Everything you need to know about how battles are fought, scored, and won in the Foam Weapon League.
Each battle consists of three rounds of combat
Each round lasts one minute of active fighting
30-second rest between rounds
A standard FWL event features a Battle Card of 5 individual fights, culminating in a main event championship bout. Each fight is a standalone contest between two warriors. The entire event runs approximately 90 minutes including walkouts, intermissions, and post-fight interviews.
The blood bag system is the heart of FWL combat. It creates dramatic, visually spectacular moments that the audience can see and react to in real time.
Each warrior wears 4 small bags of theatrical blood attached to their costume at designated target zones: upper arms (2), thighs (2). Bags are secured with breakaway clips that release on solid contact.
Warriors use their foam weapons to strike opponent's blood bag zones. A clean, solid hit to a blood bag zone that causes the bag to burst counts as a score.
When a blood bag bursts, theatrical blood visibly sprays or drips — creating an unmistakable visual confirmation. The referee signals the score. The crowd erupts.
The first warrior to burst TWO of their opponent's blood bags wins by 'Blood Out.' If neither warrior achieves Blood Out, the fight goes to the judges' scorecards.
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Blood Bag Burst | 5 pts |
| Clean Weapon Strike (body) | 2 pts |
| Clean Weapon Strike (limb) | 1 pt |
| Successful Block / Parry | 1 pt |
| Crowd Engagement Bonus | 1-3 pts |
| Showmanship / Style | 1-3 pts |
| Knockdown (opponent touches ground) | 3 pts |
If a warrior bursts 2 blood bags at any point during the fight, the battle ends immediately with a Blood Out victory — regardless of the round or score. This is the FWL's equivalent of a knockout.
Burst 2 of your opponent's blood bags. Instant win at any point during the fight. The most dramatic and crowd-pleasing victory.
If no Blood Out occurs after 3 rounds, three ringside judges tally points from strikes, blocks, showmanship, and crowd engagement to determine the winner.
A warrior can tap out or verbally submit at any time. While rare in foam combat, it can happen when a warrior is pinned or overwhelmed.
Single-hand or two-hand. Max length 42 inches.
Single or double-headed. Max length 36 inches.
Blunt weapons. Max head diameter 8 inches.
Bo staffs, spears, halberds. Max length 60 inches.
Any two single-hand weapons. Combined weight limit applies.
One shield (max 24" diameter) plus one single-hand weapon.
Inspected before every fight by the weapons master
Weapons must compress on impact
Required for all warriors regardless of gender
Custom-fit recommended
Automatic point deduction and possible disqualification
No loose elements that could cause tripping
Two yellow cards in one fight = automatic red card
Red card = immediate disqualification and possible league suspension
Open tryout events where aspiring warriors demonstrate their skills, character, and showmanship. Top performers earn a spot on the FWL roster.
Warriors compete in monthly Battle Cards, building their win-loss records and fan followings. Rankings are updated after each event based on cumulative points.
Top 8 ranked warriors enter a single-elimination bracket. Higher seeds get home-cage advantage (walkout order choice).
The championship event. The final two warriors battle for the FWL Championship Belt in a best-of-5-round main event. Pyrotechnics. Full production. The ultimate spectacle.