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Are you gearing up to watch your first roller derby game? Awesome! You’re about to enter a world known to few and played by even fewer. It exists on the fringe of sports, rich in history, community, and attitude. Your first time in the stands will, admittedly, be confusing. Athletes will look like they skate around the track, slamming into each other haphazardly. Don’t let this discourage you. Understanding the basics will go far in making your first game a more enjoyable experience.

One of the first questions new roller derby spectators ask is, “how long is a roller derby match? A roller derby match is 60 minutes, divided into two 30-minute periods with a halftime between them. Each 30-minute period consists of numerous jams. A jam lasts up to two minutes.

Jams are the foundation of the roller derby format. It’s the unit of play. A next logical question is, “why do some jams not last the full two minutes?” This is where strategy comes in.

Roller Derby Format

A roller derby match, known as a bout, is made up of two 30-minute periods, each having, on average, a dozen or more sessions of plays called “jams.” These jams last, at most, two minutes. One short whistle blow signals the start of each jam. A jam ends with four short whistle blows. A required 30 seconds must elapse between jams.

Roller Derby is structured so that there’s a short period of action, a quick break, and then it begins again. Each jam is a race to see how many points each jammer can rack up for their respective teams. The jammer scores a point for every opponent she passes during a jam. Although this sounds easy in theory, the opposing team is doing their best to prevent her from getting past them while helping their own jammer break through the pack.

The Lead Jammer Position Decides to Stop a Jam Short

Look for the player on each team with a star on her helmet. She is in the role of jammer, the point-scoring player. She is the one responsible for breaking through the pack of players and scoring points for her team. Each team has one jammer on the track per jam.

The first jammer to pass through the pack earns the status of lead jammer for that jam. A designated referee blows the whistle twice and points to the lead jammer. The lead jammer has the power to call off the jam before the two minutes are up. This is a coveted position because of the ability to control when to stop a jam. If a lead jammer thinks the opposing jammer is accumulating too many points, she’ll call off the jam, thus ending her opponent’s momentum. The lead jammer calls of the jam by repeatedly tapping her hands to her hips.

Lead jammer status is held for the duration of the jam in which she earned it and cannot be transferred to another teammate or lost unless she accrues a penalty. If the lead jammer accrues a penalty, there is no lead jammer for the remainder of that jam.

If no jammer breaks through the pack, no one earns the status of lead jammer, and the jam will last for the full two minutes.

Timeouts

Timeouts are the only means to stop the game clock. There are two types of timeouts in roller derby: team timeouts and official timeouts.

Each team has three 1-minute timeouts. They can call a timeout between jams to strategize and catch their breath.

If neither team calls a timeout, there are 30 seconds between when the last jam ends, and the next one begins. These 30 seconds allow teams the time to get into their starting positions for the next jam. The game clock continues to tick down during these 30-second reset periods.

Officials will call timeouts to ensure rules are followed and to look over any official reviews. Each jammer is followed around the track by a referee who counts her points. The referee who has their arms in the air, in the shape of an L, is counting the lead jammer’s points. The referee who has their hands down by their waist is following the non-lead jammer.

Scoreboard Key

The scoreboard will be your friend in keeping track of the length of the bout and the nuances you may not be able to understand as a first-time roller derby observer. Although scoreboards slightly vary in appearance from venue to venue, the components will be the same. I hope the below scoreboard key graphic helps you understand what’s happening on the track.

From my experience, I’ve learned a lot from looking up at the scoreboard. I’ll check the scoreboard during the 30-second reset time, watch the next jam and then check the scoreboard once that jam is over. It’s a way to check my understanding of the game. Is what I think happened reflected on the scoreboard? If there are discrepancies between what I observed and what is on the scoreboard, it provides a chance to take a closer look at the areas of play that I am not fully understanding. Don’t be hard on yourself if you have to look up at the scoreboard every minute. That’s why it’s there.

Halftime

Halftime usually lasts 15-minutes. Halftime is the perfect opportunity to use the restroom, order food at the concession stand, or purchase merchandise from your newly discovered favorite team.

The athletes I have interacted with during halftime have all been extremely friendly. Although they’re aggressive on the track, they’re kind off it. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask them if you see them skating around during halftime. It’s such a tight-knit community, and they love sharing their passion with others.

Volunteers mostly run the behind-the-scenes operations of roller derby leagues. They are your go-to resource if you’re confused about the game or want to get involved. They want you to have a fun time, and that is achieved, in part, by understanding the format of the game. Remember: there are no stupid questions.

Many leagues will have free brochures that are handed out at the door. These brochures provide an overview of the format, rules, and athletes. If you didn’t get one on your way in, halftime is a great chance to stretch your legs and pick one up.

The league may also hold fun contests for spectators in the middle of the track during halftime. The prizes can be pretty cool, too. The last bout I went to, they gave away “Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn” shirts and totes.

Overtime

The final jam must come to a natural end, either when the lead jammer calls it off or when the two-minute jam clock has expired. At the conclusion of the second period, the team with the most points is the winner. If the game is tied when the second half is over, the half will be extended into overtime by at least one extra jam. This overtime jam differs from other jams in two ways:

There is no lead jammer
Both jammers begin scoring points on their first trip through the pack.

Additional jams will be added until the score is no longer tied.

Roller Wrap-Up

See, I told you roller derby is more than athletes skating around a rink for an hour. Roller derby, a fast-paced contact team sport, demands speed, strategy, and athleticism from players. There is a method to what looks like madness. You’ll learn the nuances over time as you attend more and more bouts. For your first, focus on following the jammers (skaters with stars on their helmets) and delight in the hits and falls of the pack for two intense 30-minute periods. Also, admire the creativity of the players for coming up with clever alter ego names. Who knows, maybe in a year, you’ll have fallen so in love with the sport that you’ll have gone from roller derby spectator to roller derby athlete.

JUNE 8, 2019 / EVANSVILLE, IN

SYNDICATE 150

DEMOLITION CITY 172

JUNE 1, 2019 / SUMMIT, IL

SHADE BRIGADE 22

EAST LANSING MITTEN MAVENS 268

Free Roller Derby Scoreboard