Roller Derby 101

Roller Derby 101

Roller Derby is a full contact sport played on roller skates on an oval track.

The objectives of roller derby are relatively simple. Each team fields a single "jammer" whose goal is to lap as many opposing skaters as they can. The remaining "blockers" don’t score points and work both on offense and defense at the same time.

Jammers: A star on the helmet means they’re the only one who can score points.

The Pack: Four blockers from each team protect their jammers and prevent the other jammer from getting through and scoring points.

Pivots: A stripe on the helmet means they can receive the star during the jam, taking over for the jammer. The pivot is commonly the pack leader and defensive play caller.

Two thirty minute periods are played in each game. The team who has the most points at the end, wins.

How It Works

Set Up & Scoring

Each team fields five players at a time, four blockers and one jammer.
The four blockers from each team line up together between the pivot line and jammer line marked on the track, to form a pack, while the two jammers line up behind the jammer line.
On the whistle, the pack and jammers begin to engage each other.
On the first lap, the jammers earn no points, but the first jammer to clear the pack is called lead jammer.
After a jammer completes the initial lap, they score 1 point for each opposing skater they pass.

Timing

The players face off in shifts called "jams" that can last up to 2 minutes.
There are two halves in a bout. Each half is 30 minutes long and has an unlimited number of jams.

Penalties

Players can get a penalty from:
- Blocking with forearms, hands, elbows, or a helmet.
- Tripping, kicking, or blocking with feet or legs.
- Blocking while ”out of play”.
- Intentionally destroying the pack.
- Blocking a skater in their back or head.
- Blocking while out of bounds, or blocking a skater who is out of bounds.
- Skating out of bounds to get around other skaters.
- Illegal procedures: false starts, too many skaters on the track.
A penalty costs 30 seconds of jam time in the box.

For more information, visit the WFTDA's page.