What Is a Simultaneous Attack in Saber Fencing?

Published on Saber Nation: October 7, 2026

A simultaneous attack in saber fencing is when both fencers start an attack at the same time and both hit, so no touch is given. What USA Fencing t.106 says, how referees call it, and how to win more starts.

A simultaneous attack in saber fencing happens when both fencers start an attack at the same moment and both hit. Neither fencer earned priority, so the referee awards no touch. Fencers and coaches call it a "simul," and in saber you will see more of them than in any other weapon.

Here is what the rulebook says, how referees decide between a simul and a touch, and what you can do to win more of these exchanges.

What the rules say

The USA Fencing Rules for Competition (October 2026) cover it in the saber chapter, t.106.1:

When during a phrase both fencers touch at the same time there is either a simultaneous action or a double touch: The simultaneous action is due to simultaneous conception and execution of an attack by both fencers; in this case the touches exchanged are annulled for both fencers.

The FIE Technical Rules (August 2026) set the same rule in their t.106.1, and foil has a matching rule in t.89.

Two parts of that sentence matter:

"Conception and execution." Both fencers decided to attack and started the attack at the same time. Two lights alone do not make a simul.
"Annulled for both." No touch is given. If no touch is awarded, t.22.7 says the fencers are replaced on guard where they were when the bout stopped. After a valid touch, they go back to the middle of the strip (t.22.6).

Simultaneous action vs. double touch

The same rule separates a simul from a double touch (t.106.2). A double touch is "the result of a clearly faulty action on the part of one of the fencers." Both lights go on, but one fencer made a mistake, so the other one gets the touch.

The rest of t.106 lists those mistakes. A few that show up in saber all the time:

Stop-hitting a simple attack instead of parrying (t.106.3.a). That is a counterattack into an attack, and it loses.
Bending the arm or pausing during a compound attack, so the opponent attacks or stop-hits into the pause (t.106.4.d).
Attacking into a properly set point in line without first deflecting the blade (t.106.4.a).

If the referee cannot tell which side the fault came from, t.106.5 says to put the fencers back on guard. No touch is given.

Why both lights are not enough

In saber, the box locks out fast. The equipment rules for the saber scoring apparatus say that after one touch registers, the other fencer's touch only registers if it lands within 170 milliseconds (± 10 ms). Two lights only tell you both blades landed inside that window. They say nothing about who attacked first.

That is why the referee decides. Under t.100, "the Referee alone decides as to the validity or the priority of the touch." Our guide to saber fencing scoring explains what the box does and does not see.

How referees decide who started

To call a touch instead of a simul, the referee has to see one attack start first. In saber, the rulebook's test for a correct attack is in t.101.2: "the extending of the arm, with the point or the cutting edge continuously threatening the valid target, precedes the initiation of the lunge."

So the referee watches the arms, not just the feet. Material from a 1998 British sabre refereeing seminar by Keith Smith, reproduced by Surrey Fencing, puts it in two lines:

"Usually one fencer does start before the other and this fencer should get the hit."
"International referees will reward the faster hand if the two fencers appear to attack simultaneously."

(Surrey Fencing, Sabre Refereeing Hints)

Fencing Canada's refereeing manual goes further. It says the simultaneous call "is made far too often" and that true simultaneous starts rarely happen "unless, as most often happens in sabre, both fencers make the tactical decision to attack simultaneously." It also warns that some referees use the call to avoid making a decision, and that "it is the referee's job to determine who the attacker is" (Fencing Canada Refereeing Committee manual, 2005).

In practice, you will see a mix. Some referees call simuls often. Others almost always find an attacker. Learn how your referee calls it in the first few touches of a bout.

Why saber has so many simuls

After every valid touch, the fencers restart in the middle of the strip (t.22.6), front feet just behind the on-guard lines (t.22.3). Both fencers are at a distance where one fast advance-lunge can reach. When the referee says "Fence!", it is common for both fencers to go forward at once.

A few rules shape that start:

No early start. Under t.23.1, "No movement made or initiated before the word 'Fence' is counted." Jumping the command does not give you priority.
No line on guard. In foil and saber, fencers may not come on guard in the point-in-line position (t.22.13).
No crossing over. The flèche and any forward step where the rear foot passes the front foot are forbidden in saber (t.101.5). Fencers close distance with advances, lunges, and the flunge.

How to win more of these exchanges

Coaches approach this in different ways. These are common ideas, not rules.

Arm first. Start the arm extension before the feet move. This is what t.101.2 asks for, and it is what the referee is looking for. A fast hand with slow legs usually beats fast legs with a late hand.
Don't hesitate. A pause or a bent arm hands the attack to the other side. If you start, finish.
Change the timing. If you keep getting simuls, vary your start. A short check step can draw the opponent forward. Then hit their preparation or pull back and parry and riposte.
Watch the call. Referees describe the phrase with words and hand signals. If they keep calling simul, your starts look the same as your opponent's. Our guide on how to watch a saber bout covers the main calls.
Use video when it exists. At USA Fencing events with video refereeing, the fencer on the strip can request a review (t.60). In individual events you get one appeal per pool bout and two per direct elimination bout, and you keep it if the referee agrees with you (t.61.1).

A partner drill

Stand at the on-guard lines with a coach or partner calling "Fence!"

Both fencers attack on the command. A third person watches only the arms and names who extended first.
Repeat ten times, then switch the watcher.
Next round, one fencer mixes in a check step to draw the other forward.

This trains the start and teaches you to see priority the way a referee does. For footwork that supports it, see the fencing footwork guide.

Questions

Is a simul a point for both fencers? No. In saber, the touches are annulled for both fencers (t.106.1). Épée is the weapon that can give a touch to each fencer.

Do we go back to the center after a simul? The rules say that when no touch is awarded, the fencers are replaced where they were when the bout stopped (t.22.7). Many saber simuls start from the on-guard lines, so the reset often looks like a return to the middle.

Can I argue a simul? You can politely ask the referee for a fuller explanation of the phrase (t.63, note 3). Where video refereeing is in use, you can request a review (t.60-t.62).

For the bigger picture, read our right of way guide and What Is a Compound Attack in Saber Fencing?

Train saber timing in Bethesda

Saber Nation is a saber-focused club at 4701 Sangamore Rd, Suite LL2, Bethesda, MD. Work on your start and your timing in private lessons, or begin with beginner fencing classes, adult fencing, or youth fencing.

Sources: USA Fencing Rules for Competition, October 2026 (t.22, t.23, t.60-t.63, t.100-t.106, saber scoring apparatus); FIE Technical Rules, August 2026 (t.89, t.106); Fencing Canada Refereeing Committee manual (2005); Surrey Fencing, Sabre Refereeing Hints (Keith Smith seminar material).