Roller derby
Roller derby is a roller skating contact sport played on an oval track by two teams of five skaters. It is played by approximately 1,250 amateur leagues worldwide, mostly in the United States.
A roller derby scrimmage in Utah (2012) | |
| Highest governing body | WFTDA, MRDA, JRDA, FIRS |
|---|---|
| Nicknames | Derby |
| First played | 1935, Chicago, Illinois |
| Clubs | 4,700+ |
| Characteristics | |
| Contact | Full |
| Team members | 15 on roster, up to 5 on track during each jam. |
| Type | Indoor, roller sport |
| Equipment | Roller skates, helmet, knee pads, elbow pads, wrist guards, mouthguard |
| Venue | Roller rink, pitch |
| Presence | |
| Olympic | No |
A 60-minute roller derby game, or bout, is a series of two-minute timed jams. Each team, typically with a roster of 15, fields five skaters during each jam: one jammer, designated with a star on their helmet, and four blockers. The jammer scores a point for each opposing blocker they lap. The blockers simultaneously defend by hindering the opposing jammer, while also playing offense by maneuvering to aid their own jammer. Because roller derby uses a penalty box, power jams, in which one team has a temporary numerical advantage after a foul, can have a major effect on scoring.