On Skates Officiating: JR, Scoring and Assorted Penalties
Basic information for skaters and officials
Welcome
PLEASE NOTE:
This slideshow has been assembled by Big Red (HSO) of Tri-City Roller Derby.
This presentation has been created in order to provide information & training to officials & skaters during the COVID-19 pandemic. We hope to educate & inspire others to seek certification through the official WFTDA channels.
For more information, or to apply for certification go to:
Penalty Review
Try your best to recreate the hand signal and verbal cue for each of the following penalty codes:
A
High Block
B
Back Block
C
Illegal Contact
D
Direction
E
Leg Block
F
Forearm
G
Misconduct
H
Head Block
I
Illegal Procedure
L
Low Block
M
Multiplayer
N
Interference
P
Illegal Position
X
Cut
Scoring
In Roller Derby, only the active jammer who is wearing the star can score points.
WFTDA Rules Section 3.1 Earning Points
“Jammers score one point every time they lap an opposing Blocker.”
A Jammer laps an opposing Blocker by passing them while the Jammer is upright and in bounds. If a Jammer passes a Blocker without earning their point, but is still within the engagement zone, the Jammer can cede their position, then pass the Blocker again to attempt to earn the point.
Once the Jammer leaves the engagement zone the scoring pass is over and the points are signalled.
Scoring Continued
Scoring Trips
Each trip through the pack, after the initial trip to determine lead Jammer, is considered one scoring trip. A scoring trip ends once the Jammer leaves the engagement zone, or if there is no pack, once the Jammer moves 20 feet ahead of the foremost, in-bounds member of the last defined pack.
If a Jammer is pushed back into the front of the engagement zone, they are considered to be on the previous scoring trip, although their points cannot be altered. They cannot be pushed back more than one scoring trip, even if the pack laps them multiple times.
Scoring Continued
Scoring Avoidance:4
The only way blockers can avoid being scored on is to remain ahead of the Jammer, or by making sure when they are passed, it is unearned.
If a Jammer does not have an opportunity to pass an opponent Blocker, the Jammer is awarded the point.
Eg. Opponents who are ahead of the engagement zone at the end of the scoring pass or the end of the jam, opponents who are out of play behind the pack when a Jammer re-enters from the box, NOTT points.
Scoring Continued
Not On The Track Points:
If a Jammer is unable to earn a pass on a Blocker because of their position either off of the track, or in the penalty box, they are considered a NOTT point.
Any NOTT points are added to the Jammer’s score once they earn the pass on one Blocker legally.
Scoring Continued
Jammer Penalties:
If a Jammer commits a penalty, they are no longer eligible to score points until they return from the box.
Any points they have earned up to the time of the penalty will be held by the Jammer Referee until they either re-enter the track and complete their scoring pass, or the jam ends.
Jammer Referee
Role:
The Jammer Referee will be assigned one of the two team colours, which will indicate which Jammer they are following and reporting points for.
The JR will also be paired with a Score Keeper who will record their points at the end of each scoring pass.
As with any other Referee position, the JR will call any penalty they feel they have all of the information to call.
JR Continued
Score Keeper:
Once the JR has been assigned their colour, they should report to the score table to meet with their Score Keeper.
This meeting is a chance to meet your NSO partner, and explain any hand signals that you will be using throughout the game. This includes, but is not limited to how you hold up points, how you indicate no earned pass and anything else you feel is relevant.
In most cases when you switch teams at half, your Score Keeper will switch with you.
JR Continued
Scoring:
There are 2 JR’s per bout, each one follows the Jammer for the team they are assigned, indicated by a coloured wrist band.
On the initial trip through the pack the JR will declare their Jammer either Lead or Not Lead. A Jammer becomes Lead if they are the first to earn a pass on all Blockers first. Lead Jammer is awarded as soon as they pass the foremost member of the pack.
Lead or Not Lead hand signals should be indicated until the Jammer re-enters the EZ. Once your Jammer is Lead, you should point to them until they lose Lead Jammer status.
JR Continued
Each JR counts points as the Jammer earns passes and makes their way through the engagement zone. Once they leave the EZ (20ft past the foremost pack skater) the points are held up to be viewed by the Score Keeper, the teams and the crowd.
These points should be held up from the time the Jammer leaves the EZ to the time they re-enter at the back of the EZ to start a new scoring pass.
If the jam ends while a Jammer is still in the EZ, or while they are in the box, the JR should then hold up the points.
At the end of a jam, the points should be held up until the JR is in position to start the next jam.
JR Positioning
A Jammer Referee’s positioning is determined by their Jammer’s position on the track.
As the Jammer makes their way around the track, the JR will skate even with them as much as possible. This means many stops, starts and changes in direction as the Jammer works their way through the pack.
As the Jammer is entering the rear of the pack, the JR should drop back slightly to watch for back blocks, then move parallel again.
JR Positioning Continued
The Other Jam Ref:
As there are 2 Jammer Referees both trying to stay even with their Jammers, they will often end up close to each other.
