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Roller Derby History - The Rules
International Skating Conference Rules
1974 Merger - Still Roller Games
Article 1
- Teams
International Skating Conference Games will be played between two teams composed of 5 men and 5 girls on each team, with no more than 5 members of each team permitted on the track at any one time.
- Track
- The track shall be oval shape. It should be covered with tempered masonite. The outside edge of the track should be protected by a handrail with sturdy padded upright posts placed at intervals of approximately 10 feet. A safety kick rail shall be fastened to the top of the track made of lumber bent to the curvature of the track. The track should be banked from the inside to the outside rail.
- Officials
- A minimum of one and a maximum of three officials shall be present in the infield at all times. If more than one official is present, one official shall be designated as head referee and shall be responsible for the final decisions on rule interpretations during the course of the game.
- A medical trainer or doctor must be present or immediately available at all times.
- A game announcer or track-side commentator shall be designated for each game.
- A statistician will be designated for each game to record and tabulate the scoring and other game statistics as required.
- A skate technician and/or track maintenance man shall be present or available at all times.
- The Game
- Each game shall be divided into 8 10-minute periods. Eight minute periods may be permitted in doubleheaders. The girls' teams will skate the first period, followed by the men's teams, and then the girls and men will alternate for the remainder of the eight skating periods. There shall be a half-time intermission between the fourth and fifth skating periods.
- Two points shall be entered in the league standings for the wining team in each game. In the event of a tie game it shall be so entered on the official score sheet and one point shall be credited to each team in the league standings.
- Overtime: in a playoff or championship game if the score is tied at the end of the game, the girls and men shall continue to skate alternate five-minute periods until a period ends with one team in the lead.
- Where time is limited by TV restrictions or travel schedules or other emergencies, the officials may designate that the first team to score in the overtime period will be the winner.
- The periods shall be timed by an official game clock which shall run continuously except during timeouts.
- Timeouts:
- The referees may call an official timeout whenever needed for track or equipment repair, serous injury, track or crowd conditions or any other reason which, in his judgment, may affect the safety of the players, the spectators, or the proper conduct of the game. Such timeouts shall be limited to the duration of the emergency.
- Coaches or captains of each team are permitted to call a maximum of 1 timeout in each skating period and these shall be limited to a maximum of 2 minutes each.
- The clock shall be started immediately upon the referee's whistle indicating that the jam is under way.
- "Final Play" rule:
any jam starting with less than 60 seconds remaining in the period shall continue until 60 seconds have elapsed or the jam is called off.
- The Pack
- All skaters of both teams skating as a group around the track shall be termed the Pack.
- The pack shall be considered intact when the jammers (scorers) are in their proper position at the rear of the pack and the pivot man for each team are evenly together at the front of the pack. Each team shall be allowed two jammers who shall wear helmets to signify their eligibility.
To score. Helmets must be worn to score. In addition, each team shall have a pivot man, wearing a distinguishing helmet, who may become eligible to score after the first jammer is out of the pack. When the jammers and pivot men are in their designated positions, the referee shall signal the start of the jam (scoring play).
- The Jam (Scoring Play)
- An attempt by one or more players from either team to score after the referee has signaled that the Pack is intact and at least one jammer (scorer) has moved from the rear to the front of the pack, shall be termed a Jam.
- These skaters shall have a maximum of 60 seconds, in which to score, once the referee has officially signaled the start of the jam. The time will be determined by the official scorer and it shall be announced at regular intervals by the game announcer.
- Conclusion of the jam. A jam shall be considered as ended when any of the following occurs:
- When 60 seconds have elapsed as announced by the official timer.
- When the lead jammer goes out of bounds by skating into the infield with both feet or is blocked or falls off the track.
- When halted by the referee's whistle for an official timeout.
- When the lead jammer, while in a skating position, places both hands on his hips.
- Any official may end a jam at any time at his own discretion whenever required for track or equipment repair, serious injury, track or crowd conditions or any other reason which in his judgment, may affect the safety of players, spectators, or the proper conduct of the game.
Article 2
Scoring
- Points are scored when one or more jammers circle the track within the 60 second time limit and pass one or more skaters of the opposing team who have remained in the pack. One point is awarded for each skater thus passed, by each jammer of each team. Only two skaters from each team are permitted to score on any one jam.
- If a team has skaters in the penalty box at the time an opposing jammer passes all the remaining skaters of that team, each jammer will be awarded five points for so passing.
- A jammer fouled on a jam by an opposing blocker may be awarded a point for such an infraction.
- If an opposing skater commits a foul on another skater of the jammer's team and thus prevents the jammer from scoring, the jammer may be awarded points for such an infraction.
- A blocker may be lapped on any single jam any number of times by a jammer and points recorded for each time the blocker is passed within the 60 second time limit.
- A defensive skater forced into the infield who attempts to better his position upon returning to the pack will be considered as having been passed by the jammer for a point.
- Passing a fouled skater:
- A fouled skater cannot be passed for a point unless he has sufficient time to recover and rejoin the pack.
- A fouled skater who has been injured by such a foul can not be passed for a point.
- A skater with skate trouble can not be passed for a point.
- A jammer forced off the track or knocked down may resume a jamming position providing he does not improve his position.
Article 3
Substitutes
- Reporting: A skater replacing team-mate must report to the official scorer unless the teammate is off the track because of accident or injury. The replacement must resume a position in the Pack. Failure to report shall be considered an illegal substitution and shall be penalized accordingly.
- An illegal substitution will be considered as a 6th skater on the track at any time and team will be subject to a penalty of one jam.
- In the event of skate trouble a team is allowed an immediate substitution.
- No substitution will be permitted during a jam except in the event of skate trouble, accident or injury. Defensive skaters forced off the track or injured may not be replaced until they have been passed for one point by the jammer.
Article 4
- Fines
Officials may levy fines against individual players or teams for infractions of the rules which, in the judgment of the officials, are so warranted.
- Penalties
- Penalties: A penalty shall require that the penalized skater remain in the penalty box until the completion of the next subsequent jam.
A penalty box shall be placed immediately behind the team bench. Penalties may be called at the discretion of the officials for holding, illegal blocking, stalling, tripping, illegal use of hands, unnecessary roughness, fighting, insubordination, unsportsmanlike conduct and similar offenses.
- Expulsion: A skater may be expelled from the game for the following:
- Deliberate or unnecessary physical contact with the officials or gross unsportsmanlike conduct or insubordination.
- Automatic Expulsion: A player who accumulates a total of five or more penalties is automatically expelled from the game and the penalized team must send a skater to the penalty box for the next two subsequent jams.
- A team with more than five members on the track at one time is subject to a penalty.
Article 5
Blocking
- A skater may not block with his feet or trip an opponent.
- At the discretion of the officials, other forms of illegal blocking may be called.
Article 6
(Omnibus Clause)
- The coach or his designated replacement may enter a protest on the ruling of an official at any time during the progress of a game. Such a protest will be registered with the official scorer at the time and thus indicated on the official score sheet.
- On any disputed point that is not clearly spelled out in these rules, a consensus of the referees will make the final decision.
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