Roller derby
Encyclopedia
Roller derby is a contact sport
played by two teams of five members roller skating
in the same direction around a track. Game play consists of a series of short matchups ("jams") in which both teams designate a scoring player (the "jammer") who scores points by lapping members of the opposing team. The teams attempt to assist their own jammer while hindering the opposing jammer —in effect playing both offense and defense simultaneously. Roller derby is played by more than 1,000 amateur leagues on every inhabited continent.
While the sport has its origins in the banked-track roller skating marathons of the 1930s, Leo Seltzer
and Damon Runyon
are credited with the basic evolution of the sport to its initial competitive form. Professional roller derby quickly became popular; in 1940 more than 5 million spectators watched bouts in 50 US cities. In the ensuing decades, however, it predominantly became a form of sports entertainment
where the theatrical elements overshadowed the athleticism. This gratuitous showmanship largely ended with the sport's contemporary grassroots revival in the first decade of the 21st century. Although some sports entertainment qualities such as player pseudonyms and colorful uniforms were retained, scripted bouts with predetermined winners were abandoned.
Modern roller derby is an international sport dominated by all-female amateur teams, in addition to a growing number of male, co-ed, and junior roller derby teams. Most modern leagues share a strong "do it yourself" (DIY) ethic
which uniquely combines athleticism and elements from punk
, camp
and third-wave feminist
aesthetics
.
claimed that more than 98% of roller derby competitions were conducted under WFTDA rules.
For example, members of the United Kingdom Roller Derby Association
are required to play by WFTDA rules, while members of the Canadian Women's Roller Derby Association are encouraged to join the WFTDA.
The bout is played in two periods of 30 minutes. Point scoring occurs during "jams": plays that last up to two minutes. During a jam, points are scored when a jammer in scoring position laps members of an opposing team. Each team's blockers use body contact, changing positions, and other tactics to assist its jammer to score while hindering the opposing team's jammer. Certain types of blocks and other play are violations; referees call penalties and require violators to spend time in a penalty box.
The skating blockers form a "pack": while blockers must maintain the pack by remaining within ten feet of the next-nearest blocker, they may move freely and skate anywhere on the track. The first jammer to legally pass all opposing blockers wins the status of lead jammer for the remainder of the jam. Subsequent to her first pass through the pack, the jammer scores a point every time she laps an opposing team member.
The lead jammer can stop the jam at any time by signaling to the referees by placing her hands on her hips. If the jam is not stopped early, it ends after 2 minutes. Teams then have 30 seconds to form up for the next jam. Team members typically rotate between jams from the 14 players on the team's roster. Designations may change between jams: a pivot in one jam might be the jammer in a later jam.
in the United States led to the formation of organized multi-day endurance races for cash prizes, as early as the mid-1880s. Speed and endurance races continued to be held on both flat and banked tracks in the century's first three decades and spectators enjoyed the spills and falls of the skaters. The term derby
was used to refer to such races by 1922.
created the Transcontinental Roller Derby, a month-long simulation of a road race betewen two-person teams of professional skaters. The spectacle became a popular touring exhibition. In the late 1930s, sportswriter Damon Runyon
persuaded Seltzer to change the Roller Derby rules to increase skater contact. By 1939, after experimenting with different team and scoring arrangements, Seltzer's created a touring company of four pairs of teams (always billed as the local "home" team versus either New York or Chicago), with two five-person teams on the track at once, scoring points when its members lapped opponents.
—broadcasting well before television viewership was widespread. The broadcasts increased spectator turnout for live matches. For the 1949–1950 season, Seltzer formed the National Roller Derby League
(NRDL). The NRDL consisted of six teams. NRDL season playoffs sold out Madison Square Garden for a week. During the late 1950s and 1960s, the sport was broadcast on several networks, but attendance declined. Jerry Seltzer
(Leo's son), the RollerJam "commissioner", hoped to use television to expand the live spectator base. He adapted the sport for television by developing scripted story lines, and rules designed to improve television appeal; derby's popularity declined in spite of this.
