What is Roller Derby
There are more than 1,400 leagues world-wide, and it is one of the fastest growing sports in the world. Roller Derby began as an entertainment sport, but has since transformed into an athletic and strategic sport that maintains its DIY roots.
THE GAME
Two teams field 5 players each (1 Jammer and 4 Blockers). Each game has two 30-minute periods, and each period has multiple 2-minute Jams. The team that scores the most points wins.
THE PLAYERS:
Jammers: Wear a star on their head and earn points by passing the hips of an opponent. Blockers: All others on the track are blockers. They make up “The Pack”. Blockers try to stop the opposing team’s Jammer and aid their own Jammer. Pivots: Are blockers who wear stripes on their head, and can become the Jammer if the star helmet cover is passed to them.
THE JAM:
- The objective of each Jam is to score as many points as possible.
- Jammers earn points by passing the hips of an opponent.
- No points are scored in the first pass, and the first Jammer to emerge from “The Pack” is the “Lead Jammer”. This means they can call off the Jam any time before the full 2 minutes are up.
THE GAME
THE PENALTIES:
Common penalties in roller derby include: Cutting the Track: If a player is knocked off or steps off the track, they must re-enter BEHIND everyone who was in front of them. Multi-Player Block: Players cannot form walls by linking or grasping arms or legs. Direction of Gameplay: A player cannot engage opponents unless they are skating “derby direction” (left) around the track. Blocking to the Back/Legs or with Forearms/Head: Blockers cannot hit the back or lower thigh/legs of opponents. They cannot use their elbows, forearms or head to hit or block.
Myths About Roller Derby
Nope, this is a real sport with real contact and no predetermined outcome. We follow the rules of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA). The origins of roller derby used to be closer to “entertainment”, but today it’s one of the fastest growing sports in the world with more than 1,400 female roller derby leagues, men’s roller derby leagues, and co-ed leagues worldwide.
Not at all! Some players enjoy having an outfit that goes with their roller derby persona, but others prefer to keep it simple. Players can (mostly) wear what they want, and we encourage creativity and individuality. Additionally, our players are made up of professionals, stay-at-home parents, and students. We come from all backgrounds, and encourage anyone with an interest to try out roller derby to see if they like it and the league.
Kind of. We don’t skate on a banked track — we skate on a flat surface. But similar to Whip It, we don’t get paid, we run the league ourselves and are a bunch of super-cool individuals who put our heart and soul into what we do. We also get to pick our own cool names that encompass our persona on the track (this is true for skaters, referees, and dedicated Non-Skating Officials (NSOs)).
No, you don’t have to know how to skate (or skate well) to join. A lot of our players learned how to skate thanks to our Fresh Meat course. It does take a lot of dedication to become a good skater, though, but we have plenty of practice time available for you to become as good as you want to be.
