Roller Derby History - The Rules

Basic Rules of Roller Derby

The game consists of two halves, each half has four alternating 10-minute periods of women and men.

A team is composed of five men and five women.  Only five members of each team can be on the track at one time.

The game starts when the referee signals, by blowing their whistle, that the two teams are equally in position.  This group is called the pack.  In this pack are two blockers (white helmets), two jammers (striped helmets), and a pivot (black helmet) on each time.

A jam (scoring play) occurs when one or more jammers have pulled away from the pack.  Jammers have 60 seconds to lap the field and score.  A jammer must wear a striped helmet.  The pivot skaters can jam as long as they are not the first jammer out of the pack.

A jam can start:

1. When the referee has signaled that both teams are in the pack.
2. When the pivot skaters for each team are evenly together at the front of the pack.
3. When all jammers are at the rear of the pack.
4. When the pivot from each team is on the track, the pivot skater cannot be more than 20 feet in from of the pack before the jam starts.

The clock and the jam start when one of the jammers has been able to pass the leading opposing blockers in the pack.

Helmets must be worn by the jammers to score, unless knocked off by some involuntary action, then the referee has the right to decide on the points.

A jam will be considered at an end for any of the following reasons:

1. Expiration of the 60 second time limit.
2. At the conclusion of each ten minute skating period.
3. By the lead jammer placing both hands on his/her hips.
4. A jam may be called off by the officials at any time for an emergency

A jammer receives one point for each member of the opposing team he or she passes every time he or she laps the field within 60 seconds.

There are penalties consisting of one or two minute that may force a team to skate shorthanded.

There will be two types of penalties, a major (two minutes) and a minor (one minute).

A minor penalty will be one minute in duration from the time the skater enters the penalty box and will be called at the discretion of the referee for:

• Holding
• Illegal blocking
• Stalling
• Tripping
• Illegal use of hands
• Minor fouls

A major penalty will be two minutes in duration and will be called at the discretion of the referee for:

• Fighting
• Intentional roughness
• Deliberate/excessive insubordination
• Gross unsportsmanlike conduct
• Railing

A major penalty calling for expulsion from the game may be called at the discretion of the referee.

1. If a player is ejected from the game their team receives a two minute penalty.

If a penalized skater does not leave the track immediately or interferes with the remainder of the field, they will receive an additional one minute penalty.

If a skater's penalty time overlaps into the following period, any member of the opposite sex taking the track must serve the balance of the penalty time.

No more than two skaters on any team can be in the penalty box at one time.  If a three or more players on any team are penalized, the player(s) committing the penalty must leave the track and be replaced by a substitute.  The penalized skater(s) will being serving their penalty time when one of the skaters in the penalty box returns to the track.  At such time, the substitute will return to the bench.

If any player accumulates a total of eight minutes in penalties, they are automatically ruled out of the game.  The substitute must serve the remainder of the last penalty in the penalty box.

Points may be awarded for the following:

1. One point for every member of the opposing team passed each time the jammer laps the field within 60 seconds.
2. If a blocker commits a foul on a jammer,the jammer will be awarded the point he/she was attempting to score.
3. IF, in the opinion of a referee, there is a deliberate penalty against a jammer to prevent the jammer from scoring, AND this jam would determine the game's outcome, the referee may award up to 5 points.
4. A skater forced into the infield may not better the position they were in when they left the track.
5. A skater receiving a penalty becomes ineligible to either score or be scored on.
6. A fouled skater cannot be passed for a point unless they have had sufficient time to recover from the foul.
7. No jam can be considered a legal jam with more than five skaters on the track from either team.
8. A skater with skate trouble cannot be passed for a point.

1. When a skater replaces a teammate they must make contact with the skater they are replacing and then join the pack.
2. An injured skater can be replaced at any time.
3. A skater replacing a teammate who has skate trouble must rejoin the field within one lap of the replacement.

A player may block an opponent with any part of their body with the following exception:

1. It is illegal to use any part of the arm below the elbow.
2. It is illegal for a skater to block with their feet or trip an opponent.
3. In using for blocking purposes, the arm must be bent, not extended full length.
4. It is illegal to block from the rear.

Elbows may be used in blocking, but not in the following manner:

1. A skater is not permitted to use an elbow block above the shoulders.
2. A skater is not permitted to use an elbows with an upward or downward motion.

In setting up a double block, it is illegal for the defensive skaters to grip hands or lock arms.  Both blocker may receive a penalty at the descretion of the referees.

Other forms of illegal blocking my be called at the descretion of the referees.

No defensive skater will be permitted to drop back more than a distance of twenty feet behind the pack to attempt to block a jammer.  A one minute (minor) penalty may be called by the referees.

All skating must be in a counter-clockwise direction.

There can be no tie games.  If at the end of the eithth period the score is tied, the will go into overtime in the following manner:

1. The women and men will alternate five minute skating periods until a point is scored.  The team scoring the first point will be declared the winner.

Any coach has the right to protest a game by submitting a protest in writing within 48 hours for the game has been concluded to headquarters.

On any disputed point that is not clearly spelled out in these rules, a consensus of the referess will be the final decision.

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