, and by August 2006 there were over 135 similar leagues. Leagues outside the U.S. also began forming in 2006, and international competition soon followed. By September 2011, there were more than 1,000 amateur leagues on every inhabited continent, in countries such as Canada
, Australia
, the United Kingdom
, New Zealand
, Germany
, Belgium
, Finland
, Sweden
and Singapore
aesthetic
and/or third-wave feminist
ethic is prominent. Members of fledgling leagues often practice and strategize together, regardless of team affiliation, between bouts. Most compete on flat tracks, though several leagues skate on banked tracks, with more in the planning stages.
Each league typically features local teams in public bouts; these are popular with a diverse fan base; larger venues hosting audiences ranging from 4,000 to 7,000 are no longer unusual. Many leagues took advantage of the release of the roller derby movie Whip It to increase awareness of the sport.
As the sport has matured, successful local leagues have formed "travel teams" composed of the league's best players to compete with travel teams from other cities and regions. Corporate advertising has used roller derby themes in video commercials for insurance
, a breakfast cereal
, and an over-the-counter analgesic
. Contemporary roller derby is also the most violent sport played by and administered by women.
with satirical, mock-violent or sexual pun
s, alliteration
, and allusions to pop culture, some of which are the subject of some controversy.
New players are often encouraged to check their name against an international roster to ensure novelty and uniqueness of the alias before officially using it. Some players claim their names represent alter ego
s which they adopt while skating. Referees may also choose to use derby names as well. The phenomenon of roller derby aliases has attracted legal and sociological analysis within the ambit of intellectual property
and trademark
law as an indigenous activity.
The names of the bouts, tournaments, or double-headers themselves are typically just as sardonic and convoluted — for example, Nightmare on Hull Street (Nightmare on Elm St.), Night of the Rolling Dead (Night of the Living Dead
), Are You There Blocker? It's Me, Jammer (Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret), Knocktoberfest (Octoberfest), Spanksgiving (Thanksgiving
), Seasons Beatings (Seasons Greetings), Grandma Got Run Over By a Rollergirl (Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer
), Skate & Destroy Her (Search and destroy
), Mama Said Knock You Down (Mama Said Knock You Out), Cinco de May-hem (Cinco de Mayo
), and War of the Wheels (War of the Worlds).
Although some teams opt for a uniform livery
, the camp can extend to players' garb as well. Costumes (sometimes called "boutfits") are often inspired by or comparable with rockabilly
or burlesque
fashions, and tattoo
s and tutu
s are commonly in evidence, as are fishnet stockings. In addition to the on-track competition, some leagues emphasize entertainment
with showy on-track behavior, half-time
shows, and "penalty games" — unofficial competitive stunts between players such as arm wrestling
, wheelchair races and the like. The extent to which such non-athletic stylizations are embraced varies from league to league, and continues to be a source of some contention.
on hand Some leagues prominently display their injuries, and safety and injuries are a perennial topic on skating blogs and other forums.
, with 124 member leagues. Other associations support either coed or men only Derby. Outside of the United States
many roller derby leagues enjoy support from their national skate federations such as the Skate Australia
, the British Roller Sports Federation
and Roller Sports Canada
. Affiliation with a national organization
was rejected by American leagues who prefer governance on a grass roots level, but the WFTDA and USARS have a reciprocity agreement for insurance purposes. Canada's national roller derby league works with the American federation.
, an international competition, began in 2011.
Contact sport
Many sports involve a degree of player-to-player or player-to-object contact. The term "contact sport" is used in both team sports and combat sports, medical terminology and television game shows, such as the Gladiators and Wipeout, to certain degrees...
played by two teams of five members roller skating
Roller skating
Roller skating is the traveling on smooth surfaces with roller skates. It is a form of recreation as well as a sport, and can also be a form of transportation. Skates generally come in two basic varieties: quad roller skates and inline skates or blades, though some have experimented with a...
in the same direction around a track. Game play consists of a series of short matchups ("jams") in which both teams designate a scoring player (the "jammer") who scores points by lapping members of the opposing team. The teams attempt to assist their own jammer while hindering the opposing jammer —in effect playing both offense and defense simultaneously. Roller derby is played by more than 1,000 amateur leagues on every inhabited continent.
