The competition used a pool play format, with each team facing the other teams in the pool in a round robin. Each match consisted of 16 bouts, with 4 fencers on one team facing each of the 4 fencers on the other team. Bouts were to 5 touches. Total touches against were the tie-breaker if a match was tied 8 bouts to 8. However, only as much fencing was done as was necessary to determine advancement, so some matches never occurred and some matches were stopped before the full 16 bouts were fenced if the teams advancing from the pool could be determined.
Poland defeated Great Britain 12–4. Italy defeated Great Britain on touches against after each team won 8 bouts in their match. No match between Poland and Italy was necessary.
Rank
Nation
Wins
Losses
Bouts Won
Bouts Lost
Notes
1
1
0
12
4
Qualified for semifinals
2
1
0
8
8
Qualified for semifinals
3
0
2
12
20
Pool 3
The Soviet Union defeated Australia 14–2. When France took a 9–4 lead over Australia to clinch the match, the competition ended as Australia was certain to be the third-place team and eliminated.
Rank
Nation
Wins
Losses
Bouts Won
Bouts Lost
Notes
1
1
0
9
1
Qualified for semifinals
2
1
0
14
2
Qualified for semifinals
3
0
2
3
23
Semifinals
The top two nations in each pool advanced to the final.
Semifinal 1
France defeated the Soviet Union 9–7 and the Soviet Union defeated Italy 9–7. Italy needed to beat France by that same score, then, to avoid elimination; when France took an 8–6 lead, that became impossible and Italy was set at 3rd place in the pool.
Rank
Nation
Wins
Losses
Bouts Won
Bouts Lost
Notes
1
2
0
17
13
Qualified for final
2
1
1
16
16
Qualified for final
3
0
2
13
17
Semifinal 2
Poland defeated the United States 10–6. Hungary defeated the United States 9–1, with the remainder of the bouts between the two not necessary. No match between Poland and Hungary was necessary.
Rank
Nation
Wins
Losses
Bouts Won
Bouts Lost
Notes
1
1
0
9
1
Qualified for final
2
1
0
10
6
Qualified for final
3
0
2
7
19
Final
The first two pairings saw Poland defeat the Soviet Union and Hungary beat France. Poland and Hungary each won again in the second pairings, this time Poland over France and Hungary against the Soviet Union. With two 2–0 teams and two 0–2 teams, the third set of pairings in the round-robin were effectively a gold medal match and a bronze medal match. The Soviet Union defeated France 8–7 to take the bronze medal, while Hungary prevailed over Poland 9–4 for the gold.
