My understanding of the neutral zone is: If you voluntarily entered the neutral zone with just one foot - that was fine, no problem, no remark, no warnings. If you voluntarily entered the neutral zone with both feet, to avoid or escape an attack you would receive a "remarque" from the referee, if you got 3 X remarques in any round the bout would be stopped and the referee would propose an official warning. If you got pushed into the neutral zone, the fight would just get re-started and the referee, as James said, would take a dim view of the kicker/ puncher and watch for excess power being used. If you enter the neutral zone, one foot or two your priority must be to get back into the combat zone / area, you cannot fight whilst in the neutral zone.
In short - imagine a ring with ropes, the line between the combat area and the neutral zone on a matted area, is the ropes - (mats are a really new addition to Savate and in my personal view, not a good move)- if the bout was held in a ring, it is easy and possible to put one foot under the lower rope, thus into the neutral zone and continue fighting. To get both feet under the lower rope is possible, if you back into the ropes, in the middle between the posts, flex the ropes back but......similar to theidea on mat rules, you get catapulted back into the ring. The neutral zone is equivalent to the "cushion" area outside the ropes of a boxing / kickboxing ring.
What I was told in Bulgaria, by the international arbitrators, is this:
In Assaut, as we well know, force is frowned upon. If a fighter steps voluntarily into the neutral zone or beyond, it is his or her own fault, and warnings can be given. If he or she is pushed, however, then they are not culpable: there is no punishment.
So you can try and out-manoeuvre your opponent in such a way as to cause them to step outside the fighting area; this may land them a foul and erode their score. If you resort to forcing them out, by pushing or kicking them, then no such benefit will be enjoyed. The assaut will simply be restarted inside the area and the referee may take a dim view of your forceful tactics.
Please could someone clarify the rules regarding both stepping onto, and being pushed onto (by a chasse for example), the 'limit' area of the ring. And also what happens when going the far side of it.
I was under the impression from the judging/referee'ing seminars that if you went into this area (certainly with both feet or if you fought from it) then you were commiting a foul. Therefore, one was actually attempting for push one's opponent into this area so they would get a foul.
However, I was warned by the ref for pushing my opponent into the 'limit' area!
Having spoken to a couple of others who've been on the same judging/refereeing seminars as me they were under the same impression: that it was fine (if not beneficial!) to push your opponent into this area.
So could we have a clarifiation please!
Thanks! James
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"The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses, behind the lines, in the gym and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights." - Muhammad Ali