While the sport has its origins in the banked-track roller skating marathons of the 1930s, Leo Seltzer
Leo Seltzer
Leo A. Seltzer is generally credited as the creator of the sport of roller derby, and was the founder and head of the original Roller Derby league from 1935 until his son Jerry Seltzer took over the business in 1958....
and Damon Runyon
Damon Runyon
Alfred Damon Runyon was an American newspaperman and writer.He was best known for his short stories celebrating the world of Broadway in New York City that grew out of the Prohibition era. To New Yorkers of his generation, a "Damon Runyon character" evoked a distinctive social type from the...
are credited with the basic evolution of the sport to its initial competitive form. Professional roller derby quickly became popular; in 1940 more than 5 million spectators watched bouts in 50 US cities. In the ensuing decades, however, it predominantly became a form of sports entertainment
Sports entertainment
Sports entertainment is a type of spectacle which presents an ostensibly competitive event using a high level of theatrical flourish and extravagant presentation, with the purpose of entertaining an audience...
where the theatrical elements overshadowed the athleticism. This gratuitous showmanship largely ended with the sport's contemporary grassroots revival in the first decade of the 21st century. Although some sports entertainment qualities such as player pseudonyms and colorful uniforms were retained, scripted bouts with predetermined winners were abandoned.
Modern roller derby is an international sport dominated by all-female amateur teams, in addition to a growing number of male, co-ed, and junior roller derby teams. Most modern leagues share a strong "do it yourself" (DIY) ethic
DIY ethic
The DIY ethic refers to the ethic of self-sufficiency through completing tasks oneself as opposed to having others who are more experienced or able complete them for one's behalf. It promotes the idea that an ordinary person can learn to do more than he or she thought was possible...
which uniquely combines athleticism and elements from punk
Punk subculture
The punk subculture includes a diverse array of ideologies, and forms of expression, including fashion, visual art, dance, literature, and film, which grew out of punk rock.-History:...
, camp
Camp (style)
Camp is an aesthetic sensibility that regards something as appealing because of its taste and ironic value. The concept is closely related to kitsch, and things with camp appeal may also be described as being "cheesy"...
and third-wave feminist
Third-wave feminism
Third-wave feminism is a term identified with several diverse strains of feminist activity and study whose exact boundaries in the historiography of feminism are a subject of debate, but often marked as beginning in the 1980s and continuing to the present...
aesthetics
Aesthetics
Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of beauty, art, and taste, and with the creation and appreciation of beauty. It is more scientifically defined as the study of sensory or sensori-emotional values, sometimes called judgments of sentiment and taste...
.
Game play
Contemporary roller derby has a basic set of rules, with variations reflecting the interests of a governing body's member leagues. The summary below is based on a comprehensive rule set developed by the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA), which is used by the vast majority of leagues. In March 2010, Derby News NetworkDerby News Network
Derby News Network is an internet broadcast network featuring the international sport of roller derby, using the internet to collect remote streaming video, photographs, audio, and text from reporters around the world, and distribute it internationally. DNN is frequently cited as an authoritative...
claimed that more than 98% of roller derby competitions were conducted under WFTDA rules.
For example, members of the United Kingdom Roller Derby Association
United Kingdom Roller Derby Association
The United Kingdom Roller Derby Association is the National Association for roller derby in the UK. The association was formed in 2010 with 15 member leagues, and was recognized by the British Roller Sports Federation soon after....
are required to play by WFTDA rules, while members of the Canadian Women's Roller Derby Association are encouraged to join the WFTDA.
Basics of play
Roller derby is played by two teams of five members simultaneously skating counterclockwise on a circuit track. Each team designates a scoring player (the "jammer"); the other four members are "blockers." One blocker is designated as a "pivot"—a blocker allowed to become a jammer in the course of play. The jammer wears a helmet cover bearing two stars; the pivot wears a striped cover; the remaining members' helmets are uncovered.The bout is played in two periods of 30 minutes. Point scoring occurs during "jams": plays that last up to two minutes. During a jam, points are scored when a jammer in scoring position laps members of an opposing team. Each team's blockers use body contact, changing positions, and other tactics to assist its jammer to score while hindering the opposing team's jammer. Certain types of blocks and other play are violations; referees call penalties and require violators to spend time in a penalty box.
