One of roller skating’s strengths is its versatility. Whether you’re looking to skate to a rhythm or zoom around a skating rink, the sport offers a wide range of styles, including competitive skating and racing called roller derby!
Read more to learn about this roller sport and how to play it!
What is Roller Derby?
Roller derby is a riveting contact sport (a sport where participants come into bodily contact with one another) played on skates, with players competing to be the first to complete laps around an oval track.
Minnesota Roller Derby provides a brief history of the sport, stating that it started out as a skating marathon during the Great Depression. Roller derby became popular once more in the 1970s, becoming so popular that it became a televised sport.
In the 2000s, roller derby received another revival thanks to a women’s team from Austin, Texas, called the Texas Rollergirls. This team of women reworked the way that roller derby was played, favoring a flat track rather than a banked track (a track that is at an angle). This made the sport more accessible to skaters, only requiring a track with a flat surface and something to mark the track boundaries.
Rules of Roller Derby
With some background on roller derby as a sport, it’s time to understand how the game works!
Each game consists of two 30-minute periods with two-minute plays called “jams.” Each team begins with four skaters playing defense (“blockers”) and one skater playing offense (“jammer”). During jams, jammers must pass opposing blockers to make an official lap before being able to score any points. The first jammer to pass the opposing blockers becomes the “lead jammer,” and can stop the jam before two minutes are up. After the first pass, the lead jammer is decided. Then, jammers can score one point for every opposing blocker they pass.
According to the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA), skaters can block opponents from passing with their hips, rear, and shoulders. Blocking to the back, to trip, or to elbow other players is illegal in the game. Players who make these illegal moves are penalized for 30 seconds–a heavy penalty, considering that jams are only two minutes long.
How Can I Join a Roller Derby Team?
With the basics down, you may want to join a team and start playing! Though roller derby is rooted in a female revival, anyone can play it. There are women’s teams, men’s teams, and co-ed teams. As a community-based sport, there are tons of local teams that you can join.
Different teams may differ in their recruitment process. Most teams will require you to try out, such as by playing with the team during practice. Some teams will even train you to play the sport, such as with DC Roller Derby. Though the process may vary from region to region, it’s never too late to get started!
Conclusion
As an intensely competitive sport with a unique history rooted in the female community, it’s no wonder that roller derby continues to be an alluring activity for skaters. Bounding around a track and passing other players to score points sends an exciting rush throughout those in the roller derby, enticing skaters of all backgrounds to join.
Roller skating also provides great health benefits to those who enjoy the sport. Read more about the benefits of roller skating at Ferry Godmother Productions!