NR - Youth boffer rules - second draft...

[SirKief at hotmail.com]

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http://southern.ansteorra.org/boffer.html

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TO THE P.O. BOX LISTED IN THE BLACK STAR. THANKS... KIEF

Ansteorran Youth Boffer and Youth Hardshell Rules and Guidelines
(Second Draft)

ALL Age Divisions

These Rules and Guidelines apply to all Youth Boffer Divisions - Ages 6 
- 15 and the Youth Hardshell Division Age 16 - 17.

	1. Each Combatant shall maintain control over his/her temper at all 
times.  

	2. Combatants shall behave in a Courteous, Honorable, and Chivalrous 
manner at all times.

	3. Combatants must accept any blow that hits them if it is fair and 
honorable, clean, unimpeded, and purposely delivered shot.

	4. No Combatant will deliver or accept blows from two inches (2") above 
the knee to the tips of the toes and from one inch (1") above the wrist 
to the tips of the fingers.

	5. A blow to the body, shoulder, or head is accepted as a "killing" 
blow. Any blow to the arm or leg results in the loss of that limb. If a 
blow is delivered to the leg, the Combatant can hop on one leg as long 
as the injured leg is not used for support. If the Combatant goes to 
their knees they must remain in a seated position.

	6. Any behavior that takes deliberate advantage of an opponent's 
Chivalry or safety-consciousness, or that takes deliberate unfair 
advantage of an opponent, is prohibited. 

a. Such infractions may include, but are not limited to, the following: 

i. Corkscrewing a grounded opponent 

ii. During any Combat, either Tournament or Melee, there will be no 
blows delivered or accepted from behind. Any inadvertent blows shall not 
be accepted. Any repeated offense will result in the removal of the 
Combatant.
 
iii. Striking a "helpless" opponent 

iv. Intentionally becoming "helpless" by repeatedly dropping weapons, 
falling down, purposefully ignoring valid attempts to gain a Combatant's 
attention, etc. 

v. Grappling with, or kicking, an opponent's equipment or person 

vi. Intentionally moving an illegal target into the path of a blow. 

vii. Striking with excessive force 

viii. Expecting to be struck with what would be considered excessive 
force before acknowledging a blow. 

ix. Using any weapon, or other piece of equipment, in a manner that is 
inconsistent with its design or in an otherwise prohibited manner.

b. The Field of Honor will not be used to settle disputes.

c. An angry Combatant should leave the field.

	7. There must be an authorized SCA Adult Boffer Marshal and a Youth 
Marshal present on the field while combat is in progress. The current 
Earl Marshal or a warranted Adult Boffer Marshal must authorize Youth 
Marshals. If no warranted Adult Boffer Marshal is present, combat is not 
permitted. If no Youth Marshal is present then two Adult Boffer Marshals 
must be available.

	8. An authorized Adult Boffer Marshal must check all weapons to be used 
on the field. Armor will be inspected while being worn by the combatant. 
For melee combat, inspected weapons must be visibly tagged prior to 
combat.

	9. Adult Boffer Marshals are responsible for combat security. This 
includes, but is not limited to, checking weapons, observing combat, 
warning a Combatant of inappropriate or dangerous actions, disallowing 
dangerous weapons, and, if necessary, removing a Combatant from the 
field.

	10. In case a Combatant refuses to accept the judgment of a Youth 
Marshal, the Youth Marshal shall be charged with calling hold on the 
field until an Adult Marshal resolves the situation, if necessary. 
Decisions can result in removing a Combatant from the field.

	12. Prior to any Combat (Official Fighter Practice, Tournament, or 
Melee) all Combatants must be Authorized, must be Inspected, and shall 
meet all Safety and Armor Requirements pertaining to the appropriate 
Youth Boffer Division.

	13. Before any Combat begins (Official Fighter Practice, Tournament, or 
Melee) a Parent or Court Appointed Legal Guardian must sign a Waiver for 
Full Contact Competition and have a current Youth Boffer Authorization 
Card for each Minor involved.  Waivers must be on File with the 
Marshalate Secretary and the Youth Boffer Authorization Card must 
presented to the List Official.  If the Parent authorizes another Adult 
as Legal Guardian for the combat, the Parent must submit a Minors 
Medical Authorization form to be presented to and witnessed by the List 
Official. Said form must name said Adult as Legal Guardian for the 
event. There shall be a Minors Medical Authorization form presented for 
EACH Minor. The Parent or Authorized Legal Guardian MUST REMAIN PRESENT 
throughout the duration of the Youth Boffer Competition for Age 
Divisions 6 – 9 and 10 - 12. There will be NO EXCEPTIONS ALLOWED under 
this Rule. The Parent or Legal Guardian need not be present to observe 
the Combat in Age Divisions 13 – 15 and 16 – 17, although it is 
recommended that they do remain and observe.


