Foil ( fencing ) A foil is a type of weapon used in fencing . It is the most common weapon in terms of usage in competition . Components . There are two varieties of foil in use today : the nonelectric foil , known as " steam " or " dry , " and the electrically scored foil . The components common to both varieties are the pommel , grip , guard , thumb pad , and blade . The nonelectric foil has a blunted end , typically produced by folding over the tip of the blade , that is capped with a plastic or rubber knob . Nonelectric foils are primarily used for practice , although some organizations still fence competitively using dry foils . The Fédération Internationale d ' Escrime and most national organisations require electric scoring apparatus at sanctioned tournaments , though some leagues hold only visually judged , non - electric tournaments . There are also a range of plastic swords made by varing manufacturers for use by juniors . As most clubs will only accept children above the age of nine or ten , the plastic makes an ideal way of trying to get children involved in fencing from a young age . Blade . Foil have standardized , tapered , quadrangular blades that are made of tempered and annealed , low - carbon steel and are designed to bend upon striking an opponent in order to prevent both injuries and breakage of the blade . For international competition maraging steel is required . The foil blade is no more than 90 cm in length with a blunted ( or foiled ) tip . The maximum length of the assembled weapon is 110 cm ; the maximum weight is 500g , but most competition swords are lighter , closer to 350g . The blade itself is subdivided into 3 regions : the foible , or weak , at the last third of the blade near the tip , the medium , and the forte , or strong , is the third of the blade near the guard . Inside of the grip is the tang which is threaded at the end to allow the pommel to fasten the foil assembly together . When an Italian grip is used a ricasso extends from under the guard , inside of the grip ' s quillons , into the tang . Guard assembly . The pommel , a type of threaded fastener used to fasten blade , guard , plug , and grip assemblies together , is specific to the type of grip that is used . There are two types of grips used for foils : straight grips with long , external pommels , comprising the French , Italian , and Spanish varieties , and orthopedic , or pistol grips , which are designed to fix the hand in a specific position and have pommels that fit into a countersink in the back of the grip . Foil guards are limited to a diameter of 9 . 5 to 12 cm in international competition . Electric foils . Socket . The electric foil contains a socket underneath the guard that connects to the scoring apparatus via the body cord and a wire that runs down a channel cut into the top of the blade . Electric foil sockets are fixed so that the body cord plugs into the weapon at the fencer ' s wrist . There are two main varieties in use today : the two - prong variety which has unequal diameter prongs and is held in place by a retaining clip , and the single - prong " bayonette " which twist - locks into place . Tip . The tip of the electric foil terminates in a button assembly that generally consists of a barrel , plunger , spring , and retaining screws . The circuit is a " normally closed " one , meaning that at rest there is always a complete power circuit . Depressing the tip breaks this circuit , and the scoring apparatus illuminates an appropriate light : white or yellow for hits not on the valid target area ( depending on the design of the lights on the scoring machine ) , or either red or green representing hits on the valid target area ( red for one fencer , green for the other ) . The tip of the foil must be depressed for 15 ( ± 1 ) milliseconds while in contact with the opponent ' s lamé ( wire - mesh jacket which covers valid target area ) to score a touch . The tip must be able to support a minmum force of 4 . 90 newton s ( 500 grams - force ) without the circuit breaking . This is tested with a 500g ( ± 3g ) weight . History . The modern foil is descended from the training weapon for the small - sword , the common sidearm of 18th century gentleman . Rapier and even longsword foils are also known to have been used , but they were very different in terms of weight and use . The foil was invented in France as a training weapon in the middle of the 18th century in order to practise fast and elegant thrust fencing . Fencers blunted the point by wrapping a foil around the blade or fastening a knob on the point ( " blossom " , French " fleuret " ) . In addition to practising , some fencers took away the protection and used the sharp foil for duels . German students took up that practice in academic fencing and developed the " Pariser " ( " Parisian " ) thrusting small sword for the " Stoßmensur " ( " thrusting mensur " ) . The target area for modern foil is said to come from a time when fencing was practised with limited safety equipment . Another factor in the target area is that foil rules are derived from a period when duelling to the death was the norm . Hence , the favoured target area is the torso , where the vital organs are . Scoring . The foil is used as a thrusting ( or point ) weapon only . Any contact with the side of the blade ( a slap or slash ) does not result in a score . Target area . In foil the valid target area includes the torso ( including the lower part of the bib of the mask ) and the groin . The head , arms , and legs are considered off target . Touches made off target do not count for points , but do stop play . Priority ( or right of way ) . Foil is a conventional weapon and so is governed by the rules of priority , also known as right of way . As such , points are not necessarily awarded to the first fencer to hit , but to the fencer who hits with priority . Priority is established when one fencer starts a correctly executed attack . An attack which has failed ( i . e . has missed or been parried ) no longer holds priority . Priority does not automatically pass to the defending fencer , unless the defending fencer parries , at which point priority is given to the defending fencer . Otherwise , at the moment an attack is over , neither fencer has priority . Instead , priority is gained by a fencer making an offensive action , as is always the case . If the attack was parried , the defender has the right to make a riposte , but it must be initiated without indecision or delay . In other words if the defending fencer parries successfully , but then waits and does not immediately riposte , they lose the right of way . Alternatively , he may initiate his own attack if the initial attack missed . The fencer making the original attack may also make a new offensive action , a renewal or remise of the initial attack . In foil only actions that arrive with priority are considered , unless only one fencer actually hits . Then priority does not matter ; the fencer who touched is awarded the point . If the fencer with priority hits off target and the fencer without priority hits on target , then no point is awarded . If both fencers hit on target but one had priority and the other did not , the fencer who had priority is awarded the point .