Proposed Addition 3.5.6.2 - "Headboxing" Illegal

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Proposed Addition 3.5.6.2 - "Headboxing" Illegal

Postby Akroth » Fri Dec 15, 2017 10:56 am

The rules do not currently forbid the intentional blocking of a strike using one's head.

CURRENT RULE
3.5.6.1. The head is an illegal target area for Class 1, 2, and 3 weapons.

PROPOSED ADDITION
3.5.6.2. Intentionally blocking strikes from class 1, 2 and 3 weapons with the head is illegal.
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Akroth
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Re: Proposed Addition 3.5.6.2 - "Headboxing" Illegal

Postby Akroth » Fri Dec 15, 2017 2:11 pm

I feel like 1.0 and 1.5 cover this. These rules also forbid me from riding a horse into battle.

The big difference between horses and headboxing is that one is a horse. The horse can be identified as a hazard prior to the start of the fight. A headboxer can't be identified as a hazard because they look like everyone else on the field. Also unlike the horse example, this has actually happened (Although rarely).

To most people, it seems obvious that you shouldn't block with your head. Equally, to most people, it seems obvious that you shouldn't start punching your opponent when you get mad. We still have a rule saying that you shouldn't commit acts of actual violence, despite the fact that it should be obvious to most people, because we want to lay out that this behavior is inappropriate.

1.0. Each individual is expected to treat each other with respect and participate in fair play with safety and sportsmanship in mind. Actual violence, threats of actual violence, cheating, and arguing with marshals or other combatants disrespectfully are just a few examples of unacceptable behavior and are not allowed.
There isn't a rule that says you can't block a strike by putting your head in the way of the strike. It can't be classified as "cheating" because there isn't a rule for it.

I could see the argument for including this under safety, but the standard of what is safe will be different for different people, and some people might feel that the risk of headboxing is an acceptable risk.

1.5. Creative interpretation of the rules to gain any advantage is illegal. The marshal settles all disputes.
"Creative Interpretation" is generally a bad argument because it can be applied to every single rules loophole. It's basically a catch-all. I can see its purpose for corner-cases that will never actually come up, but headboxing is a legitimate issue that actually occurs.

I would also argue that this can't be handled by "creative interpretation" since no rule is being misinterpreted. The headboxer is correctly handling the rule that says strikes to the head are illegal, and there is no other applicable rule to this situation that I can find.

We don't go around shield edging people in the face because most of us are sane, and for those of us who aren't, there's a rule for that. Unfortunately some people are not sane enough to realize that face blocking is a bad idea. For those people, we need a rule.
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More rants here: http://board.belegarth.com/viewforum.php?f=66
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