I used to be captain of my Uni fencing team until I gave it up. Interesting you noted that flick hit. That's actually one of the primary reasons i gave it up. The prevelance of extreemly bendy foils and the popularity of flick hits to the back was, IMHO degrading the art. I met many competing fencers who couldn't parry to save their lives but jumped about the place wrapping their sword round at impossible angles that would only result in the merest scratch of the back of your shoulder.

As for right of way. The real reason is that if you don't gain right of way then your opponant will get you anyway. If he's attacking you and you do a 'stop hit' but fail to parry the initial attack. His momentum will continue to carry him forward and you end up just as dead as he is. Another problem, certainly at club and regional level was the tendancy of presiding officials to just watch the clever gizmo with the lights on it and ignore the fencers. Of course, they couldn't make judgments about right of way of they aren't watching you fight.