They skate round a rink and bash into each other. Some have helmets with stripes, others have stars. The scoreboard registers more points, but what exactly is going on in a roller derby bout?
Roller Derby Scoring
Roller derby is certainly not like football or baseball in that there is no ball put into play. Instead it more closely resembles a race, in that one skater -- called a jammer -- must get through a pack of skaters and pass all her opponents. If the jammer cannot get past her opponents, no points are scored by her team. There are three positions -- jammer, blocker and pivot -- who attempt to knock their opponents down in order for their teammate to get through. Roller derby skaters find themselves simultaneously playing offense and defense as they skate around the track.
Roller Derby Pack
Two teams of five players each are on the starting line. The jammers for each team are in the back, and start after the rest of her team skates off. The whole goal is for the jammer to lap everyone on this oval track and begin scoring points. For every opponent a jammer passes, she scores a point. All the while, the other four players, called blockers, are trying to knock their opponents down to make it harder for the opposing jammer and easier for their own jammer to score.
The Pivot
At the starting line, the blocker with the striped helmet is the pivot. This position guides the speed of her blockers, paying attention to where her and the other team's jammer is. The pivot might signal for her team to skate faster, so it is harder for the other team's jammer to catch up to the pack and thus score before the clock runs out. The pivot might signal for her team to slow down if she sees her own jammer is trying to catch up to the pack.
To do this, the pivot needs to stay at the front of the pack. She is often the last person the jammer must pass, making her the last line of defense for her team.
The Jammer
Jammers wear the star helmet. As the whistle blows to start play, the jammers wait until the rest of the pack gets 20 feet ahead. Then the jammers race off, trying to be the first to get through. The jammer who does get through the pack first is the lead jammer. Only the lead jammer can call off the jam before the clocks ends. The advantage to being the lead jammer is obvious: you can call off play if you are tired, and calling off the jam prevents the other team from scoring. Of course, the lead jammer can strategically let the clock tick, skating around and racking up more points before the three minutes alloted for each jam elapses.
If the jammer manages to lap everyone, including the other team's jammer, she has scored a grand slam and earned an extra point.
The Blockers
The players who are doing their best not to have the opposing jammer pass them are the blockers. At the starting line, the blockers are behind the pivot (the pivot also serves as a blocker). These players number three for each team, and do not have any special markings like stars or stripes on their helmets. They bash into the other team's blockers, so their jammer can get through. And playing defense, they block the opposing jammer, preventing her from passing them and scoring.
Blockers' defensive moves can be direct physical contact of shoulders and hips, or creating a presense that is hard to get around, such as skating left and right so the jammer cannot get around. Blockers working together will often "build a wall," lining up so there is nowhere to go.
Offensively, the blockers serve to help their jammer through the pack. They can push their own jammer forward, or be pushed by their jammer from behind, like a shopping cart that needs pushing. They can help their jammer build speed by whipping her around the track. And, true to the adage "the best offense is a good defense" a blocker can offensively hit her opponents out of the way to make a space for her jammer to get through.
Watching a bout
Learning these basic rules of roller derby can provide a great excitement for watching a jam unfold. Besides keeping on eye on where the jammer is and who she has passed, look out for the blockers, who may be showing their specialized skills with such moves as booty blocks and hipchecks. Besides this athleticism, roller derby is made fun by the unique uniforms and team and skater names. It may be like nothing else, but now you have the knowledge to enjoy it a little more.
Catherine Galioto - Catherine Galioto is a Jersey Shore native who enjoys writing on a variety of topics. She has been published in online and local print ...
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