Skewered Fencing: Scoring Box Simulator

Scoring Box Simulator

A live simulation of the Skewered Fencing Scoring Box, running the same software as the real boxes. Unlike traditional scoring boxes, it uses a full LED display to show late-hit timing, whipover detection, and a scrolling timeline of hits. See the Things to Try tab for a guided tour.

Use these buttons to drive the strip as if the fencers were actually fencing. Plug in connects a fencer's body cord to the reel. Hit is a valid touch on the opponent's target area. Short is a fault: the fencer hitting their own equipment (bell guard for épée, lamé for foil/sabre). Parry means blade-on-blade contact.

Left Fencer

Plug in

Short

Hit

Between

Parry

Right Fencer

Plug in

Short

Hit

These buttons play back common fencing actions so you can see how the box reacts. Click any of them and watch the display above.

Double touch (left first) Both fencers hit each other within the lock-out window — both lights come on.

Double touch (right first) Same as above, but with right hitting first.

Late hit (left scores) Left hits, then right hits just after the lock-out closes. Most boxes would show only the left light; this box also indicates that right's hit was late and shows exactly how late.

Late hit (right scores) Same as above, but with right hitting first and left arriving late.

Parry-riposte Blades meet, then the defender hits back. The box shows the blade contact and the resulting touch.

Want to try your own timing? Pick who hits first and how much later the other fencer hits.

hits, then Right hits ms later

Run

(Timing accuracy is limited by javascript to about ±10ms -- the real boxes are much more precise!)

Here are some things to try with the simulator. Use the virtual remote on the right (or the keyboard shortcuts) to interact with the box. Note that red buttons on the remote affect score and blue buttons affect time.

Simulate a bout:
Switch to the Strip Control tab. Click Plug in for both fencers to connect them to the strip. Click Hit to land a touch — you'll see the scoring light come on. Try hitting with both sides to see how the lock-out timing works. Use Short to simulate a fault (hitting your own equipment) and Parry for blade contact (in foil and saber).
Switch weapons:
Press to cycle through sabre, épée, and foil. Notice how the display and timing behavior change for each weapon.
Run the bout clock:
Press to start the clock. Simulate a hit using the Strip Control tab and watch the clock stop automatically. In foil or épée, let the passivity timer expire — notice that hits won't register until the clock is restarted.
Review a timeline:
Switch to the Demos tab and run a parry-riposte. Then press to step back through the timeline of blade contacts and touches. Press to step forward, or to exit the review.
Manage scores and cards:
Press or to adjust scores. Notice the small triangle that indicates which fencer received the most recent touch. Assigning more than one point per touch and the triangle turns orange. When a touch occurs, the triangle dims until a point is awared. Press to assign a yellow or red card; hold it to assign a p-card.
Pause and priority:
Press to start a 1-minute break. Hold it to start the break with a randomly-assigned priority side (used in foil and epee after the third period).
Set a custom time:
Hold to enter any M:SS time on the bout clock. In foil or épée, hold it again to set the passivity timer to any :SS value. The small blue numbers on the top-right of buttons are the digits.
Undo:
Hold to undo the last change. Accidentally reset the bout timer? Undo! Accidentally assigned a score or card? Undo! Accidentally started the 1 min break? Undo!
Enter the config menu:
Hold to open the configuration menu. Try changing the timing standard from FIE to WFL* to try the new World Fencing League timings. Press to exit the menu.
(The first two menu items — “strip” and “remote” — aren't functional in the web simulator.)
Take a break:
If the fencers are unplugged and there's no activity for a few minutes, the box goes to sleep. You can help it along by long-pressing . As soon as some strip activity occurs (e.g. fencers plug in, short, or touch), the box immediately wakes up. These scoring boxes can be left on 24/7.