What are the rules of roller derby? We take a spin through them

As a first-time spectator, the slam, bam and bash of Roller Derby can look a little chaotic and confusing. There’s a lot of contact, it’s aggressive and it’s fun to watch. Roller derby also has terms unique to the sport.

So how does it all work? Here are some basics.

Full contact: Roller derby one of the few full-contact women’s sports. But that does not mean tripping, pushing or punching. Rules govern where and how players can hit (for example, backs, heads and knees are off limits). Safety gear is a must.

Game Basics: Two teams take to a flat, oval track. Each team has five players. Play is broken up into two, 30-minute periods. Each period is broken into smaller units, called jams, which last up to two minutes. Scoring happens when one of the players, a jammer, passes opposing team members without fouling them on the track. The game is referred to as a “bout,” and the team with the most points when the clock runs out wins.

Jammers and Blockers: Jammers wear a star on their helmets and are the only skaters who can score. The other four team members are called blockers. A pivot (who wears a stripe on their helmet) is a blocker who can transform into a jammer.

League vs Club: In roller derby, a “league” is the equivalent of a club (a derby league is not the same as, say, the National Football League). Each derby league, or club, often has several teams at different skill levels. Sacramento Roller Derby, for example, has six adult teams including competitive, travel teams and home teams; Sacramento Junior Roller Derby has two teams.

Gender and age: Adult flat track roller derby is played by people 18 years and older who identify as women, nonbinary or gender expansive. The Women’s Flat Track Derby Association has one of the most progressive gender policies in sports. The Men’s Roller Derby Association organizes derby for people who identify as men. Junior roller derby, for ages 8-17, is all-gender.

The Numbers: There are an estimated 1,900 derby clubs throughout the world, with roughly half in the US, according the website DerbyListing.com, which shows all the leagues and where they play. About 460 leagues are part of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association.