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This page explains what governing bodies, standards bodies and researchers publish. It is not a substitute for lessons from a qualified coach, for a qualified armourer's checks or for medical advice.
What can and cannot be said about a mask
Nothing on this page says a mask is homologated, certified, safe or legal, and no mask is presented as preventing injury. The FIE's homologation decides what may be used at FIE events, the national body's rule decides below that level, and weapon-control officials and referees check masks on the day. The FIE Medical Commission's minutes of June and July 2017 describe a mask coming off during a bout as extremely rare but potentially catastrophic, and record that makers were asked for proposals to reduce the risk. A head or face injury needs medical care.
First: which weapon?
The FIE Material Rules (August 2026) set different mask rules for each weapon, so a mask is bought for a weapon, not for fencing in general.
| Weapon | What the FIE rule requires of the mask | Why it differs |
|---|---|---|
| Foil | Mesh not below the chin and insulated inside and out (m.27.1); the bib below a line 1.5 to 2 cm under the chin covered in conductive material (m.27.2); a mask wire to the lame (m.27.3) | The lower bib is part of the foil target (Technical Rules, December 2024, t.77.1) |
| Epee | No conductive covering, nor any material that could make the point glance off (m.30.1); the bib reaches below the collar bones (m.30.2) | The whole body is target at epee (t.91), and a hit registers through the epee's own point circuit (m.18.1) |
| Sabre | Mesh conducting and not insulated; bib and trim fully covered in conductive material (m.32.1 to m.32.3); a mask wire to the lame (m.32.4) | The head is within the sabre target, everything above the hips (t.97.2) |
British Fencing's guidance for FIE and European Fencing Confederation events (13 March 2026) says foil and sabre masks are fully conductive and cannot be used for epee, and USA Fencing's Athlete Handbook 2026-2027 (2.17.1) bars foil and sabre masks with an electric bib from epee at any level, because the metal on the bib can ground the opponent's point. The same handbook requires the conductive foil bib at all levels of USA Fencing competition.
Second: which level does the event require?
In these rules the newton figure is the bib's rating, the cloth that covers the neck. The level is set by the body and the event, not by the buyer.
| Body and setting | Document and date | Mask requirement |
|---|---|---|
| FIE events | Material Rules, August 2026 | 1600 Newton bib (m.25.7.d); mesh openings at most 2.1 mm in wire at least 1 mm thick; mesh must withstand a 12 kg punch (m.25.7.a, m.25.7.c); two rear safety systems; FIE quality label |
| British Fencing: beginner classes, lessons, under-14 and under-10 fencing, and BF competitions other than the National Championships below | Equipment by Activity, 2 October 2026 | CEN 1 mask, 350N bib, back strap |
| British Fencing: National Championships, U17, U20, U23 and Senior | Equipment by Activity, 2 October 2026; Domestic Variations, 6 December 2023 | CEN 2 mask, 1600N bib, two rear safety systems (required since 1 September 2022) |
| USA Fencing competitions | Rules for Competition, October 2026, m.25.7 | 350 Newton bib; FIE-homologated mask not required; two different rear safety systems; secondary strap on masks without a metal tongue |
| Fencing SA (South Australia), page undated | Competition equipment requirements | Open-A: 1600N FIE mask; Open-B: 350N, with 1600N recommended; double hook-and-loop closure compulsory from 1 July 2024 (Open, Veteran, U20/U17, U15) and 1 January 2025 (U9 to Schools) |
EN 13567:2002+A1:2007 is the European standard in force for fencing protective equipment; its text was not read for this site. British Fencing describes CEN Level 1 as a 350N bib and Level 2 as a 1600N bib, and its markings page (as at 13 March 2026) says meeting Level 2 does not by itself make a mask FIE-approved. More is on EN 13567 and protection levels.
The rear safety systems: dates both ways
The FIE now requires two different safety systems at the rear of every mask, with retro-fitting only by the original maker (m.25.7.a and m.25.7.e). When the rule began is recorded two ways. The FIE SEMI minutes of July 2014 record an urgent decision for two independent systems at FIE events from 1 September 2014, and a later passage records immediate effect. Fencing Australia (8 December 2018) applied the FIE's new fastening requirements under m.25.7 to its own circuit events from 1 January 2019, and the UIPM (18 December 2018) adopted the same two-rear-system rule from that date. These may be two stages, but no FIE decision document confirming that was found. British Fencing's Safety Guidelines (23rd edition) define a back strap as elastic at least 35 mm wide, fixed to the side mesh at each end, and its FIE and EFC guidance says contour masks also need an additional back strap. British Fencing lists a 24th edition of the Safety Guidelines, Board approved in September 2026, which could not be read; the definition here is from the 23rd.
