Inspecting Coreless Shields

From the Book of War

• 2. Shields:
  • 2.1. Shield must be padded on the edges and face so as not to cause injury when struck with a forceful blow of an arm/hand.
  • 2.2. The maximum width of a shield is 3 feet.
  • 2.3. The maximum height of a shield is 18 inches less than the height of the wielder.
  • 2.4. The minimum dimension on the face of a shield is 12 inches.
  • 2.5. Shield spikes are allowed for decoration.

How to check shields

• 1. Measure the shield. If it does not conform to the rules listed above, the shield fails.

• 2. Using your forearm, strike multiple forceful blows along the entire rim of the shield. If your forearm hits core through the foam, fail the shield.

• 3. Using your forearm, strike a forceful blow along both the top and the bottom of the shield, above and below where the handle is. If you hit the handle, fail the shield.

• 4. Run a hand over the face of the shield to make sure there are no large pits, cuts or dents in the foam that would make it unsafe.

• 5. Check to see if the shield "tacos". Using a medium amount of force, try to bend the shield edges together like a taco shell. If the edges of the shield touch together, fail the shield.

• 6. While grasping the punch shield handle, shake the shield forwards and backwards to make sure the handle is securely in place. If not, the shield fails.

Also see Inspecting Shields.