Jams
Play begins by blockers lining up on the track's starting line (the "pivot line"). The jammers start from a second starting line 30 feet behind. With a starting whistle, the blockers begin to skate; when the last blocker crosses the pivot line, a second whistle signals the jammers to start.The skating blockers form a "pack": while blockers must maintain the pack by remaining within ten feet of the next-nearest blocker, they may move freely and skate anywhere on the track. The first jammer to legally pass all opposing blockers wins the status of lead jammer for the remainder of the jam. Subsequent to her first pass through the pack, the jammer scores a point every time she laps an opposing team member.
The lead jammer can stop the jam at any time by signaling to the referees by placing her hands on her hips. If the jam is not stopped early, it ends after 2 minutes. Teams then have 30 seconds to form up for the next jam. Team members typically rotate between jams from the 14 players on the team's roster. Designations may change between jams: a pivot in one jam might be the jammer in a later jam.
Positions
| Position | Helmet Cover | Responsibility | References |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jammer | Stars | Scores points by lapping opposing team members | |
| Blocker | None | Assist the team's jammer to progress through the pack. Hinder the opposing jammer by preventing her from passing. | |
| Pivot | Stripes | A blocker who may be designated as a jammer during the course of a jam. Establishes team strategy during play. |
Scoring
The jammer scores by passing opposition team members. Each jammer must first complete a pass of all the opposing team's blockers. After this initial pass through the pack, the jammer scores a point each time she passes an opposing team member, including the other team's jammer. For example the jammer for team A may pass 5 blockers during a jam, the jammer for team B passes 3. When the jam ends—either because the 2-minute limit is reached, or because the lead jammer has "called the jam" beforehand—the score would be 5 points for team A, 3 for team B.Blocking
Roller derby skaters attempt to knock opponents out of bounds or impede their movements by blocking. Legal blocks follow certain rules. Contact by hands, elbows, head and feet are prohibited, as is contact above the shoulders or below mid-thigh. Contact may not be from the rear, only from a player's front or sides.Penalties
Referees determine rule violations. Each type of violation carries major or minor penalties, or no penalty at all. A player receiving a major penalty, or four minor penalties, is removed from play to sit in a penalty box for one minute. If a jam ends beforehand, the player remains in the penalty box during the subsequent jam until the minute penalty is completed. A player with seven major penalties is ejected from the game.Equipment
Players skate on four-wheeled ("quad") roller skates, and are required to wear protective equipment, including a helmet, wrist guards, elbow pads, knee pads, and mouth guards.Strategy
Roller derby is exceptional in that it is a game where offense and defense are played simultaneously. This adds complexity to game play strategy: for example, blockers may create a large hole for their jammer to pass through and score, but this same maneuver might also allow the opposing team's jammer to score.- Ending the Jam The lead jammer can end the jam at any time, thus she controls the opposing team's ability to score points. Ideally the lead jammer will attempt to score as many points as possible, and end the jam before the opposing team scores any.
- Passing the Star The jammer for a team may "pass the star" to the pivot — that is, she hands the star helmet cover to the pivot, at which point the pivot becomes the scoring jammer for the team. A jammer might pass the star because of fatigue, injury, penalty trouble, or because the pivot is in a better position to score.
- "The Whip" A blocker or pivot grasps her jammer's hand and swings her forward transferring speed and momentum to the jammer.
- "Walling Up" A basic "wall" consists of two blockers working together to take up as much space on the track as possible to make it difficult for the opposing team to maneuver. "Walling up" refers to creating a wall formation at a strategic time, so the opposing team (especially the jammer) has no time to respond. A wall can inhibit, slow down, and ultimately trap the opposing jammer, and may last an entire jam if they can effectively hold the opposing team. Variations on the strategy include setting up blockers to rotate through the wall positions.
