Foil fencing classes explore proper footwork, attack, and defense actions, and the ability to analyze opponents.

Most fencers take Foil in their beginning classes, and most fencers will continue with foil. Foil has this status due to its history.

Back in the days of combative fencing (when people fenced to kill) it was developed as a training to weapon, and therefore it is still the best weapon to start training in.

In foil fencing if both fencers hit each other in the same action, there are rules of "right of way " that determines which fencer gets the point. The goal of fencing a combative duel was to stay alive. The rules of right of way force the foil fencer to make the decisions that would keep them alive in a duel. The person who made the better decision would get the point.

"Right of Way" states that a fencer should defend against an attack rather than attack back into it. After a fencer successfully defends an attack right of way switches, and the fencer who started the attack now needs to defend himself.

The target area in foil fencing is the opponent's torso. To score a point in foil you must hit your opponent in the torso with the tip of the blade, as point attacks were the most deadly.