As I’m sure many fighters are aware, on the 13th of May 2025, Saber Tour unveiled a new development in the Rules of the Tour.

This new update brings us clarifications on cards and specifically the accumulation of red cards, as well as the creation of an all-new Technical Directory (which I shall cover in a later post).

The Card System

Yellow Cards

When a Yellow Card is given, it is accompanied by a -2HP Penalty.

Yellow Cards are typically awarded for accidentally or unintentionally breaking the rules of combat in a Saber Tour tournament, things like:

• Unintentionally making physical contact with the opponent.
• Accidental use of excessive force that couldn’t cause an injury.
• Accidentally using unarmed techniques (e.g. shouldering the opponent, grabbing any part of their saber, tripping the opponent up, etc).

Fighters are only given one Yellow Card per match, any further Yellow Cards will automatically count as a Red Card, regardless of how many have previously been given.

Red Cards

When a Red Card is awarded, the Fighter will automatically lose all of their HP and their opponent wins the round 5-0.

Red Cards are awarded for:

• Two consecutive Yellow Cards (within the same match).
• Accidental use of force capable of causing injury to the opponent
• Unwillingly endangering the opponent (e.g using a thrusting attack)
• Willingly making physical contact with the opponent.
• Willingly endangering oneself.

All Red Cards awarded after the first will immediately convert into a Black Card, which is detailed below.

Black Cards

A Black Card signifies immediate disqualification from the tournament in which it is awarded.

A Black Card is awarded for:

• Two Red Cards (awarded at any point in the tournament).
• Any deliberate foul.
• Deliberate use of excessive force.
• Willingly endangering the opponent (e.g making a thrusting attack)
• Insults and taunts made towards the referees, the public or fellow fighters
• Willing use of unarmed techniques (as in the Yellow Card section)
• Refusal to shake hands with the opponent at the end of a match.
• Refusal to salute.

As – within a match – all Yellow Cards after the first convert to a Red Card and two Red Cards become one Black Card, three Yellow Cards in one match equates to one Black Card.