Roller Derby is an ever growing contact sport, with more and more folks getting involved. As a proud team sponsor and provider of equipment for the sport, we thought we’d breakdown the game for those that don’t know much about it!
The History
The game originated in the U.S and started off as an endurance race in the 1930’s. Due to the entertainment factor of the falls, later on the contact element was added and the game then gradually grew from there, introducing more team members and rules as well as leagues and so forth. In 2001, it had a modern revival in Texas, which shaped it in to the game it is today.
There are now over 2,000 amateur leagues across the globe!
The Kit
Protection is the key here! Pads, helmets and skates it’s that simple. We have a Roller Derby starter package available that includes Quad Roller Skates (specifically for the sport), Roller Derby knee pads, elbow pads and wrist savers, a helmet and a mouth guard!
The Teams
Each team has up to 15 players, with 5 members actually in the game at one time. The team then breaks down in to 1 Jammer and 4 Blockers. You can spot the jammers as they rock a star on their helmets!
The Jammers job is to score the points and it’s the Blockers job to prevent the opposing Jammer from scoring.
The Game
The game itself is played on an oval flat track and is made up of 2 x 30 minute halves, which are broken down in to 2 minute ‘Jams’, however, a Jam doesn’t always last the full two minutes as they can be called off as part of a tactical move.
The aim of the game is to get your Jammer to the front and then block the opposing team, so that your Jammer can complete laps of the track to score points. 1 lap = 1 point.
For more info about the rules and how the game is played watch this video !
Events
There is a huge list of Roller Derby events that take place all around the world, and the UK also get to host some of the major ones too! Earlier this year, the Roller Derby World Cup was held in Manchester. Next weekend the Euroclash will be kicking off in Newcastle and the British Roller Derby Championships is ongoing throughout the year. So if you’re looking at getting in to the sport, there’s plenty to go and watch!