2025-26 ANNUAL REPORT - COMMITTEE REPORTS
Reports from Rules, Safety, Honours & Medical Committees. This article forms part of a series of reports which accompany the 2025-26 BF Annual Report.
Rules Committee
The Committee has responded, as ever, to questions from members of BF concerning the Rules, on topics ranging from safety equipment for junior fencers’ sabre gloves to the legality of Italian grips.
Following feedback from active FIE referees, some rule modifications were discussed to tighten up the rules in various areas. The Committee will draft proposals to be consulted on and forwarded to the FIE for consideration in due course.
Steve Higginson, Chair
More information on the Rules Committee
Safety Committee
Throughout 2025-26 the Committee continued to discharge its responsibilities which include:
- Advising BF on safety issues.
- Responding to members’ queries.
- Reminding membership of specific safety-related requirements and rules when considered necessary.
- Monitoring and investigating incidents and accidents and assessing the risks facing those involved in our sport.
At its meeting on Zoom on 9th February 2026, the Committee agreed to a major restructuring of Appendix 1 of the Guidelines (Clothing Rules), to break out and detail the rules for clothing and blades into 12 categories (as compared to 3 previously). As at the end of the reporting year, the new document was being prepared for submission to the Board for sign-off. This was accompanied by a new Safety Area on the BF website created by the executive team to make the guidelines more accessible.
The Committee decided that in future, when both fencers are using size 0 blades (i.e., are under 10 years of age), 350N breeches would be required when the fencing activity included the legs as target and/or at any BF-licenced competition.
It also increased the coach supervisory expectation when fencers aged 10 and over are sparring without breeches. This is due to further consideration of size and momentum not lessened by shorter weapons (size 2/3 weapons).
With no related accidents reported, it was also agreed to allow the wearing of trousers over 350/800N breeches for a further twelve months, as long as the trousers are tapered/straight cut (i.e. not baggy) with openings/pockets zipped/sewn/taped closed.
The Safety Committee would like to take this opportunity to remind all members to fence in a safe way and with equipment and clothes that fully protect themselves and their opponents. In particular, we would remind you again of the danger of badly fitted masks, and the requirement for sabre gloves.
To help ensure that Fencing continues to have one of the best safety records across sports, the membership is strongly encouraged to report all incidents, accidents and near misses to the Safety Committee. Forms can be found on the BF website.
Peter Jacobs, Chair
More information on the Safety Committee
Honours Committee
The process for proposing the 2025 BF Honours by the membership closed at the end of May 2025, and the Honours Committee met by Zoom on 12th June 2025. The BF Honours for 2025 were listed here:
- 2025 BF HONOURS FOR SERVICES TO FENCING ANNOUNCED and
- 2025 BF HONOURS FOR FENCING PERFORMANCES ANNOUNCED,
and were announced at the 2025 AGM.
Pat Aiyenuro replaced Peter Jacobs as Chair of the Honours Committee in January 2026, with Peter remaining as a committee member. Hilary Philbin joined the Honours Committee in January 2026.
2025 was an exceptional year for awards – 66% more service to fencing awards than in 2024 (20 vs 12), and a 100% increase for performance awards (12 vs 6). Notable honours recipients included members of the Muslim Girls Fence delivery team, and a number of referees who have supported the education and development of others throughout the years.
Proposals for the next round of BF Honours, for the 2025-26 AGM, were solicited from the membership from the beginning of January 2025-26.
Pat Aiyenuro, Chair (Peter Jacobs, Previous Chair)
More information on the Honours Committee
Medical Committee
British Fencing Medical Committee report April 2025-26.
Pacemaker risk assessment completed.
- May 2025 – Medical provision at BF Championships reviewed and improved
- Aug 2025 – Medical section of the European Veterans’ Federation Handbook revised
- Sep 2025 – Briefing document produced for medics at BF Championships. Backup medical bag provided.
- Two studies (started/stopped/completed) by Dr Lindsay Bottoms (any links): Jan 2026 – Survey of joint replacements in veteran fencers; results analysed in March 2026; and Feb 2026 – Delphi Study on Heat Policy for Fencing – ongoing
- March 2026 – Medical travel advice produced for Commonwealths in Nigeria
- Noah Blackmore attended the UKSI National Doctors Meeting; advice provided after the Invicta Open following the meningitis outbreak in Kent
Year-round responsibilities continued:
- Injury Surveillance
- Safety Committee input
- Responding to requests from clubs and individuals for advice
- Support for Safeguarding as required
Clare Halsted, Chair