- "Getting the Goat" The pack is defined as the largest group of in bounds Blockers, skating in proximity, containing members from both teams. In the "goatherding" strategy, one team surrounds the slowest blocker of the opposing team, and then slows more so that that group becomes the pack. The opposing team, skating ahead, are thus put out of play and thus cannot legally block the goatherders' jammer.
- "The Diamond" In a similar strategy, four blockers form a diamond around the opposing jammer to prevent her from getting through the pack.
- Slow Start When a team's jammer is in the penalty box at the start of a jam, they may attempt a slow start: the other team's jammer can't enter the jam until the last blocker passes the pivot line. A slow start prevents the entry of the other team's jammer.
- Intentional Minor Penalties A skater with 4 minor penalties will be sent to the penalty box for a minute. It is easy for a jammer with three minor penalties to incur a fourth penalty, thus taking her out of play and leaving her team unable to score. Some teams will therefore send a potential jammer with 3 minor penalties into the game as a blocker, with the intent that player intentionally incurs a fourth minor penalty in a less critical blocking role — for example by intentionally entering the starting line-up behind the jammer line instead of the pivot line.
- Other Strategies A newly developed "Western Style" strategy has been developed in which a blocker who bumps the opposing jammer off the track skates backwards, forcing the jammer to re-enter further behind the pack.
Professional endurance races
The growing popularity of roller skatingRoller skating
Roller skating is the traveling on smooth surfaces with roller skates. It is a form of recreation as well as a sport, and can also be a form of transportation. Skates generally come in two basic varieties: quad roller skates and inline skates or blades, though some have experimented with a...
in the United States led to the formation of organized multi-day endurance races for cash prizes, as early as the mid-1880s. Speed and endurance races continued to be held on both flat and banked tracks in the century's first three decades and spectators enjoyed the spills and falls of the skaters. The term derby
Derby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
was used to refer to such races by 1922.
Evolution to contact sport
The endurance races began to transform into the contemporary form of the sport in the mid-1930s, when promoter Leo SeltzerLeo Seltzer
Leo A. Seltzer is generally credited as the creator of the sport of roller derby, and was the founder and head of the original Roller Derby league from 1935 until his son Jerry Seltzer took over the business in 1958....
created the Transcontinental Roller Derby, a month-long simulation of a road race betewen two-person teams of professional skaters. The spectacle became a popular touring exhibition. In the late 1930s, sportswriter Damon Runyon
Damon Runyon
Alfred Damon Runyon was an American newspaperman and writer.He was best known for his short stories celebrating the world of Broadway in New York City that grew out of the Prohibition era. To New Yorkers of his generation, a "Damon Runyon character" evoked a distinctive social type from the...
persuaded Seltzer to change the Roller Derby rules to increase skater contact. By 1939, after experimenting with different team and scoring arrangements, Seltzer's created a touring company of four pairs of teams (always billed as the local "home" team versus either New York or Chicago), with two five-person teams on the track at once, scoring points when its members lapped opponents.
Television
In 1948, Roller Derby debuted on New York televisionTelevision
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
—broadcasting well before television viewership was widespread. The broadcasts increased spectator turnout for live matches. For the 1949–1950 season, Seltzer formed the National Roller Derby League
National Roller Derby League
The National Roller Derby League , also once promoted as Roller Derby 2000, Roller Blazing Derby League and Roller Derby USA, is a professional roller derby league. The NRDL consists of teams that train and compete on banked tracks in the coastal cities of Southern California...
(NRDL). The NRDL consisted of six teams. NRDL season playoffs sold out Madison Square Garden for a week. During the late 1950s and 1960s, the sport was broadcast on several networks, but attendance declined. Jerry Seltzer
Jerry Seltzer
Jerry Seltzer was the second and final owner of the original Roller Derby league. The league and the sport of roller derby were created in 1935 in Chicago by Leo Seltzer, Jerry's father. Jerry assumed ownership of the league in 1959 and ran it until its demise in 1973...
(Leo's son), the RollerJam "commissioner", hoped to use television to expand the live spectator base. He adapted the sport for television by developing scripted story lines, and rules designed to improve television appeal; derby's popularity declined in spite of this.
