The Tournament, as a formal contest between knights, first began during the eleventh century. The knights in attendance were divided into two teams and would charge each other with lances across a large open space. When their lances broke the knights would continue to fight with swords.
The Joust is a contest between two mounted knights who charge each other with lances in an attempt to unseat each other. Lances broken on the opponent are used as a way to keep score of hits. This form of combat became prevalent in the thirtenth century.
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Eventually blunted weapons were brought into use along with single combat events and limited areas for the battle to take place in. The combat area is known as the "List"
As the popularity of this spectator sport grew, the contestants took to using blunted lances and better armor to reduce the chance of accidental death.
Another addition to the joust was the "Tilt", a wooden barrier that seperated the knights from one another. Prior to its use, knights would often pass to close or even collide with one another. The "Tilt" protected the knights and their horses from injury by collision.
