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Derby 101
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FRESNO'S PREMIER ROLLER DERBY LEAGUE
This is all new . . . how do you play roller derby???
Each game of derby, called a bout, is played between two teams, each with five players in a lineup at one time on the track. Each lineup is made up of one pivot, three blockers, and a jammer. The pivot is recognized by her striped helmet cover, the jammer is recognized by a star on each side of her helmet cover, and the blockers have no helmet covers. Each game is 60 minutes, consisting of two 30-minute periods that are further broken down into two minute jams.THE PACK:The pack is made up of pivots and blockers. At the start of the jam, the pack lines up along the straightaway of the track. Pivots and blockers are positioned in the front, with jammers positioned 20 feet behind. A referee or time keeper will signal the start of the jam with a single whistle and the pack will start skating, as the last in-play pack skater passes the Pivot line a double whistle will blow and the jammers will start sprinting through the pack. This is a jam.THE JAM:Each jam is a two-minute race to see which jammer can score the most points. The jammer earns a point for every member of the opposing team she passes. That may sound easy, but the opposing team is doing all they can to get their own jammer through the pack while stopping the other teams jammer. Roller Derby is a full-contact sport and skaters will use all legal means at their disposal to get the job done, including hitting the opposing team with their shoulders and hips, pushing and pulling on members of their own team, and doing a cool slingshot-like maneuver called a whip to speed their jammer through the pack.SCORING:Each jammer must make one complete pass through the pack before she can begin accumulating points. The first jammer to move through the pack legally becomes the lead jammer and as such has the power to call off the jam early, a strategic advantage that allows her to score points and then call off the jam before her opponent has the chance to score. If neither jammer passes through the pack legally, neither becomes lead jammer and the jam continues on for the entire two-minute period.BLOCKERS:Through it all, the blockers are simultaneously playing offense and defense, trying to help their jammer through the pack, while trying to stop the opposing jammer. Blockers can hit members of the opposing team with their shoulders, hips, and torso. Its illegal to use the forarms, hands, and head, and the use of elbows is strictly regulated. Skaters who block illegally, start fights, or otherwise break the rules face penalties which can include everything from time in the penalty box to a complete expulsion from the bout.
The Basics of Flat Track Roller Derby
Video by the Hammer City Roller Girls
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