Special: Roller Derby
To score a point, the jammer has to play fair and stay on the track when they pass someone. Jammers get a 2-minute time period, called a jam, when they can score points. Before a jam starts the blockers and pivot (called a pack) of both teams line up side-by-side, with both jammers farther back behind their own starting line.
A roller derby bout is played in two 30 minute periods broken into jams lasting up to maximum 2 minutes.
The term “roller derby” dates to the 1920s, originally used to describe roller skate races. In the late 1930s, Leo Seltzer's touring competition, Transcontinental Roller Derby, began to evolve from a marathon skating race on a raised track to a more physical competition emphasizing skater collisions and falls.
Roller derby is a contact sport played by two teams of five members each, roller skating in the same direction (counter-clockwise) around a track. Game play consists of a series of short match ups (jams) in which both teams designate a jammer who scores points by lapping members of the opposing team.
Each game of derby, called a “bout,” is played between two teams, each with their five players in a lineup at one time on the track. Each lineup is made up of one pivot, three blockers, and a jammer.