YOUTH BOFFER DIVISION: Age 6 through 8 years

Required protective armor:
* Marshalate approved Helm (minimum of leather or plastic with cloth or 
leather cover) with chinstrap or Child’s Fencing Mask with ties that 
secure the mask to the head. Neck protection (lightweight Gorget) is 
required. Full coif, mouthpiece, and face protection are recommended.
* Hands and feet shall be protected by gloves and sturdy shoes.
* Minimum groin protection for all Combatants sport cup, padded skirt, 
or equivalent.
* For females: As a girl matures, she must also have adequate breast 
protection, e.g. quilted material tunic, light leather or equivalent.
* Tunic (long sleeves recommended) and full length pants or sweats 
required.

Accepted armor convention:
* All Combatants are presumed to be wearing only a loincloth. Beginning 
Combatants need to work on coordination and motions only. Power and 
strength are matters of development and will be addressed in later 
divisions. Any Combatant using force sufficient to bruise or injure an 
opponent will, after one warning, be removed from the field.

Blow description:
* Touch only. Any blows that touch the opponent's body area will be 
accepted.
Exclusion: No Combatant will deliver or accept blows from two inches 
(2”) above the knee to the tips of the toes and from one inch (1”) above 
the wrist to the tips of the fingers. Groin shots, while legal, are to 
be discouraged.

Weapons Construction:
* All weapons will be made of non-reinforced foam rubber.
* No thrusting weapons will be accepted.
* Weapons may be covered with single layer, loosely wrapped duct tape 
for support.

Education and Instruction should include:
* Introduction into the Graces of Chivalric Combat, Honorable Conduct, 
and Field Etiquette
*  Explanation and practice in use, function, and techniques of Youth 
Boffer  Weapons
* Familiarization with the format of Field Heraldry.

YOUTH DIVISION: Age 9 through 12 years

Required protective armor:
* Marshalate approved Helm (minimum of leather or plastic with cloth or 
leather cover) with chinstrap or Child’s Fencing Mask with ties that 
secure the mask to the head. Neck protection (lightweight Gorget) is 
required. Full coif and mouthpiece are recommended.
* Face protection (minimum hockey mask, grill, and/or Child’s Fencing 
Mask) must be constructed to prevent access, in conjunction with the 
Gorget, to the face or throat.
* If single-handed thrusting weapons are to be used: Sternum protection 
that covers the xiphoid process (minimum of padded light leather, 
padding to be minimum 3/8” close-cell foam) shall be added.
* Hands and feet shall be protected by gloves and sturdy shoes.
* Elbows and Knees shall be protected with, at a minimum, leather 
covered sports pads.
* Minimum groin protection for all Combatants sport cup, padded skirt, 
or equivalent.
* For females: As a girl matures, she must also have adequate breast 
protection, e.g. quilted material tunic, light leather or equivalent.
* Tunic (long sleeves recommended) and full length pants or sweats 
required.

Accepted armor convention:
* All Combatants are presumed to be wearing a quilted coif and tunic 
only.

Blow description:
*   Solid contact, no force required. Any blow that firmly connects will 
be accepted. Use of force is to be discouraged. Groin shots, while 
legal, are to be discouraged. Any Combatant using force sufficient to 
bruise or injure an opponent will, after one warning, be removed from 
the field.

Weapons Construction:
* All swords, non-thrusting type, must consist of:
a. 1/2 inch I.D. PVC (Schedule 40) minimum. Both ends of PVC must be 
capped.
b. Two layers of fiber-reinforced strapping tape.
c. 1/2 inch foam extending the length of the boffer to 1 and 1/2 inch 
past tip of PVC.
d. Minimum one layer duct tape wrapped loosely.
e. Quillions or basket hilt shall be the same construction as above or 
equivalent.
* All swords, thrusting type, must consist of the above listed 
construction plus:
a. Thrusting tip - leather or rubber, covering the last 6 inches of the 
PVC on the thrusting end.
b. Foam and tape, loosely wrapped, a minimum 2 and 1/2 inches in 
diameter and extending 3 inches past PVC
* All thrusting weapons must be disassembled and inspected for 
structural damage once a year.
* All Shields:
a. MAY NOT BE USED AS OFENSIVE WEAPONS.
b. Materials: wood, plastic, or aluminum.
c. All edges must be covered by tubing, leather, or foam.
d. Shape should be recognized as SCA shield.
e. Shields shall be reasonable in size (proportional to user).
f. There shall be no projecting points, bolts, etc. Any such must be 
covered by a layer of leather, close-cell foam, or several layers 
(minimum of 4) of duct or fiber-reinforced strapping tape.

