible marshal for a field
• be Marshal-in-Charge of an event or practice
• be a field marshal.

Senior marshal

1. A senior marshal is a rostered marshal who may authorise:
   • armoured combatants and auxiliaries
   • armoured combat marshals.
2. A Senior marshal may also become:
   • Kingdom Armoured Combat Marshal
   • Kingdom Earl Marshal.

Marshals as officers

Group Armoured Combat Marshal, or Knight Marshal

1. Baronies must have a Group Marshal (of one of the combat forms) as one of their officers, and Shires, Cantons and Colleges often do.
2. The term Knight Marshal can be used for the Group Armoured Combat Marshal of any official branch smaller than a kingdom, and whether or not the officer is a knight, or even an authorised fighter.
3. Group Armoured Combat Marshals must be members.
4. Group Armoured Combat Marshals do not have to be authorised marshals, or authorised fighters in any combat form.
5. The Group Armoured Combat Marshal is responsible for the administration of armoured combat 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).
6. Group Armoured Combat Marshals report to the Kingdom Armoured Combat Marshal (see Chain of Command and Reporting).
7. The Group Armoured Combat Marshal has a role in the chain of appeals if they are an authorised armoured combat marshal (see Sanctions and Appeals).

Kingdom Armoured Combat Marshal

A deputy of the Earl Marshal who is responsible for armoured combat.

1. They are appointed by the Kingdom Earl Marshal for a two-year term, as described in Lochac Law.
2. They must be a senior marshal, and must be a member of the SCA or its affiliates.

Kingdom Earl Marshal

1. The Kingdom Earl Marshal is responsible for overseeing all combat-related activities in Lochac.
2. They are appointed by the Crown.
3. They must be a member of the SCA or its affiliates.
4. They must be a senior marshal (or equivalent) in at least one of the following fields: armoured combat, rapier, equestrian.
5. The Kingdom Earl Marshal must have deputies with responsibility for any combat-related activities for which they are not themselves a senior marshal (or equivalent). They may have warranted deputies for other areas (e.g. a Kingdom Earl Marshal who is a senior marshal for both armoured combat and an authorising fencing marshal may still choose to have deputies for one, or both, of those areas).
6. 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.
7. 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 and practices

Roles

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

Field marshals

Field marshals:

• may not be combatants at the same time as they are marshalling. Note that this means there must be three people present for pick-ups - one to act as field marshal while the other two fight. One must be a rostered marshal to be responsible marshal for the field.
• are appointed by the responsible marshal for the field.
• declare the beginning and end of a passage of combat.
• report to the responsible marshal, Marshal-in-Charge and/or up the reporting lines as required.
• must see that the results of combat are carried to the list keeper. (We expect results will be carried by an assistant or a herald, but the responsible marshal needs to make sure it happens.

Responsible marshal for a field of combat (any area where combat is taking place)

1. For every area where armoured combat is taking place (including pick-up fights), there must be a responsible marshal for that field who has overall responsibility for that combat.
2. The Responsible marshal for a field may be a different person for different bouts or scenarios in the same tournament or war.
3. The Responsible marshal for a field:
   • must be satisfied that there are sufficient field marshals.
   • 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.
   • may participate as a combatant for one-on-one pick-up fighting or tournament lists, as long as there are field marshals.

Marshal-in-Charge of an event or practice

1. Every armoured combat event or practice must have a designated Marshal-in-Charge.
2. They must be a rostered marshal.
3. They organise marshalling of armoured combat at the event, and must make sure there are sufficient marshals to oversee whatever armoured combat takes place.
4. They report on all armoured combat activities at the event, as required by the event steward, Group Armoured Combat Marshal, Kingdom Armoured Combat Marshal or Earl Marshal.

Requirements to act as a marshal

1. You must be at least 18 years old.
2. You must have a current authorisation as a marshal (or armoured combatant for assistant marshal).
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 assistant marshal.
4. You must show your authorisation card and proof of membership to the lists officer, responsible marshal or Marshal-in-Charge, if required.