What is roller derby?

Roller derby is an all-female sport played on quad roller skates. It involves teams competing on an oval track in a series of ‘jams’ – two-minute periods run over an hour long bout.

During each jam, one player on each team is designated as the ‘jammer’. This player wears a star on her helmet, and can score a point for every member of the opposing team she passes.

At the first whistle, four players from each team set off around the track – they are called blockers and make up the pack, skating shoulder-to-shoulder at speeds anywhere from a crawl to a sprint. One player from each team serves as the ‘pivot’ and has a stripe on her helmet. It’s her job to call out instructions to her team and to adjust the pace as necessary.

On the second whistle the two jammers set off after the pack at a sprint and attempt to break through it. The first jammer to make it through the pack is designated ‘lead jammer’, and she is given the ability to call off the jam, ending the jam period early, and resetting for the next one. The jammer doesn’t score points on this first pass, as instead, lead jammer status is awarded.

Once the jammers have made it through the pack the first time, they lap around and do it all over again – only this time, they get a point for every member of the opposite team they pass. This continues until the two minutes are up, or until the lead jammer calls it off.