Rapier:Marshaling on the field - Preparing

Preparing to marshal combat activities

As marshal-in-charge, you are responsible for organizing the marshaling. This does not mean that you have to do it all yourself.

Things that need to be done prior to all combat activities:

1. Check that the field can be safely fought upon, preferably before the site is reserved for the event. Can someone in armor, with restricted vision, cross it safely (i.e., without injury; simple tripping is an inherent hazard of combat in rough terrain)? At minimum, check at the beginning of the day to see if there are holes, soft spots, rocks, etc. If they are serious and cannot be worked around, move the fighting somewhere else.
2. Arrange for equipment inspection. (See Inspecting equipment)
3. Arrange for marshals for all of the combat.
   1. That means there should be at least one marshal per single combat (preferably two or three); enough marshals for group combat (melees and battles) to both surround the fighting (to keep an eye on the boundaries) and keep most of the fights under general surveillance (for detached armor, broken weapons, etc.).
   2. It is relatively common for a marshal-in-charge to appoint those they feel are competent to serve as field marshals during an event. Whether these individuals are warranted marshals is a matter of kingdom choice. The advantage of being a warranted marshal is that you are an official of the Corporation, which gives you certain legal protection from lawsuits (if any) arising from your actions as a marshal. Since the Society and its officers have never faced a lawsuit over fighting on the field, this may not seem critical, but it is worth thinking about.
   3. If volunteers are in short supply, point out to the fighters that they do not get to start until sufficient marshals are available.
4. When it is all over, write up a report on the event.