Rapier:Conventions - Holds - Holds in rapier combat

Holds in rapier combat

1. When a hold is called:
   1. If you are a combatant, move your weapons to a non-threatening position, such as pointing loaded rubber band guns at the ground, or resting the point of your weapon on your foot to keep it out of the dirt. The marshal may require you to discharge your rubber band into the ground.
   2. If you are a combat archer, you must unload your weapon (crossbows are allowed to remain cocked, but unloaded).
   3. If you have a long weapon, it should be lowered so that the marshals' staffs can be seen.
2. During a hold:
   1. You are not allowed to talk about the battle/melee (eg. tactics).
   2. You are not allowed to change position/location, unless the marshal tells you to.
   3. If you are told to move away from a boundary or a hazard is necessary, maintain your relative position and distances to other combatants.
   4. Masks and other protective equipment must remain on during a hold until a marshal calls, "Masks off".
   5. If you are a marshal, you must ensure that rubber band guns have been safely discharged and bows unloaded before calling, "Masks off" after a hold is called.
3. At the end of a hold:
   1. The marshal will call "All rise!" (or "Rise if you're able" or some other equivalent statement). When the combatants have resumed their guard, the marshal-in-charge will call "Lay on!" to signal the resumption of the fight.
   2. If you are a combat archer, you can nock an arrow or load your crossbow at "make ready" (or equivalent) and can fire as soon as "Lay on" is called.
4. "Hold!" will normally be called only for broken armor, lost tempers, injuries, safety concerns, outsiders wandering onto the field, fighters about to wander off it, or to enforce the rules and scenario limits.
5. You do not need to call a hold for a dropped weapon unless it is likely to be a tripping hazard.
6. You do not need to call a hold for incidental gapping in abrasion resistant armor.