Understanding Roller Derby; Basic Derby Terms Defined

 Have you ever been to a sporting event where you didn't understand the rules?  What about all the unique sport specific lingo?  The beauty of Roller Derby is that understanding the lingo aids in the understanding of the rules.  There are 10 basic things that every derby fan and aspiring derby girl needs to know.

1. Jammer- This is the girl who wears the star on their helmet. Whichever team's jammer legally makes it through the pack the first time they become lead jammer. Sometimes this is referred to as carrying the star. As lead jammer they determine when the jam (the two minute scoring period) will end. They signify this by repeatedly placing both hands on their hips. Each jammer has the opportunity to score for their team whenever they pass an opposing team member after their first initial pass through the pack.

2. Pivot- This is the girl who has the stripe on their helmet. They control the speed of the pack. A pivot is vital to pack defense and offense and aids the jammer in making it through the pack to score. These are usually the most verbal of the girls in the pack, yelling commands to their teammates. They are also usually at the front of the pack.

3. Blocker- These are the other three girls that make up the pack. Their name is pretty self explanatory. They try to block the opposing team's jammer, making it difficult if not impossible for her to score. Blocking includes strategically placing themselves in the path of any opposing team's skater, not just the jammer. It also involves hitting, which is the best part of derby.

4. The Pack- The pack is comprised of 8 girls (4 from each team) and includes the Pivot and the three Blockers. When the Jammer's pass the girls in the pack they score points. It doesn't matter if the girls in the pack are in play on the track or sitting in the penalty box. If they are passed, it's one point for the jammer. That doesn't limit the amount of points scored in a jam period to 5 (1 for the jammer and 4 for the pack). These girls are fast and multiple laps equals multiple points.

5. The Starting Lines- There are two starting lines. The pivot line and the jammer line. The pivot line is the first starting line. It is where the pack lines up and waits for the ref's starting whistle. The jammers are lined up on the second line. Once every member of the pack has crossed the pivot line the ref will signal the jammer's to start. It's one whistle for the pack, and two for the jammer.

6. Passing the Star- This is when the Jammer transfers her position to her team's Pivot, allowing the Pivot to be the point scoring jammer. This applies only to Jammer status. A Pivot cannot become the Lead Jammer. This is rarely done as it requires the Jammer and the Pivot to be in the Engagement Zone, legally in play, and the physical removal of the star helmet cover and placing it over the striped helmet cover. It bears mentioning, because occasionally it does happen. Once the Jammer status has been transferred it cannot be transferred back to the original Jammer.

7. Minor Penalty- There are multiple ways that a derby girl can receive a penalty. They range from blocking, to game play, to out of bounds play, to cutting the track, and so on. If you really want to know the details on penalties visit the WFTDA's site for a full list of rules. Basically what you need to know is that once a skater has earned four minor penalties, they go to the box for 1 minute.

8. Major Penalty - Every infraction that earns a minor penalty can also earn you a major penalty, depending on the severity of the action. Unlike Minor Penalties, when a player earns a Major Penalty they are immediately sent to the box for 1 minute.

9. Penalty Mistress- In most leagues this position no longer exists. However, it is occasionally mentioned by commentators so it made the list. The Penalty Mistress was often created for the fans. They would keep track (with the help of team statistician) of whichever player had the most penalties during the bout - both minor and major. Then through "spinning the wheel" would subject those players to often silly and humiliating antics such as skating through a spank line depending on where the wheel stopped.

10. Suicide Seats - These are the best seats for up close derby action. They are the seats directly on the floor, 10 feet from the outside of the track. They are called suicide seats, because players have been known to go flying from a hard hit or block and crash into the fans and spectators in the suicide seats. Because of the risk of collision most leagues will require fans to be at least 18 years of age to sit in the suicide seats.

So there you have it. Common derby terms defined. Now put your knowledge to the test and go watch some roller derby!