Whipping is when an otherwise Strike legal weapon flexes excessively, which may present balance and safety issues. It was previously an Official Clarification, and was later addressed (though not specifically by name) in the Rules of Play 8.6.3 under Weapon Safety:
A
safe weapon is one that will not break bones, teeth, or regularly leave bruises when it strikes a person. Every weapon must be checked for legality by the
Champion or a designated
reeve prior to its use on the field each day. The hallmark of weapon legality is player
safety, and as such safety will always trump technical compliance with weapon construction requirements. While a weapon may meet the technical requirements for legality it may still be unsafe in its construction or in the manner in which it is used.
Some examples of technically legal but unsafe weapons might be:
- weapons with cores so flexible as to risk core failure or other safety issues during reasonable combat.
- weapons made with overly hard foam.
- weapons with excessive tape.
- weapons with excessive mass.
Use of unsafe weapons or safe weapons in an unsafe manner may result in removal from play by the Champion, a reeve, or other group official.