The 1st European Games take place in the capital of Azerbaijan from 12-28 June 2015, and fencing will be very much a part of it.
The Fencing competition
The Fencing competition at the Baku 2015 European Games will be held from 23 to 27 June 2015 at Crystal Hall in Baku. The competition will consist of 12 medal events. A total of 216, 108 men and 108 women, may take part in the Fencing competition.
Duration and Scoring
Individual events
All bouts in the individual pool round will consist of 5 hits (a maximum of three minutes). All bouts in the individual direct elimination tableau will consist of three periods of three minutes, with one minute between periods, or until one fencer has scored 15 hits. If the third period is completed before either fencer has scored 15 hits, the fencer with the most hits will be declared the winner. If the scores are tied after the third period, there will be a further one minute of competition. One fencer will be randomly given priority. The winner will be the first fencer to score a valid hit; if no hits are scored, the winner will be the fencer with priority.
Team events
In the team events, each match will consist of nine bouts, to a maximum of 45 hits. Each bout will last three minutes, or until one team’s score has reached the next multiple of five hits: a score of five hits after the first bout, a score of 10 hits after the second bout, a score of 15 hits after the third bout, and so on. If the ninth bout is completed before either team has scored 45 hits, the team with the most hits will be declared the winner. If the scores are tied after the ninth bout, there will be a further one minute of competition One team will be randomly given priority. The winner will be the first team to score a valid hit; if no hits are scored, the winner will be the team with priority.
Competition format
Individual events
All individual events at Baku 2015 will comprise 36 fencers per weapon and will begin with an initial pool round. The pool round will see athletes divided into six groups of six
based on their FIE rankings. All fencers will compete against each other to determine pool standings. Following the pool round a single general ranking will be established and the top 28 athletes will progress to the direct elimination stage which will run as an incomplete direct elimination tableau of 32. No bouts for third place will be fenced. Athletes defeated in the semi-final will both receive bronze.
Team events
Teams will be seeded according to the FIE Official Team Ranking for each weapon. Where teams are ranked equally, a drawing of lots will be carried out. Teams will be placed in an incomplete direct elimination tableau. If there is a host country team, it will be placed in the direct elimination tableau according to its place in the current FIE Official Team Ranking for the applicable weapon. All places in the table up to sixth place will be fought for.
The venue
The Fencing competition will be held at Crystal Hall 3, which was built to host the Eurovision Contest in 2012. Crystal Hall is located in the centre of the iconic Flag Square Cluster on a dramatic peninsula jutting out into the Bay of Baku in the Caspian Sea. Crystal Hall 3 will be located in the area to the
east of the main hall. Along with the Fencing competitions, the venue will also host the Karate and Taekwondo competitions at Baku 2015.
Field of play
The field of play for the Fencing competition will contain nine competition pistes. The competition area and all equipment will be presented in accordance with the FIE Rules.