When King Alfonso XI of Castile founded the Order of the Band in 1330, he established a chivalric code to govern how knights should fight and behave. Among its most fascinating sections is a set of detailed rules for jousting—believed to be among the earliest surviving regulations of the sport from the Middle Ages.
In his book Jousting in Medieval and Renaissance Iberia, historian Noel Fallows translates these statutes, offering a rare glimpse into how medieval tournaments were formally judged. Here are the eight rules King Alfonso XI laid out:
First Rule
Firstly, we declare that the knights who must joust should run four courses, and no more. And if in these four courses one knight should hit the other, splintering his lance, and the knight upon whom that lance splintered did not break his own lance by striking his opponent, he shall be vanquished, for he did not break his lance.
Second Rule
And furthermore, we declare that, if one knight splinters two lances and the other only one, the winner shall be the knight who breaks the two lances. But if the knight who only splintered one lance knocks off his opponent’s helm with the same blow, a tie shall be declared between him and the knight who splintered the two lances.
Two knights jousting in front of a French King and Queen, in a 15th-century manuscript – British Library MS Cotton Nero D. IX fol.55v
Third Rule
And furthermore, if a knight shatters two lances by striking his opponent, and the knight who has been struck knocks him off his horse, even though he did not splinter his lance, a tie shall be declared between him and the knight who splintered the two lanes.
Fourth Rule
Furthermore, if one knight knocks down both his opponent and his horse, and the other knocks down the knight but not his horse, we declare that the knight whose horse fell with him shall be the winner, because the fault in this case was the horse’s and not the rider’s. And in the case of the knight who fell but whose horse did not, the fault rests with the knight and not with the horse.
Fifth Rule
Furthermore, we declare that lance staves shall not be judged properly broken if they are broken crosswise, but only if they break after striking with the point.
Sixth Rule
Furthermore, we declare that if in these four courses each knight splinters two staves, or one each, or they each strike in the same place, a tie will be declared between these two. And if in these four courses they never manage to hit each other at all, let the judgement be that they jousted poorly.
Knights jousting at a medieval tournament. One lance is broken. British Library MS Cotton Nero D.IX, fol.32v
Seventh Rule
Furthermore, we declare that if any knight should drop his lance whilst charging, without ever coming to blows, his opponent should raise his lance and not strike him, for it would be unchivalrous to strike an opponent who had no lance.
Eighth Rule
And in order to judge these affairs, we declare that there should be four judges in place: two assigned to one team, and another two assigned to the other team, so that they can ensure that the knights who have jousted the best are declared the winners.
For readers interested in chivalric culture, tournament customs, or medieval Spanish history, Fallows’ Jousting in Medieval and Renaissance Iberia offers a rich and authoritative source. In addition to Alfonso XI’s statutes, the book explores the broader evolution of jousting in Iberia, illustrated with manuscripts, tournament accounts, and iconography.
When King Alfonso XI of Castile founded the Order of the Band in 1330, he established a chivalric code to govern how knights should fight and behave. Among its most fascinating sections is a set of detailed rules for jousting—believed to be among the earliest surviving regulations of the sport from the Middle Ages.
In his book Jousting in Medieval and Renaissance Iberia, historian Noel Fallows translates these statutes, offering a rare glimpse into how medieval tournaments were formally judged. Here are the eight rules King Alfonso XI laid out:
First Rule
Firstly, we declare that the knights who must joust should run four courses, and no more. And if in these four courses one knight should hit the other, splintering his lance, and the knight upon whom that lance splintered did not break his own lance by striking his opponent, he shall be vanquished, for he did not break his lance.
Second Rule
And furthermore, we declare that, if one knight splinters two lances and the other only one, the winner shall be the knight who breaks the two lances. But if the knight who only splintered one lance knocks off his opponent’s helm with the same blow, a tie shall be declared between him and the knight who splintered the two lances.
Third Rule
And furthermore, if a knight shatters two lances by striking his opponent, and the knight who has been struck knocks him off his horse, even though he did not splinter his lance, a tie shall be declared between him and the knight who splintered the two lanes.
Fourth Rule
Furthermore, if one knight knocks down both his opponent and his horse, and the other knocks down the knight but not his horse, we declare that the knight whose horse fell with him shall be the winner, because the fault in this case was the horse’s and not the rider’s. And in the case of the knight who fell but whose horse did not, the fault rests with the knight and not with the horse.
Fifth Rule
Furthermore, we declare that lance staves shall not be judged properly broken if they are broken crosswise, but only if they break after striking with the point.
Sixth Rule
Furthermore, we declare that if in these four courses each knight splinters two staves, or one each, or they each strike in the same place, a tie will be declared between these two. And if in these four courses they never manage to hit each other at all, let the judgement be that they jousted poorly.
Seventh Rule
Furthermore, we declare that if any knight should drop his lance whilst charging, without ever coming to blows, his opponent should raise his lance and not strike him, for it would be unchivalrous to strike an opponent who had no lance.
Eighth Rule
And in order to judge these affairs, we declare that there should be four judges in place: two assigned to one team, and another two assigned to the other team, so that they can ensure that the knights who have jousted the best are declared the winners.
For readers interested in chivalric culture, tournament customs, or medieval Spanish history, Fallows’ Jousting in Medieval and Renaissance Iberia offers a rich and authoritative source. In addition to Alfonso XI’s statutes, the book explores the broader evolution of jousting in Iberia, illustrated with manuscripts, tournament accounts, and iconography.
Jousting in Medieval and Renaissance Iberia was published in 2010 by The Boydell Press.
Top Image: British Library MS Cotton Nero D.IX, fol. 40r
Subscribe to Medievalverse
Related Posts