A race through traffic
LCRD plays under the WFTDA flat-track ruleset, on quad skates around a flat, oval track. Each team fields one jammer who scores and four blockers who play offense and defense at once. Blockers try to slow the opposing jammer while opening a path for their own. Other roller derby formats may use different tracks or rules.
How play unfolds
One jam at a time
A bout is made of short bursts called jams. Both teams can score during the same jam, so every skater is constantly switching between helping and stopping.
Line up
Four blockers from each team form the pack. The two jammers start behind them.
Break through
At the whistle, each jammer works through the pack. They must complete this initial pass before they can score.
Lap and score
On the next pass through the pack, a jammer earns one point for each opposing blocker legally passed.
Call it smart
The lead jammer may end the jam early by repeatedly tapping their hips.
Who's on the track?
The helmet cover tells you each skater's job before the whistle blows.
Jammer
The point scorer. Each team fields one jammer, identified by the star on their helmet cover.
Blockers
The moving offense and defense. They slow the opposing jammer while making space for their own.
Pivot
A blocker wearing the stripe. The pivot can receive the star in a legal star pass and become the jammer.
Lead jammer
The power to end the jam
The first eligible jammer to legally clear the pack becomes lead jammer. Lead can call off the jam early, often just before the other team has a chance to score.
Star pass
A scorer can change mid-jam
A jammer may hand the star helmet cover to their pivot. Once the pass is complete, the pivot becomes the team's jammer for the rest of that jam.
Contact and penalties
Full contact. Clear limits.
Legal contact is controlled by where and how a skater makes a block. Dangerous or illegal actions can send a skater to the penalty box for 30 seconds of jam time, leaving their team short on the track.
- No elbows or forearms
- No tripping
- No hits to the head, back, or lower legs
- No cutting the track to gain position
A quick spectator cheat sheet
Where should I look first?
Find the two stars. The jammers are trying to escape the pack; the blockers' formations show how each team is creating or closing a path.
Why did the jammer tap their hips?
The lead jammer is calling off the jam. It is a strategic way to protect a scoring advantage or keep the other jammer from scoring.
What is “the pack”?
The pack is the largest group of blockers from both teams skating close together. Its location determines where blockers may legally engage.
Why is one team skating short?
One or more skaters are probably serving penalties. A penalty lasts for 30 seconds of jam time; if a jam ends first, the remaining time carries into the next jam.
What do the whistles mean?
One short whistle starts the jam, two short whistles announce lead jammer, and four quick whistles end the jam.
The best explanation is a bout
See derby in motion.
Looking for the technical version? Read the official WFTDA rules ↗