Amateur revival
Roller derby began its modern revival in the early 2000s as an all-female, woman-organized amateur sport. The revival initially began in Austin, TexasAustin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, and by August 2006 there were over 135 similar leagues. Leagues outside the U.S. also began forming in 2006, and international competition soon followed. By September 2011, there were more than 1,000 amateur leagues on every inhabited continent, in countries such as Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
Roller derby's amateur female revival
A large number of contemporary roller derby leagues are amateur, self-organized and all-female and were formed in a DIY spirit by relatively new roller derby enthusiasts. In many leagues a punkPunk subculture
The punk subculture includes a diverse array of ideologies, and forms of expression, including fashion, visual art, dance, literature, and film, which grew out of punk rock.-History:...
aesthetic
Aesthetics
Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of beauty, art, and taste, and with the creation and appreciation of beauty. It is more scientifically defined as the study of sensory or sensori-emotional values, sometimes called judgments of sentiment and taste...
and/or third-wave feminist
Third-wave feminism
Third-wave feminism is a term identified with several diverse strains of feminist activity and study whose exact boundaries in the historiography of feminism are a subject of debate, but often marked as beginning in the 1980s and continuing to the present...
ethic is prominent. Members of fledgling leagues often practice and strategize together, regardless of team affiliation, between bouts. Most compete on flat tracks, though several leagues skate on banked tracks, with more in the planning stages.
Each league typically features local teams in public bouts; these are popular with a diverse fan base; larger venues hosting audiences ranging from 4,000 to 7,000 are no longer unusual. Many leagues took advantage of the release of the roller derby movie Whip It to increase awareness of the sport.
As the sport has matured, successful local leagues have formed "travel teams" composed of the league's best players to compete with travel teams from other cities and regions. Corporate advertising has used roller derby themes in video commercials for insurance
Insurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
, a breakfast cereal
Breakfast cereal
A breakfast cereal is a food made from processed grains that is often, but not always, eaten with the first meal of the day. It is often eaten cold, usually mixed with milk , water, or yogurt, and sometimes fruit but sometimes eaten dry. Some cereals, such as oatmeal, may be served hot as porridge...
, and an over-the-counter analgesic
Analgesic
An analgesic is any member of the group of drugs used to relieve pain . The word analgesic derives from Greek an- and algos ....
. Contemporary roller derby is also the most violent sport played by and administered by women.
Aesthetics
Most players in these leagues skate under pseudonyms, also called "derby names" or "skater names," many of which are creative examples of word playWord play
Word play or wordplay is a literary technique in which the words that are used become the main subject of the work, primarily for the purpose of intended effect or amusement...
with satirical, mock-violent or sexual pun
Pun
The pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use and abuse of homophonic,...
s, alliteration
Alliteration
In language, alliteration refers to the repetition of a particular sound in the first syllables of Three or more words or phrases. Alliteration has historically developed largely through poetry, in which it more narrowly refers to the repetition of a consonant in any syllables that, according to...
, and allusions to pop culture, some of which are the subject of some controversy.
| Name | Allusion |
|---|---|
| Clitty Clitty Bang Bang | Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: The Magical Car is a children's book written by Ian Fleming for his son Caspar, with illustrations by John Burningham... |
| Vulva Display of Power | Vulgar display of power Vulgar Display of Power Vulgar Display of Power is the sixth studio album by heavy metal band Pantera. It was released through Atco Records, on February 25, 1992. It is the last album where Darrell Abbott is credited as "Diamond Darrell". One of the most influential groove metal albums of the 1990s, Vulgar Display of... |
| Michelle O'BamYa | Michelle Obama Michelle Obama Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama is the wife of the 44th and incumbent President of the United States, Barack Obama, and is the first African-American First Lady of the United States... |
| Mazel Tov Cocktail | Mazel tov, Molotov cocktail Molotov cocktail The Molotov cocktail, also known as the petrol bomb, gasoline bomb, Molotov bomb, fire bottle, fire bomb, or simply Molotov, is a generic name used for a variety of improvised incendiary weapons... |
| Sandra Day O'Clobber | Sandra Day O'Connor Sandra Day O'Connor Sandra Day O'Connor is an American jurist who was the first female member of the Supreme Court of the United States. She served as an Associate Justice from 1981 until her retirement from the Court in 2006. O'Connor was appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1981... |
| Slaybia Majora | Labia majora Labia majora The labia majora are two prominent longitudinal cutaneous folds that extend downward and backward from the mons pubis to the perineum and form the lateral boundaries of the pudendal cleft, which contains the labia minora, interlabial sulci, clitoral hood, clitoral glans, frenulum clitoridis, the... |
| Princess Lay-Ya Flat | Princess Leia Princess Leia Organa Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe... |
| Anna Mosity | Animosity |
New players are often encouraged to check their name against an international roster to ensure novelty and uniqueness of the alias before officially using it. Some players claim their names represent alter ego
Alter ego
An alter ego is a second self, which is believe to be distinct from a person's normal or original personality. The term was coined in the early nineteenth century when dissociative identity disorder was first described by psychologists...
