Is this a crossover?

[AndrewH]

We all know that forward crossovers are illegal in sabre. But I thought of something while practicing footwork:

(I'm right handed, so my leading foot is my right foot and my trailing foot is my left.)

If I'm crossover-retreating, and I end up with my left foot in front of my right foot, can I then move forward with that foot and cross over with my right foot to create the explosive motion of a fleche but without the yellow card?

[Purple Fencer]

[quote]Originally posted by AndrewH:
<strong>We all know that forward crossovers are illegal in sabre. But I thought of something while practicing footwork:

(I'm right handed, so my leading foot is my right foot and my trailing foot is my left.)

If I'm crossover-retreating, and I end up with my left foot in front of my right foot, can I then move forward with that foot and cross over with my right foot to create the explosive motion of a fleche but without the yellow card?</strong><hr></blockquote>

Hmmmm...I don't see why not. You're not so much crossing forward, but instead you're stopping a rearward motion and happen to have your lead foot in front. Edew might have a better answer, but I I was directing, I wouldn't card you for it.

And if you can turn the corner that fast, you've got one hell of a set of ankles!

[oiuyt]

I've been told that not only is this legal but have a second-hand account of it being done at the World Cup in Peabody 2 years ago. Done without carding, executed a couple of times, so it wasn't just a one-time thing that the observer didn't quite catch.

It's an application of whether or not you can recover your normally forward foot forward after a half-cross-retreat. Granted there's a forward motion by the normally backwards (but temporarily forward) foot in the meantime. I've been told that such ercover to normal fencing position is legal.

-B