The foil has a flexible rectangular blade. Points are scored with the tip of the blade and must land within the torso of the body.
The target area in foil is the chest, back, and shoulders. The foil fencer's uniform includes a metallic vest (called a lame) that covers the target area, so that a touch will register on the "box"(scoring machine.) A small tip is attached to the point of the foil and is connected to a wire inside the blade. The fencer wears a body cord inside his/her uniform, which connects the foil to a reel wire, connected to the scoring machine.
There are two scoring lights on the machine. One shows a green light when a fencer is hit, and one shows a red light when her opponent is hit. A white light indicates a touch landing outside the lame. These "off target" hits do not count in the scoring, but they do stop the fencing action temporarily.
