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THE DOWN-AND-DIRTY RULES OF ROLLER DERBY:
Folks who attend a Roller Derby bout for the very first time have been known to describe it as "a bar-room brawl on wheels," and it's true, all that action can look a little confusing to Derby "newbies," but don't fret, this little guide to the Roller Derby rules should explain it all.
What It Is:
Roller Derby is essentially a series of short races, called Jams, between two teams of five players. Each game, called a Bout, has three twenty-minute periods, with two ten-minute intermissions, a total of eighty minutes. The Jams are two-minutes long, with thirty-second line-up breaks inbetween. However, Jams can also be "called off" (shortened) by the Lead Jammer, so, although it may vary, there will usually be around 30 Jams in a night's Bout.
The Positions:
Each team has three Blockers and one Pivot that skate close together and make up The Pack. Each team also has a Jammer. It is the Jammer's job to score points by lapping opposing Blockers, and if possible, the opposing Jammer, too.
The Blockers play both offense and defense by trying to stop the other team's Jammer while propelling their own Jammer forward. Each team's Pivot controls the speed of the Pack, keeps an eye on the Jammers, and calls her team's plays, all while acting as a Blocker, too! Lycra helmet covers, or “helmet panties,” as we like to call them, differentiate the positions — the Jammers wear stars, the Pivots wear stripes, and the Blockers, well, they don‘t wear panties at all! (Ha, ha!)
The Jam:
Each Jam (race) lasts up to two minutes. At the start of the Jam, the Pivots and Blockers from both teams gather in Pack formation at the starting line. The Jammers line up 20 feet behind them. The referee blows a whistle, and the Pack (of Pivots and Blockers) takes off. When the Pack is 20 feet from the starting line a second whistle signals the Jammers to start.
The Jammers sprint to the Pack, work their way through and come out the other side. No one scores any points during the first lap, but the first Jammer to pass all of the opposing team's Blockers and Pivot without any penalties becomes the Lead Jammer. Lead Jammer status gives a Jammer the option of ending, or calling off the Jam, anytime before the 2 minute Jam time limit is up. A referee points out the Lead Jammer and follows her progress around the track.
After the initial pass through the Pack, the Jammers continue around the track and attempt to score by passing opposing players. Blockers and Pivots stay together in a Pack throughout the Jam. A Blocker or Pivot more than 20 feet away from the Pack, cannot engage or assist another skater and must either catch up or slow down to rejoin the Pack.
Jam play continues until the Lead Jammer calls the Jam by placing her hands on her hips or until the 2 minute clock runs out. Once Jam play stops, the officials calculate the score. The teams have 30 seconds between Jams to get their next line-up of skaters in position on the track and the next Jam begins.
The Score:
Jammers get one point for each opposing player they pass in-bounds during each lap once the initial lap is complete. In general, this is four points per lap -- one for each opposing player.
If a Jammer also laps the opposing Jammer, too, then one extra point is awarded. Lapping the opposing Jammer requires the scoring Jammer to make a complete lap around the track and catch up with that opposing Jammer, which, needless to say, can be very difficult, so it doesn't happen too often, and the crowd usually goes wild for this "Grand Slam" play! And, best of all, if an opposing skater is in the penalty box, the scoring Jammer still gets the point(s) for the penalized skater as she completes her lap through the Pack.
Watch the "Derby Rules" video:
The Legalities, The Penalties, And Everything Inbetween:
There are two kinds of legal contact in Roller Derby: positional blocking (no real contact, skater gets in front of another skater and stays in front, and slows down) and side blocking (engaging skaters laterally).
Legal blocks involve the torso from shoulders to hip, the arm from shoulder to just above the elbow, hips, booty, and upper thigh. Skaters may NOT, however, block out of bounds or from behind, or purposefully trip or fall in front of someone, grab or hold, or swing elbows.
"Whips" can be given to swing the Jammer ahead, and Blockers and Pivots are permitted to push their own Jammer through the Pack.
Minor Penalties include any form of illegal blocking that has little or no impact on safety or game play, such as intentionally cutting the track or skating out of bounds, Jammer false starts, engaging/assisting skaters while outside of the Pack, re-entering the Pack illegally, splitting the Pack, or attempting to call off the Jam when not the Lead Jammer. Skaters committing minor penalties will be notified of the penalty during play with a whistle blast, a warning and a sign. When a skater accumulates 4 minor penalties, that skater immediately leaves the track and goes to the Penalty Box for one minute.
Major Penalties include any form of illegal procedures or blocking that has extensive impact on safety and/or game play. Common majors include: purposeful or dangerous illegal blocks, gross misconduct, excessive insubordination to referees, fighting, or too many skaters on track. Skaters committing major penalties must leave the track immediately and go to the Penalty Box for one minute.
