One of the chief criticisms about roller derby is the inherent confusion one feels when watching it for the first time. Understand that most of derby's audience harbor memories of televised derby from the 70s. Now take these same people, sit them in front of a track, and let ten women wail on each other for sixty minutes, with the action lurching to a halt amongst seemingly random whistle blasts. It's no wonder people have trouble keeping track of the action! They're just one person, while the league uses 4-5 refs and an army of NSOs to keep track of the action.
Hence this article, which will attempt to explain roller derby's basics so that you, the reader, will get the maximum enjoyment out of your tickets. (As well as my reviews; hint, hint.)
Each bout is divided into numerous jams; lasting up to two minutes. During each jam both teams field five skaters: four blockers and a jammer. We'll start with blocking as it involves hitting people, and that's usually roller derby's main draw.
BLOCKING:
The eight blockers (four from each team, remember?) make up the bulk of the pack. These blockers have two jobs: 1.) stop the other team's jammer, while 2.) protecting their own jammer so she can score. Each team's blockers are led by a pivot, who sets the pack's pace and is identified by the stripe on her helmet.
(Not to give the hardworking pivots short shrift, but their function is decidedly intermediate. One can learn a lot from them, but we're sticking to just the basics here.)
If this all seems very simple, that's because it is. Blocking at its core is similar to chess: taking mere minutes to learn, but years to master (i.e. understand). Not the action so much as reading how this action plays out. Speeding up the pack, slowing it down, "goating"/traps, starting with a knee, split packs, etc.
Tactically, if you can think it up, there's a good chance some league somewhere has already tried it. And if you can't think it up, you can rest assured some league somewhere has already mastered it. This is not to say there's nothing new under the sun, just that derby's so young that its rules aren't firmly cemented yet. Leaving lots of room and time for loop holes to be found and exploited. Just one of the many facets that makes roller so exciting to watch!
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