The basic fencing guards below represent the conventional on guard positions for fencing Foil.

The fencing target is separated into lines which correspond to the four basic guard positions, these are further classified as either high line or low line according to whether or not the guard is above or below a line dividing the fencer's trunk in two.

High Line

6: Sixte, defence of the sword arm side

4: Quarte, defence of the non-sword arm side

Low Line

8: Octave, defence of the sword arm side

7: Septime, defence of the non-sword arm side