Actions: How they are described and grouped in the Planchet Tracker

Find out which actions you can enter in the Planchet Tracker when tracking your fencing performance. Below, we describe:

1. What we call an action

2. How many actions are tracked before a hit

3. Types of actions

1. WHAT WE CALL AN ACTION

An action is a unique maneuvre of offense/defense/counterattack. Descriptions of actions are grouped into general types defined from a technical point of view as well as from the point of pace/tempo.

Some groups of actions are not distinguished in different technical designs. For example:

With blade can mean “Along blade” and “Bounce to blade”.

High circular / Semicircular parry can mean anything universal above.

Malparry is simply a general error in defense.

We do not distinguish between a weak, punctured cover and a situation when the opponent did not cover at all.

The detailed description/structure of actions is currently not important for Planchet Tracker statistical analysis.

The generalisation of the repertoire has allowed us to reduce the number of options in the application significantly.

2. HOW MANY ACTIONS ARE TRACKED BEFORE A HIT

The application focuses on scoring sequences. Each scoring sequence consists of up to 3 actions preceeding a hit. Types of actions are described in part 3 below.

The full sequence with 3 actions and hit could look like this:

Attack (Offense) > Parry (Defense) > Riposte (Counter-attack) > Hit

Example:

1st action: Left fencer (L) makes attack with Direct

2nd action: Right fencer (R) makes defense with Quarte

3rd action: Right fencer (R) makes counter-attack with Direct

Hit: (R) hits Head.

The point goes to (R): 0:1

Left Fencer (Offense) > Direct > Right Fencer (Defense) > Quarte > Right Fencer (Riposte) > Direct > hits L´s Head

3. TYPES OF ACTIONS

Below we are listing types of actions for Offense, Defense and Counter-Attack that you can choose from when entering scoring details.

(1) OFFENSE

Stopped preparation or short attack

• Stopped preparation – the fencer interrupts or stops the attack

• Short attack – the attack comes from a wrong distance (failure distance) without making a hit

Direct – is a simple or compound attack without any trick or contact with the opponent’s blade

Simple with blade – is any simple attack with an opponent’s blade (bounce, along)

Compound with blade – is any compound attack with an opponent’s blade (bounce, along)

Compound with blade and/or disengagement – is any compound attack with an opponent’s blade (bounce, along) or with disengagement

Remise – is any attack that is intentionally short but uses the opponent’s passivity and is extended / renewed until the attack continues

Here is how these actions are displayed in Offense screen:

(2) DEFENSE

High circular or semicircular – any or universal upper parry (except for Sixte or Quarte)

Low circular or semicircular – any or universal low parry (except for Seconde or Octave)

Sixte/Tierce

Seconde/Octave

Quarte

Defense Shortcuts

When any of the following actions occur, the Riposte action group is skipped. It is because these actions lead to a hit themselves:

Malparry – is any mistake in defence that results in hitting the defending opponent

Point in line or arret – is a point in line or arret that hits the attacker

Counter attack – successful counter-attack against a stopped preparation or against a short attack or against opponent´s tempo. The attacker is hit.

Here is how these actions are displayed in Defense screen:

(3) RIPOSTE

Direct

With blade – with bounce or along

With disengagement – with any disengagement, coupé or feint

Special Shortcuts

A group of actions / situations where we do not focus on a specific scoring sequence (from the analytical point of view).

It is important though to monitor them from the point of match strategy as they could influence the way how one or the other fencer continues to fight.

Double hit (épée) – both fencers are hit and get the point

Simultane (sabre, foil) – none of the fencers gets the point

Red card

Rear limit – one of the fencers crossed over the rear line when moving backwards

Here is how these actions are displayed in Riposte screen:

Read How to Start Using Planchet Tracker article to learn more about our application!