Ninh explains, The Rules of Roller Derby The object of the game is to score more points
than the opposing team.
Roller derby is a sport played on skates either on a flat track, or on a banked track where
the track is raised and angled.
A roller derby team consists of 14 players, with 5 players taking to the track at any
one time.
Look closely, and you’ll notice a group of each teams players pushed together.
Both teams will field four blockers, and this is collectively known as the pack.
Teams cannot be more than 10ft apart in this pack.
The key person to look out for is the jammer.
These are the players with the stars on their helmets that start behind the pack.
When the whistle blows, the clock starts for a period of two minutes.
This is known as a jam.
The goal of the jammer is to race the opposing team’s jammer to try and force their way
through the pack of players.
Once a jammer has beaten the other jammer, they become the ‘lead jammer’, and they
race around the track.
Each jammer gets one point for every opposing player that they lap or skate past.
Once two minutes have expired, the whistle blows and that is the end of the jam.
However, a jam can also be ended early by the lead jammer, by tapping her hips like
this.
It pays to be the lead jammer as you effectively have control of the clock.
The whole process starts all over again, and the main strategy behind this game is for
a lead jammer to score as many points as possible, and to stop the clock before the other jammer
scores too many points.
The job of the blockers is to prevent the other jammer from getting past, whilst at
the same time trying to help their own jammer pass opposing players.
They are both the offence and the defence.
They are allowed to form walls with teammates, slow the opposing player down and use their
hips and shoulders to lever their opponents out of the way.
The game is played in two 30 minute halves for a combined playing time of 60 minutes.
Highest score at the end of time, wins.
That’s the basics of Roller Derby, but there’s a few other things you’ll need to know before
playing or watching a game.
For example: Pivot
One of the blockers on each team will be wearing a stripe on their helmets.
These are the pivots.
As well as being a blocker, they dictate the pace of the pack and they direct team strategy.
They also have the special ability to become the jammer in the middle of the jam.
This is done by taking the star from the jammer.
Out of bounds.
You cannot skate out of the area of the track, accidentally or otherwise.
If you do, you must re-enter the track behind the opposing teams pivot.
Contact.
Contrary to popular belief, you cannot punch, trip, kick, elbow, clothesline, hit or slam
your opponent into the floor.
Officially, players are allowed to make frontal and side body contact above the knees, but
sometimes players don’t comply.
Players who make illegal contact are given penalties.
Penalty If found guilty of breaking the rules, the
referee may award a 30 second penalty against a player.
The offending player must sit in a penalty box for 30 seconds whilst a jam is in play.
If a skater accrues 7 penalties, they are immediately disqualified from the game.
Power Jam If a jammer is hit with a 30 second penalty,
the opposing jammer has 30 seconds to score as many points as she can, knowing that the
other team cannot score.
This is known as a power jam and can be a real advantage to a team.
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enjoy roller derby.
Ninh Ly - www.ninh.co.uk - @NinhLyUK