The Codex Belli, literally Laws of Battle, are a ruleset for unchoreographed semi-contact combat with medieval reenactment weapons, which differ most notably from realistic replicas in that they have rounded edges and points.
The goal of this ruleset was to create a common standard for safe fighting practices as lower-scale reenactment events grew larger and a trust-based system became insufficient with the increasing number of reenactors involved.
Among other things, its application at major national reenactment events has led to an increasing popularity, although critics have attempted to establish different systems.
Some variations count hits with a projectile, such as an arrow or crossbow bolt, twice because the added range gives the victim more time to react than when having to deal with a melee attacker.
This is not only a very artificial technique, it is also criticised for provoking injuries in the upper body area or, especially in the absence of a solid helmet, on the head — both of which the Codex Belli was supposed to protect — by being based on the idea of the attacker trying to strike downwards from above the opponent's shoulder, which requires an upward movement of the sword.