In roller derby, two teams of up to 15 skaters compete on an oval track. A game, or bout, lasts two 30-minute periods, each made up of jams lasting up to two minutes. Five skaters from each team take part in every jam. The four blockers from each team form the pack and try to stop the opposing jammer from passing them and scoring points. After the initial pass determines the lead jammer, each jammer scores one point for every opposing skater they legally pass.

Competitions are held under the rules of the Women’s Flat Track Roller Derby Association (WFTDA).

Being part of the roller derby community doesn’t always mean taking to the track as a skater. Our team also relies on dedicated referees. At a roller derby bout, referees help ensure that the game runs as fairly and smoothly as possible.

There are two types of referees: Skating Officials (SOs) and Non-Skating Officials (NSOs). A bout typically has three to eight SOs, who skate in different positions on the infield and outfield. Their main duties include calling penalties, awarding points and—most importantly—helping ensure fair play. SOs traditionally wear black-and-white striped shirts, which is why they’re also known as “zebras.”

NSOs have a wide range of responsibilities, too. They don’t skate; instead, they work at various positions on and around the track. Among other things, they start and time jams, record penalties, track the time skaters spend in the penalty box and update the score on the scoreboard. NSOs often used to wear pink, earning them the nickname “flamingos.” These days, black is the usual color for NSOs.

We offer training and practice opportunities for our referees. Anyone interested can join our beginner training sessions, where they’ll learn the basics of skating and the game. At in-house scrimmages, they can put their skills into practice and help skaters keep the game flowing smoothly by giving them feedback. We also try to organize boot camps specifically for SOs and NSOs. Referees are full-fledged members of our team: they can take part in decision-making and projects, and get involved in a range of working groups.

Refereeing also offers plenty of opportunities to connect with the national and international community and gain experience at bouts and games beyond our home league. We’re always looking for SOs and NSOs who’d like to become part of our team.

To help prevent injuries, we play roller derby in specialized protective gear: quad skates, a helmet, mouthguard, wrist guards, knee pads and elbow pads. A proper fit is essential. Gear that’s too loose or too tight can be uncomfortable and may even increase the risk of injury. The WFTDA has a guide to checking the fit of your equipment, which you can access here (available in English).

If you’re new to derby and aren’t sure how to choose the right gear, don’t worry: our Newbie course offers tips and recommendations to help you get started. A full set of derby gear can be expensive, so you can borrow equipment while you’re getting started. We also support skaters as they purchase their own gear later on.

Blocking is an important part of the game. To help keep all skaters safe, there are rules about how it can be done. Skaters in any position—jammer, pivot or blocker—may block intentionally or unintentionally, but they may only use certain parts of their own bodies (the “blocking zones”) and target certain parts of an opponent’s body (the “target zones”).

The blocking zones are the torso, the arms above the elbow and the legs above mid-thigh.

The target zones are the chest; the front and sides of the torso; the arms and hands; the hips; and the front and sides of the legs above mid-thigh.

In roller derby, two teams of up to 15 skaters compete on an oval track. A game, or bout, lasts two 30-minute periods, each made up of jams lasting up to two minutes. Five skaters from each team take part in every jam. The four blockers from each team form the pack and try to stop the opposing jammer from passing them and scoring points. After the initial pass determines the lead jammer, each jammer scores one point for every opposing skater they legally pass.

Competitions are held under the rules of the Women’s Flat Track Roller Derby Association (WFTDA).

Being part of the roller derby community doesn’t always mean taking to the track as a skater. Our team also relies on dedicated referees. At a roller derby bout, referees help ensure that the game runs as fairly and smoothly as possible.

There are two types of referees: Skating Officials (SOs) and Non-Skating Officials (NSOs). A bout typically has three to eight SOs, who skate in different positions on the infield and outfield. Their main duties include calling penalties, awarding points and—most importantly—helping ensure fair play. SOs traditionally wear black-and-white striped shirts, which is why they’re also known as “zebras.”

NSOs have a wide range of responsibilities, too. They don’t skate; instead, they work at various positions on and around the track. Among other things, they start and time jams, record penalties, track the time skaters spend in the penalty box and update the score on the scoreboard. NSOs often used to wear pink, earning them the nickname “flamingos.” These days, black is the usual color for NSOs.

We offer training and practice opportunities for our referees. Anyone interested can join our beginner training sessions, where they’ll learn the basics of skating and the game. At in-house scrimmages, they can put their skills into practice and help skaters keep the game flowing smoothly by giving them feedback. We also try to organize boot camps specifically for SOs and NSOs. Referees are full-fledged members of our team: they can take part in decision-making and projects, and get involved in a range of working groups.

Refereeing also offers plenty of opportunities to connect with the national and international community and gain experience at bouts and games beyond our home league. We’re always looking for SOs and NSOs who’d like to become part of our team.

To help prevent injuries, we play roller derby in specialized protective gear: quad skates, a helmet, mouthguard, wrist guards, knee pads and elbow pads. A proper fit is essential. Gear that’s too loose or too tight can be uncomfortable and may even increase the risk of injury. The WFTDA has a guide to checking the fit of your equipment.

If you’re new to derby and aren’t sure how to choose the right gear, don’t worry: our Newbie course offers tips and recommendations to help you get started. A full set of derby gear can be expensive, so you can borrow equipment while you’re getting started. We also support skaters as they purchase their own gear later on.

Blocking is an important part of the game. To help keep all skaters safe, there are rules about how it can be done. Skaters in any position—jammer, pivot or blocker—may block intentionally or unintentionally, but they may only use certain parts of their own bodies (the “blocking zones”) and target certain parts of an opponent’s body (the “target zones”).

The blocking zones are the torso, the arms above the elbow and the legs above mid-thigh.

The target zones are the chest; the front and sides of the torso; the arms and hands; the hips; and the front and sides of the legs above mid-thigh.