s which they adopt while skating. Referees may also choose to use derby names as well. The phenomenon of roller derby aliases has attracted legal and sociological analysis within the ambit of intellectual property
Intellectual property
Intellectual property is a term referring to a number of distinct types of creations of the mind for which a set of exclusive rights are recognized—and the corresponding fields of law...
and trademark
Trademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
law as an indigenous activity.
The names of the bouts, tournaments, or double-headers themselves are typically just as sardonic and convoluted — for example, Nightmare on Hull Street (Nightmare on Elm St.), Night of the Rolling Dead (Night of the Living Dead
Night of the Living Dead
Night of the Living Dead is a 1968 American independent black-and-white zombie film and cult film directed by George A. Romero, starring Duane Jones, Judith O'Dea and Karl Hardman. It premiered on October 1, 1968, and was completed on a USD$114,000 budget. After decades of cinematic re-releases, it...
), Are You There Blocker? It's Me, Jammer (Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret), Knocktoberfest (Octoberfest), Spanksgiving (Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
), Seasons Beatings (Seasons Greetings), Grandma Got Run Over By a Rollergirl (Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer
Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer
"Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" is a novelty Christmas song, which led to the creation of an animated movie with the same title.Written by Randy Brooks, the song was originally performed by the husband and wife duo of Elmo and Patsy Trigg Shropshire in 1979...
), Skate & Destroy Her (Search and destroy
Search and destroy
Search and Destroy, Seek and Destroy, or even simply S&D, refers to a military strategy that became a notorious component of the Vietnam War. The idea was to insert ground forces into hostile territory, search out the enemy, destroy them, and withdraw immediately afterward...
), Mama Said Knock You Down (Mama Said Knock You Out), Cinco de May-hem (Cinco de Mayo
Cinco de Mayo
Cinco de Mayo is a holiday held on May 5. It is celebrated nationwide in the United States and regionally in Mexico, primarily in the state of Puebla, where the holiday is called El Dia de la Batalla de Puebla...
), and War of the Wheels (War of the Worlds).
Although some teams opt for a uniform livery
Livery
A livery is a uniform, insignia or symbol adorning, in a non-military context, a person, an object or a vehicle that denotes a relationship between the wearer of the livery and an individual or corporate body. Often, elements of the heraldry relating to the individual or corporate body feature in...
, the camp can extend to players' garb as well. Costumes (sometimes called "boutfits") are often inspired by or comparable with rockabilly
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
or burlesque
American burlesque
American Burlesque is a genre of variety show. Derived from elements of Victorian burlesque, music hall and minstrel shows, burlesque shows in America became popular in the 1860s and evolved to feature ribald comedy and female striptease...
fashions, and tattoo
Tattoo
A tattoo is made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. Tattoos on humans are a type of body modification, and tattoos on other animals are most commonly used for identification purposes...
s and tutu
Ballet tutu
A tutu is a skirt worn as a costume in a ballet performance, often with attached bodice. It might be single layer, hanging down, or multiple layers starched and jutting out.There are several types of ballet tutu:...
s are commonly in evidence, as are fishnet stockings. In addition to the on-track competition, some leagues emphasize entertainment
Sports entertainment
Sports entertainment is a type of spectacle which presents an ostensibly competitive event using a high level of theatrical flourish and extravagant presentation, with the purpose of entertaining an audience...
with showy on-track behavior, half-time
Half-time
In some team sports such as association football and rugby, matches are played in two halves. Half-time is the name given to the interval between the two halves of the match...
shows, and "penalty games" — unofficial competitive stunts between players such as arm wrestling
Arm wrestling
Arm wrestling is a sport with two participants. Each participant places one arm on a surface with their elbows bent and touching the surface, and they grip each other's hand...
