Only the kingdom equestrian officer or marshals specifically authorized by the kingdom officer for this activity may approve riders to participate in this activity.
Safety
Safety for both the rider and the mount must be maintained at all times.
All activities must be stopped at the first indication of an unsafe situation.
This activity may be done with or without a shield. If a shield is used the rider must be authorized to ride with accoutrements.
The lances may not be couched rigidly under the arm but must be couched loosely so that in the event of contact (with any part of the lance except the foam) will allow for the lance to swing back and away from the opposing rider.
Equipment:
All lances and armor must be inspected by a marshal authorized in this activity prior to each use for jousting.
Lances
Total lance length shall be 10 ft.
The lance shall be constructed in three sections including the tip, middle, and base. The tip and the base will socket into the middle section.
Lances must have a tip of a minimum of 24 inches and a recommended maximum of 48 inches of expanded polystyrene foam (Styrofoam) or Extruded Insulation Foam of 2 inch diameter and 2 lb. density, projecting beyond the middle section.
The middle section consists of a cardboard tube with a 2 inch interior diameter and a maximum of a 1/8 inch sidewall. The cardboard tube must be cleared of broken foam after each run.
The base section may be made of any non-brittle material. The maximum length of the base section is 45 inches, including a recommended 6 inches extending into the middle section. The grip for the base section should be located so that there is a maximum of 96 inches from the center of the grip to front of the lance. It is recommended the base section be carved from wood.
Armor
Helm
Helms must be of rigid materials (18 gauge mild or equivalent).
There can be no openings that allow the penetration of a 1½ -inch dowel.
Helms must have sufficient strapping and/or padding to prevent the rigid material from contacting the rider and so as not to be readily dislodged when subject to a moderate frontal impact.
Gorget - according to heavy weapons standards.
Body - rigid material covering chest and torso. Standard equestrian riding vests are deemed equivalent.
Groin - groin area must be protected by sufficient means including saddle or armor.
Hands - hand must be protected either by shield, gauntlet, or equivalent (i.e. vamplate on lance).
Leg, arm, and shoulder protection - armor recommended, but not required.
Shields
The shields must be constructed of rigid, non-brittle, materials.
Recommended is ½" plywood. The edges should be blunt and corners rounded.
The shield should have at least 300 square inches of surface area to present a reasonable minimum target area to the opponent.
Shields must be strapped in such a manner that the rider has control of his or her equipment and mount at all times.
Barrier
The barrier should present a visual impediment so that horses will not willingly encounter the barrier. The barrier should be constructed so that it will collapse easily in the event of a horse or rider contacting it.
Recommended height of the barrier should be between 48 and 60 inches.
The barrier shall be a minimum length of 100 feet. The barrier must be set in such a way that there are no spectators at either end.
At each event that jousting will take place, each horse will make practice passes down the list to ensure that they are comfortable with the activity on that day.
Authorization
This is limited to intermediate or advanced riders.
Only the kingdom equestrian officer or marshals specifically authorized in this activity and designated by their kingdom equestrian officer to authorize riders may authorize riders to participate in this activity.
Riders must demonstrate control over both their equipment and their mount during authorization. Intermediate riders must authorize on the mount that they intend to use for this activity.
Marshaling
A marshal designated for this activity must be present for jousting to take place.
This marshal shall arrange ground crew appropriate to the circumstances. It is recommended that this should include ground attendants to help with the scoring.
Conduct
Each rider shall be responsible for checking his or her equipment prior to commencing a match. The marshal of the field should also check the equipment and the field conditions.
Riders should have two lances available in order to be able to place one at each end of the list.
Riders should arrange for suitable assistance to quickly prepare for each pass and to assist with the removal of broken tips.
Proper conduct for the tilt includes the following conventions
Check to make sure the opponent is prepared prior to commencing down the lane; present a good target to your opponent by presenting a nearly flat shield face throughout the pass; aim for the shield and try to avoid contact with your opponent and be prepared to raise your lance and avoid contact if your opponent appears to be having difficulty controlling their horse or equipment.
Remember only a light amount of force is required to shatter the foam tips, therefore riders must seek to minimize impact. Excessive force will not be tolerated.
If a rider is having difficulty controlling his or her horse or equipment, or does not follow the conventions of the list, the marshal should suspend further passes until the situation is addressed.
Remember safety is the first priority in this activity.
Once the match is announced each rider should proceed to their end of the tilting lane and prepare for the pass. Once both riders have signaled their readiness the marshal shall signal the commencement of the pass.
Scoring
The following are scoring suggestions, methods of scoring the jousts will be left up to the Kingdom Equestrian Officer or the designated EqMIC.
A match may consist of three passes. A winner for each pass is determined and the best two out of three passes decides the match.
In the event of a tie after three passes successive passes may be taken until the tie is broken.
Standard scoring
The winner for each pass may be determined according to the following scoring with the better result winning the pass.
Best result: Lance tip shattered into multiple pieces.
Second best result: Lance tip broken as a single piece.
Third best result: Lance tip contacts opponent (if jousting without shields) or the opponent's shield, but fails to break.
Fourth best result: Lance tip misses the opponent (if jousting without shields) or the opponent's shield.
Additional scoring options for jousting without shields may include scoring hits as in heavy weapons fighting.
If both participants have identical results, the pass will be considered a tie.
If both riders break, but do not shatter their lance tips, the rider that breaks his or her tip closer to the middle section shall win the pass.
To promote chivalry both riders should be consulted as to the result of a pass.
Glossary
Equivalent: Refers to the impact resistance, impact distribution, and impact absorption abilities of whatever material is specified.
Gauge: The U.S. standard scale of measurement used when referring to the thickness of sheet metals.
Gorget: A piece of armor designed to protect the neck. A Gorget usually takes the form of a high collar with a front and back flap, constructed with rigid materials and padding.
Rigid Materials (includes the following)
Mild steel of not less than 18 gauge
Aluminum of not less than 16 gauge
Stainless Steel of not less than 20 gauge
Other metals of sufficient thickness to give similar rigidity to those listed above.
High impact resistant plastic such as ABS or polyethylene of sufficient thickness to give similar rigidity to those metals listed above.
Heavy leather that has been hardened in hot wax, boiled, soaked in polyester resin, or treated with some other material that provides a similar stiffening effect.
Other materials approved by the Crown and the Earl Marshal on a case-by-case basis.