Education and Instruction should include:
* Introduction to assisting List Official, Herald, Marshal, or Event 
Steward.
* Introduction to gaming, to weapons and armor construction.
* Refinement of techniques in defense, accuracy, and speed.
* Continued development in the Graces of Chivalric Combat, Honorable 
Conduct, and Etiquette both on the field and off.

YOUTH DIVISION: Age 13 through 15

Required protective armor:
* Marshalate Approved Helm (minimum converted sports helmet covered with 
leather or cloth) with secured heavy chinstrap or Fencing Mask with ties 
to secure mask to the head.
* Gorget must be constructed to prevent access to the face or throat 
from underneath the faceplate.
* Full face protection with reinforced grill (maximum of 1/2 inch 
spacing to prevent 1/2 inch I.D. tubing from accidentally penetrating 
faceplate.) 
Plastic facial protection will no longer be sufficient.
* Neck protection must extend in the rear to cover the cervical 
vertebra. Full coif required.
* Minimum groin protection for all Combatants: sport cup required for 
males and rigid pubic arch protection required for females.
* For males and females: Full rigid frontal thrusting and lateral 
protection required, e.g. heavy leather, scaled leather, metal or Kydex 
plate armor;
* Full tunic and full length pants or sweats required.
* Hands and feet shall be protected by gloves and sturdy shoes.
* Kidney Belt (minimum light leather with minimum 3/8” close-cell 
padding) 
* Elbows and knees require a minimum of light leather covered sports 
pads.

Accepted armor convention:
* All Combatants are presumed to be wearing mid-thigh leather gambison 
and leather skullcap.

Blow Description:
* Solid, non-glancing contact. Any blow that makes solid edge or point 
contact will be accepted. Use of force is still not to be encouraged. 
Groin shots, while legal, are to be discouraged. Any Combatant using 
force sufficient to bruise or injure an opponent will, after one 
warning, be removed from the field.

Weapons construction:
* Sword and shield construction must meet all listed Youth Boffer 
materials requirements.
*Construction of two handed weapons: 1” PVC (Schedule 40) Both ends of 
PVC must be capped. 1/2 inch foam extending the length of the boffer to 
1 and 1/2 inch past tip of PVC.
* Two-handed thrusting weapons, e.g. spears, axes, glaives, etc. will be 
used in  Youth Age Division 13 – 15 only.
* Size limits on two-handed weapons:
a. Spear – 8’
b. Axe – 5’
c. Glaive – 6’
d. Great Sword – 6’ no more than 18” haft.
* All two-handed, thrusting type weapons must consist of:
a. Thrusting tip - leather or rubber, covering the last 12 inches of the 
PVC on the thrusting end.
b. Foam and tape to be a minimum 2 and 1/2 inch in diameter and extend 3 
inches past PVC. Striking tip shall also include one half split tennis 
ball end or equivalent over foam on end.
* Thrusting weapons require inspection for wear and cracks immediately 
before each use.

Education and instruction should include:
* Continued development in all SCA activities: Arts & Sciences, Courtly 
Graces, Games, and Offices. Including encouragement to participate in 
Dance, Theater, and the Gentler Arts.
* Introduction to Melee Combat.
* Continued development in the Graces of Chivalric Combat, Honorable 
Conduct, and Etiquette both on the field and off.

YOUTH HARDSHELL DIVISION: Age 16 through 17

Required protective armor:
* Standard Ansteorran minimum. Xiphosternum protection strongly 
recommended.

Accepted armor convention:
* Standard Ansteorran convention: Open faced Spangenhelm, nasal, mail 
drape across lower face. Mail coif, mail Halberk to mid-thigh. Hardened 
and splinted leather Vambraces and Cuisses. 

Blow Description:
* Standard Ansteorran conventions: An emphasis on calling MINIMUM 
strength blows will be taught. Any Combatant using excessive force or 
striking with intent to injure an opponent will, after one warning, be 
removed from the field. Excessive Force and Intent to Injure rules will 
be STRICTLY ENFORCED. 

Weapons construction:
* Standard Rattan weapons conventions will be followed. 
* Fiberglass Spears and Unpadded Glaives (6’ – 7 1/2’) will not be 
allowed.

Education and instruction should include:
* Continued development in all SCA activities: Arts & Sciences, Courtly 
Graces, Games, and Offices. Including encouragement to participate in 
Dance, Theater, and the Gentler Arts.
* Continued development in the Graces of Chivalric Combat, Honorable 
Conduct, and Etiquette both on the field and off.
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