Roller Derby is a fast, adrenaline pumping contact sport, where players race around an oval track, on quad skates, scoring points as they go. This sport is new to the UK and played by non-professional teams. Roller Derby is mostly a female dominated sport, with choice positions for the guys such as refs, coaches and other behind the scene positions. Roller derby girls are unpaid and actually spend money on the sport -- buying their own skates, safety equipment and pay monthly dues to support their leagues. One of the more unusual facts about Roller derby is that skaters abandon their ordinary names in favour of pseudonyms like Tanya Hyde!!
Roller derby matches are called bouts, each bout is split into two 30 minute periods, each period is split into numerous Jams lasting up to 2 minutes each.
Player Positions:
Jammer: The Point Scorer - Helmet cover with 2 Stars.
Blockers: Defensive/Offensive Players - No Helmet covers.
Pivot: Last line of defence and lead blocker - Helmet cover with a Strip.
Each jam starts with both teams sending five players onto the track: one jammer, one pivot and three blockers. A pack is formed at the start line by the pivot and blockers of both teams, the two jammers line up 20 feet behind the pack. On the first whistle the pack starts rolling and the jammers sprint on the second whistle.
The jammers try to get through the pack, the first one who does is the lead jammer. The lead jammer is the only player who can call off the jam early, and the decision to do so can often be a strategic one. Points are scored when the jammers go through the pack a second time, one point for each opposing skater they pass legally. Blockers do their best to stop the opposing jammer by using positional blocking or shoulder and hip checks on legal target zones of the opposing players, but they also have to help their own jammer move through the pack and the jam is over either when it is called off by the lead jammer, or when the jam has clocked up two minutes.
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