While Roller Derby may seem an obscure sport on the fringe of the subculture, it’s American as apple pie. In fact, Roller Derby joins a short list, along with the Fencing and Rodeo, as true American born sports. A claim to fame, Baseball can’t make and Football makes a weak case of.
Despite Roller Derby’s recent surge in popularity and after a Google search for the sport, many Americans are surprised to find they have a plethora of Roller Derby squads, leagues, and circuits in their own back yard. Here in L.A., we are host to not only the popular L.A. Derby Dolls, but also the Angel City Derby. Up and down the West Coast, from San Diego to Seattle, every major city is represented by a group of roller skate clad vixens. Every weekend, somewhere a pair of D.I.Y. inclined, star helmets are in a neck and neck race around an oval track. Their goal, bragging rights and beer soaked glory. But who are these girls and what do the stars on their helmet mean?
What is Roller Derby?
Simply put, Roller Derby is a contact, competition sport where roller skate clad athletes race each other around a flat or banked oval track. However, things are hardly ever simple and the simple explanation leaves nuances unspoken to the novice observer. For to true understanding of Roller Derby, one must know it’s background, rules and growth in popularity.
A Brief History Of Roller Derby
In 1922, roller skates were all the rage. Though the first four wheeled roller skate was invented in 1760, by Belgian born John Joseph Merlin, it wasn’t until the “Rocking Skate”, invented by James Plimpton from Massachusetts, gave the roller world an easier way to turn corners. Mr. Plimpton brought the ROCK and Roller Hockey saw the 1922 Summer Olympics. Intro the American Roller craze, which was almost as big as the hula hoop and way bigger than Grand Theft Auto.
In this Grand Theft Auto esk, Hula Hoop like mania, 2.5 million people played Roller Hockey. Intro a series of sport like promotions that lit fires to the newspaper’s front pages; 6 day Roller marathons, roller speed skating, roller figure skating, and Roller Derby.
In the beginning, Roller Derby was far different than it is today and was more of a multi day series of roller events and marathons. But Promoter Leo Seltzer and sportswriter Damon Runyon changed all that. In the 1930s, Seltzer trademarked the term “Roller Derby” and redesigned the sport to highlight its physical contact. With a troupe of professional skaters, both male and female, “Roller Derby” traveled the country side and attracted a traveling show sized audience for their roller games.
Seltzer’s Roller Derby featured an oval track with gender based bouts that saw newspaper, radio, and television coverage, but never reached the popularity of other televised sports. While a number of rival roller circuits and competitors would enter the playing field at various swells in popularity, Roller Derby largely depended upon Seltzer’s drive to keep the sport going and the sport appeared to have all but died with it’s creator by 1978.
Today Roller Derby survives largely on a D.I.Y basis. In the dawn of generation nurtured by Woman’s lib, Roller Derby is a mostly all woman’s game, where the boys are scared to get into the oval ring. Most Circuits fall under two categories and defined by the construction of their oval track, flat or banked with banked considered the more dangerous of the two. Though no matter track, the rules are the same.
Roller Derby Rules!
While there are a number of nuances to individual leagues as the sport is largely independent, most circuits use the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association’s regulation rules as a universal base. Where each team sends out 5 members to face off in 2 minute Jams. The three position on the oval track are 3 blockers, 1 pivot, and 1 Jammer from each team.
Pivots are Pivotal!
Before each 2 minute Jam starts, both Pivots take the front of the pack. The Pivots are Blockers with stripped helmets and their strips come with leadership. Pivots are the ones to set the speed and tactics of the team. In the heat of a 2 minute jam, no Pivot or Blocker can be more than 20 feet ahead or behind the “Pack”, or largest group containing blockers from both teams. A skilled Pivot uses her control over her teammates to pivot them into the best defensive and offensive line up.
Blockers are their Namesake.
Behind the Pivots, are the blocker who’s goal is keep the other teams Jammer from getting ahead in any violent way possible. The blockers are tough cookies and the girls on the team who can kick your ass. Clotheslines, body blocks, and right hooks are only the start of their arsenal. At the start of the jam, 6 blockers, 3 from each team, stand behind the Pivot and form the Pack.
Jammers jam the Jam with Points.
20 feet behind the Pack is a Jammer from each team. Most Jammers are designated by a star on their helmet and a sprint in their skate. Each Jammer’s goal is to race the other Jammer around the track to be the Lead Jammer. Once the pack is off, skating, and past the point line where the pivots started, the Jammers take off. To be Lead Jammer, she has to lap the pack once and be ahead of the other Jammer. As Lead Jammer, she then gains one point for each opposing blocker she legally passes. While each Jam is 2 minutes long, the Lead Jammer can end the jam any moment with a pat from both hands against her hips.
Lead Jammer Scores like a QB on Prom Night.
After the Lead Jammer has been established, both Jammers have the option to exchange helmets with their Pivots and trade positions. Blockers are allowed to block jammers with body parts above the thigh, excluding forearms, hands, and head. Penalties can occur from fights, un-Roller Girl like behavior, and general breaks in the rules, which leads to players in a penalty box where the Jammer gains a extra point for every penalized player added on to her first point.
Round and round the Roller Derby goes.
Each Roller Derby game is played in two 30 minute or three 20 minute periods. 60 minute games means 30 jams each game right? Not quite and Roller girls wish there were only 30 jams. With each Jam length dependent upon the lead Jammers, there can be as many as 60 jams in a game.
Roller Derby Rocks
There you have it. Now you know all about the Roller Derby and can chat it up with a fishnet, four wheeled beauty. While we have made the Roller Derby out to be a high adrenalin rush of unadulterated violence on wheels, we do the sport no justice. I have never been one of find excitement with the crack of a bat, but the sound of polyurethane on polished wood is a drug there is no cure for. Check out a local Roller Derby to find out for yourself what all the hype is about. Its worth every uttered syllable.
Bonus Binary
L.A. and S.D. Derby Dolls
Angel City Derby
Roller Revolt – Roller Derby Fiction
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