Application of Fencing Rules - a specific Corps a Corps situation...

[HotSteppeR]

Hello everyone!

I'm currently studying Fencing Rules for my first Referee Exam and I have a question about the application of Rules in one hypothetical situation, so I hope that some of you fellow fencers can help me ( :

I'm using the Rule book found on the official web site of the European fencing federation

https://www.eurofencing.info/documents/rules-statuses, which redirects to

https://www.britishfencing.com/the-fie-rulebooks/, where the following Technical Rules can be found:

https://static.fie.org/uploads/23/119683-Technical rules ang (1).pdf

 

Let's say that during a bout the fencer A brings about a corps a corps with the fencer B, but not to intentionally avoid being hit, and with no violence whatsoever. No prior penalties were given, and the fencers were at approximately 1 meter from the rear limit of the piste of the fencer A. What should the Referee do?

According to the rules regarding corps a corps (t.25.1, t.25.3, t.32.), fencer A should not lose any ground so he or she should be placed at the position he or she occupied before the bout was interrupted. In that case, however, placing the fencer B at the correct fencing distance (t.22.5) would surely put him or her behind the rear line, causing the penalty touch against him or her. But on the contrary, also according to the Rules (t.22.8), a fencer may not be placed in an on guard position after the bout was halted in such a way as to put him or her behind the rear line, if he still was in front of it before the interruption. (Unless as a result of penalty for crossing the lateral boundaries of the piste, t.35.1, t.35.2)

So, what should the Referee do?

Should the fencer A be placed with a front foot at the rear line and the fencer B placed a step or two back, at the correct fencing distance? Or should both fencers retreat the same distance from the center of the position they occupied when the bout was halted, even if that puts the fencer A behind the rear line causing the penalty touch?

 

Thanks a lot for any comments and help on this regard!

The best of wishes and happy fencing to us all!  (( :