Britannica
Sources used in this answer
What is the valid target area in foil fencing?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
fencing
Giovanna Trillini (rear) of Italy successfully defending her world champion foil title against Wang Huifeng of China at the 1992 Olympics.
In foil fencing, the valid target area is restricted to the trunk of the body. Specifically, this includes the area from the top of the collar down to the groin lines in the front, and to a line across the top of the hips in the back.12
In modern competition, this target area is covered by a conductive lamé and the conductive portion of the fencing mask. Hits made with the point of the weapon on this conductive surface are registered as valid touches. Any hits landing outside of this designated area are considered off-target and do not count as points, though they do cause the fencing action to halt. Since 1960, the target area for both men and women has been identical.21