Before the bout begins, the JR’s should discuss how they will handle passing each other, but typically if your Jammer is stationary, you should step back towards the middle (lane 2) leaving the inside (lane 1) for the faster Jam Ref to pass. If both Jammers are stopped close together often the taller JR will cede lane 1 so that both can have the best possible view.
JR Positioning Continued
JR Positioning Continued
Jam Start:
As with the rest of the jam, the JR will line up parallel to the Jammer they are following.
If both Jammers are close to each other at jam start, the team that has positioned closest to the Jam line will most likely stop a Jammer first, therefore the JR following that Jammer should start further back.
This was surprisingly hard to word, view the example on the next slide for clarity.
JR Positioning Continued
JR Positioning Continued
In the previous example, the Yellow Team positioned towards the back, the Purple Team towards the front.
Because of this, the Yellow Jammer is most likely going to skate easily up to the front side of the pack where the Purple Blockers have set up.
The Jam Refs have responded to this situation by ‘cheating’ front or back. The Yellow JR cheats forward, assuming their Jammer will move quickly to the front, the Purple JR cheats back, assuming they will be slowed down by the initial contact with the Yellow Blockers.
JR Continued
Simple Version:
When you are starting out as a Skating Official, some Head Referees will start new Refs in the JR position.
If you are in this situation, your goal as a new Referee in the JR position is to count points. If all you can do is follow your Jammer and count points, that’s a great start. Once you get that part down, you can begin to broaden your focus to calling penalties.
Always remember there are 7 Referees for a reason. Rely on your crew mates to do their jobs and call penalties while you focus on counting points.
Penalties
Parts of a Penalty
Misconduct
Misconduct Continued
Question:
Red Jammer 2 is called on a Cut Track Penalty.
Red JR issues the penalty “Red 2 Cut” with the appropriate hand signal.
Red Jammer 2 fails to leave the track or alter the way they are playing derby.
Red JR issues the verbal and hand signal a second time with no change in Red 2’s behaviour.
What call, if any should be made?
Misconduct Continued
Answer:
Red 2 should be issued a 2nd penalty for Misconduct.
“Red 2 Insubordination” with the appropriate hand signal, followed by holding 2 fingers up to indicate that they have now earned 2 penalties.
Illegal Procedure
Illegal Procedure Continued
Illegal Procedure covers many different scenarios.
It is simplest to think of this as “rulesy penalties”.
These include equipment violations and star pass violations.
Illegal Procedure Continued
Question:
Blue Pivot 3 reports to the track for the jam start.
As the Jam begins, the Front IPR notices that they do not appear to be wearing a mouth guard, and there is a mouth guard sticking out of the top of their helmet.
What call, if any should be made?
Illegal Procedure Continued
Answer:
The Front IPR should issue an Illegal Procedure Penalty.
“Blue 3 Illegal Procedure, Equipment Violation”
While in the box, the Blue Pivot should insert their mouth guard so that they are ready to play derby safely and legally when they re-enter the track.
Multiplayer
Multiplayer Continued
A multiplayer block is when 2 or more skaters form a link, an opposing skater challenges the link, and the link is successful at impeding the opposing skater.
One way to think of a link is that if you would need to break a bone to break the link, it is enough for the first part of a multiplayer block.
The link does not need to be challenged directly, the link can merely aid in the ability to block the opposing skater.
Impeding the opponent can be as simple as significantly slowing their momentum.
Multiplayer Continued
Question:
Red 2 and Red 3 are blocking.
As Blue Jammer approaches, Red 2 grasps onto Red 3’s jersey to move them into a better position to block the incoming Jammer.
Blue Jammer hits the Blockers in between them, where their arms meet, but is able to push through easily and continue skating.
What call, if any should be made?
Multiplayer Continued
Answer:
There was a link formed between Red 2 and Red 3.
The link was challenged directly by the Blue Jammer.
The link was unsuccessful at impeding the Jammer, therefore there is no penalty.
Interference
Interference Continued
Interference Penalties are often called as “Delay of Game”.
These penalties interfere with the flow of game play.
These are most often called on the Coach, and are served by the Captain as a non Pivot Blocker.
Interference Continued
Question: The following image shows the position of all skaters and Skating Officials as the jam start whistle is blown. What call, if any should be made?
Interference Continued
Answer:
Yellow Team has failed to field a Jammer for the start of the new jam.
The jam should immediately be whistled dead.
Yellow Coach should be issued an Interference Penalty for Delay of Game.
Yellow Captain must report to the box as a non Pivot Blocker.
Cutting the Track
Cutting the Track Continued
Question:
Blue Jammer 5 starts the jam in the penalty box.
As they are released from the box they re enter the track, coming in ahead of one of their teammates, but behind all other skaters.
What call, if any should be made?
Cutting the Track Continued
Answer:
As Blue Jammer 5 re entered the track in front of 1 teammate, there is no call to be made.
It is legal to cut 1 teammate only.
If the Blue Jammer were to re enter ahead of 2 teammates or one opponent, one of the Referees should issue the penalty “Blue 5 Cut, Illegal Re Entry”
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