Basics of the Game
The sport of roller derby consists of two teams of four defensive players and one jammer – the point scorer. The game begins with the pivots and the blockers (defensive players) skating in front in a tight formation (the pack).
Rules
- No tripping
- No back blocking (pushing from behind)
- No deliberate falling in front of another skater
- When using arms for blocking, the arm must be bent, not extended full length
- No use of elbows as a weapon to the chest or face
- No blocking 20 feet ahead of or behind the pack
- No grabbing or pulling a skater from the ground
- It is illegal to GRAB, HOLD or PULL an opposing player – so hands off!
If a skater is in the penalty box and the jammer from the other team passes through the pack, she will still get a point for the missing skater who is in the penalty box. So the penalty is truly only against the team who is losing a player for that period of time and not against the other team who is trying to score points.
A jammer can be put into the penalty box which creates a scoring opportunity for the opposing team. If both jammers end up in the penalty box, the first jammer in the box is allowed back on to the track as soon as the second jammer reaches the box.