Marshalate - Overview

General

Marshals support martial activities through ensuring our participants' equipment meets any required safety or game play standards, that participants are following the rules of the activity, keeping an eye out for safety issues for participants and spectators, and managing the conduct of the activity so that everyone involved can have a good time.
There are two categories of marshals:
Warranted marshals
- They have been authorized as a marshal and warranted as an officer of the SCA.
- They can monitor and make decisions about their martial discipline, with designated authorities defined by their kingdom and/or society.
Unwarranted marshals (aka "field marshals")
- Appointed by the marshal-in-charge during an event to assist in tasks that don't require decision making, such as ensuring that boundaries are maintained, or looking for immediate issues of safety.
Marshals can be warranted or designated with particular authorities as defined by the Kingdom Earl Marshal, the Society Marshal, and the Society Marshal's Handbooks.
1. This can be by discipline (e.g., armored combat vs. rapier combat), by role (e.g., field marshal or authorizing marshal), or other defined roles in the chain of command (e.g., Deputy Earl Marshal).
You do not need to be an authorized participant in order to be a marshal. (e.g. you can be a non-fighting marshal).

A marshal that is warranted (or roster warranted) is an officer of the kingdom or Society.
Only warranted marshals that have undergone a Marshal's Authorization are allowed to perform the following duties:
- authorize people
- perform armor and weapons inspections
- give final approval of the suitability of weapons, armor, or equipment
- serve as the marshal-in-charge of an event
- serve as a marshal-at-large
- serve as a local group marshal (e.g. "Knight Marshals")
- serve as Kingdom Greater or Lesser Officers (Earl Marshal, Principality Earl Marshal, or a Deputy Marshal for a specific discipline).