The Referee fulfils their function with the aid of an apparatus for the automatic registering of hits; two judges may also assist by watching for the use of the non-sword hand or arm, substitution of the valid target, hits scored on the floor at epee, reversal of the line of the shoulders at foil, leaving the piste to the side or the rear or any other offence defined in the rules (cf. t.120 Offences and Penalties).

The judges are obligatory for all individual competition finals (whether of 4 or 8 fencers) and for the final (2 teams) of team events.

The judges are placed on each side of the Referee, on either side of the piste; they watch all aspects of the entire fight.

The judges must change ends half way through each bout or after each period so as not to watch the same fencer the whole time.