, wheelchair races and the like. The extent to which such non-athletic stylizations are embraced varies from league to league, and continues to be a source of some contention.
Safety concerns
As roller derby is a contact sport, the risk of injury is non-trivial. Injuries range from common bruises and sprains to broken bones and concussions and beyond. As is the case with many sporting events and other large public gatherings, many modern roller derby games are required to be played with EMTsEmergency medical technician
Emergency Medical Technician or Ambulance Technician are terms used in some countries to denote a healthcare provider of emergency medical services...
on hand Some leagues prominently display their injuries, and safety and injuries are a perennial topic on skating blogs and other forums.
Expansion
Although the early 2000s revival of roller derby was initially all-female, some leagues later introduced all-male teams and co-ed games. Furthermore, as of February 2010 there were over 40 junior roller derby programs across four countries in various stages of development. Despite being viewed by some as risqué adult-oriented entertainment, the positive empowering aspects of the sport are a draw for some youth.Governance and organization
The largest governing body for the sport is the Women's Flat Track Derby AssociationWomen's Flat Track Derby Association
The Women's Flat Track Derby Association is an association of women's flat track roller derby leagues in the United States. The organization was founded in April 2004 as the United Leagues Coalition but was renamed in November 2005. It is registered in Raleigh, North Carolina as a 501 business...
, with 124 member leagues. Other associations support either coed or men only Derby. Outside of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
many roller derby leagues enjoy support from their national skate federations such as the Skate Australia
Skate Australia
This organisation is the national governing body for roller sports in the country. Skate Australia recognised roller derby as a roller sport.-See also:* International Roller Sports Federation*International Roller Sports Federation - Inline...
, the British Roller Sports Federation
British Roller Sports Federation
This organisation is the national governing body for roller sports in the country. British Roller Sports Federation-See also:* International Roller Sports Federation*International Roller Sports Federation - Inline* Roller derby in the United Kingdom...
and Roller Sports Canada
Roller Sports Canada
This organisation is the national governing body for roller sports in the country. Roller Sports Canada recognises roller derby as a roller sport.-See also:* International Roller Sports Federation*International Roller Sports Federation - Inline...
. Affiliation with a national organization
USA Roller Sports
USA Roller Sports , formerly the United States Amateur Confederation of Roller Skating, is the national governing body of competitive roller sports in the United States...
was rejected by American leagues who prefer governance on a grass roots level, but the WFTDA and USARS have a reciprocity agreement for insurance purposes. Canada's national roller derby league works with the American federation.
Tournaments
Since 2006, the WFTDA has sponsored a Big 5 Tournament: four regional championships, and a final championship bout. The association also officially recognizes eligible tournaments hosted by member leagues. The Roller Derby World CupRoller Derby World Cup
The Roller Derby World Cup is an international women's roller derby tournament organized by Blood & Thunder magazine. Teams of amateur skaters from around the world are fielded to compete for their respective nations. The inaugural 2011 event is being hosted by Toronto Roller Derby, and is being...
, an international competition, began in 2011.
See also
- Bibliography of roller derbyBibliography of roller derbyThis annotated bibliography is intended to list both notable and not so notable works of English language, non-fiction and fiction related to the sport of roller derby listed by topic and format, and then year. Although 100% of any book listed is not necessarily devoted to roller derby, all these...
- List of roller derby leagues
External links
- The Girls of Roller Derby – slideshow by Life magazine
- Flat Track Stats – Statistical aggregation of WFTDA sanctioned roller derby
- International Rollergirls' Master Roster – International derby name and team registry