Team Fencing Explained: How the 45-Touch Relay Works

Your teammate steps off the strip with your team trailing 7–10. You connect your equipment, check the scoreboard, and prepare to fence. Do you need five touches, or are you trying to reach 15? In a standard fencing team relay, the answer is 15. You inherit the team’s score, and everything you add stays with the next fencer.

That shared score makes team fencing especially engaging. A difficult start can become a comeback, and a steady performance can give a teammate a better opportunity later. Here is how to follow the format and prepare for your first relay match.

Three fencers share one match

Under the FIE senior and junior team format, a team has three fencers and may include a reserve. The starting lineup creates nine relay bouts, often called legs, with each starting fencer scheduled to face all three opponents. Substitutions can change who fills a lineup position. These matches use a single weapon: foil, épée, or saber.

The captain assigns fencers to lineup positions, and the match follows a prescribed bout order. You do not simply choose a new opponent after every leg. These arrangements are set out in FIE Organisation Rules o.97–o.99, August 2026. Ask the organizer which format your event uses before applying this guide to a school, club, or other team competition.

The target rises while the score stays

The normal cumulative targets for the nine legs are 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, and 45. Each leg has a maximum of three minutes of fencing time. It ends when the target is reached or time expires; the next pair continues from the existing score. An unusual final-touch-plus-penalty situation can take a leg beyond its normal target.

If time expires below a target, the following leg still uses its originally scheduled target. The missing touches are not awarded automatically. The winner is the team that reaches 45 first or leads when regulation time ends. A final tie leads to up to one extra minute for a deciding touch, fenced by the last pair. Before it begins, the referee draws priority to determine the winner if the tie remains. See FIE Technical Rules t.41, August 2026.

A simple comeback example

Imagine your team trails 3–5 after the first leg. During the second, your teammate scores four touches while the opponent scores five. The running score becomes 7–10.

You enter the third leg with a target of 15. If you add eight touches while conceding four, you leave your team ahead 15–14. You have scored eight touches in one leg, and all eight count toward the shared total.

Now imagine instead that the second leg ended on time at 6–8. The third leg would still aim for 15, starting at 6–8. This is why watching only the touches scored by the current pair can make the scoreboard confusing. USA Fencing’s team-match introduction offers a longer worked example of cumulative scoring.

Know your place in the lineup

Before fencing starts, ask your captain to show you your scheduled appearances on the team sheet. Identify the leg immediately before each of yours, so you have a clear cue to prepare. Keep an eye on the match even when you are several legs away.

A useful pre-leg conversation can be very short: confirm the current score, the next target, and one tactical priority with your coach. Avoid building an elaborate plan around a score that may change before you step on. Your preparation should help you respond to the situation you actually inherit.

If your team has a reserve, clarify their role beforehand. Substitutions have formal notification and return-to-play restrictions under o.99; they are not unlimited rotations. Have the captain confirm the applicable procedure with officials early, especially if a change is being considered.

Give teammates useful information

When you finish a leg, offer one concrete observation during an appropriate opportunity to speak. “They stepped back when I prepared slowly” is easier to use than “They are impossible to hit.” Describe what happened and leave room for your teammate’s different strengths and the coach’s judgment.

Agree before the match on who will give tactical input. Several people calling different suggestions can leave a beginner unsure which instruction to follow. Support can also be practical: help a teammate locate their bag, keep track of the lineup, or give them a quiet moment to get ready.

Resist treating one difficult leg as a verdict on the fencer. In the team discussion afterward, ask what information each person passed along and what helped the next person prepare. That keeps the conversation useful even when the result is disappointing.

Prepare for your first team event

• Confirm the format. Ask about the relay structure, roster requirements, check-in, and substitution procedure.
• Organize your own equipment. Keep your fitted kit and checked spares easy to find rather than assuming a teammate’s gear will suit you.
• Practice the handoff. In a coach-led session, rehearse identifying the incoming score and target before fencing.
• Stay involved between appearances. Follow the match and be ready when your turn approaches.

You do not need a separate category of equipment simply because the score belongs to a team. Start with the appropriate kit for your weapon and event, and work with your coach on readiness. The most valuable addition is understanding how your turn connects to everyone else’s.