The label, and what it does not prove
- FIE quality label: indelible and circular, 25 mm across, showing the maker's emblem, the year and month of manufacture and the FIE emblem (Annexe A, 4). Coloured or decorated masks need FIE Executive Committee approval (Annexe A, 2.1.2); USA Fencing asks for Referees' Commission approval at least 30 days before first use.
- CE mark: British Fencing says it is the maker's own declaration of compliance with EU law, and that an FIE marking means the FIE has approved the item.
- Counterfeits: the SEMI's 2014 minutes record tests on equipment from fencing accidents that found some items below the homologation standard despite the correct label, which the minutes say could mean counterfeit items or sub-standard later batches. British Fencing asks for counterfeit concerns to be reported to it and to Trading Standards, and warns that insurance cover may be affected if an accident involves equipment without the correct quality marks.
On the day
At official FIE competitions a fencer may hand in at most two masks for checking (m.38.1), and a mask that fails is made visibly unusable in front of the person who presented it (m.38.6). USA Fencing impounds failing masks and marks them not approved for use at any level (Athlete Handbook, 2.17.1). British Fencing's Safety Committee notice of 20 March 2026 says masks must be fitted securely, that safety checks are not solely the referees' job, and that referees give a yellow card for a mask not securely fastened or one that falls off. Fit and sizing are not described here; they are checked in person. Past withdrawals of particular masks are on recalls and incidents.
Our picks by category
Fencing masks
Masks for adults. Choose the weapon first (foil and sabre masks are conductive and cannot be used at epee), then the bib level: 350 Newtons for USA Fencing and for British Fencing beginners' classes and most BF competitions, 1600 Newtons for FIE events and British National Championships from U17 up. Fit is checked in person.
Best for: Every fencer, bought for one weapon and the level the event requires
Kids' fencing masks
Masks in children's sizes. British Fencing's beginner and under-14 level is a CEN 1 mask with a 350N bib and back strap. A mask that is the wrong size is a club and coach question, not a catalogue one; see the kids' fencing kit guide.
Best for: Young fencers, at the level their club or competition requires
Mask cords
Mask wires linking the mask to the lame, at foil and sabre only. At FIE events they are white or clear covered, 30 to 40 cm long, with crocodile clips, and coiled wires are not allowed (m.27.3, m.32.4). At FIE weapon control a fencer may present at most three mask-to-jacket leads (m.38.1).
Best for: Electric foil and sabre fencers
Sources
- FIE, Rules for Competitions, Book 3, Material Rules (edition dated August 2026), m.25.7, m.27, m.30, m.32, m.38 and Annexe A
- FIE, SEMI Commission minutes, Lausanne (5 and 6 July 2014)
- FIE, Medical Commission minutes (30 June and 1 July 2017)
- Fencing Australia, Change to mask requirements for AFC events (8 December 2018)
- UIPM, New Safety Regulations for Fencing Masks (18 December 2018)
- British Fencing, Equipment by Activity: Safety Guidelines (updated 2 October 2026)
- British Fencing, Domestic Variations from FIE Rules (updated 6 December 2023)
- British Fencing, FIE and EFC equipment rules (updated 13 March 2026)
- British Fencing, CE, CEN and FIE Markings on Fencing Equipment (as at 13 March 2026)
- British Fencing, Safety Committee mask notice (20 March 2026)
- British Fencing, Safety Guidelines, 23rd edition (approved 25 June 2026)
- British Fencing, safety policies and guidelines page (updated 2 October 2026)
- USA Fencing, Rules for Competition (October 2026)
- USA Fencing, Athlete Handbook 2026-2027, 2.17.1
- Fencing SA (South Australia), competition equipment requirements
- AFNOR catalogue, NF EN 13567+A1 (June 2007)
- FIE, Technical Rules (December 2024 edition, copy published by the German Fencing Federation), t.77.1, t.91, t.97.2