Roller derby what is a power jam

Bout — A term for games. You play in a bout, you skate a bout instead of saying play a game or skate in a game. Blocker — A skater in the pack that is NOT a pivot or jammer, there are four blockers per team allowed on the track at a time.

Hip Check — a bump delivered using the hips while skating immediately next to the target. Jam — a term for time that skaters are in play, maximum two minutes at a time, but can be shorter if called off. Pia and Scait hang out in the penalty box. Note the markings on the two middle chairs, which are designated for jammers. The penalty box has 3 seats for each team, one of which is designated for the jammer.

Thus, the most players than can be in the box at once from any one team is two blockers and one jammer. The pivot also has the unique ability to, via a panty -swap, exchange places with the jammer. The pivot can be identified by the stripe on her helmet. A KillaByte pack at the pivot line ready to start the jam. Note the two pivots on the right with the stripes on their helmets that's Knuckles with the white stripe! Only the pivot is permitted to start on the pivot line; all other blockers must be lined up behind her hips.

The pack may cross the pivot line once referee blows the first whistle to signal the start of the jam. If any skater crosses the line before the whistle, it is designated a false start. Sadie Mae Gutz uses a positional block to hold back a jammer. Players cannot wear inline skates, only quads. This is also known as a waterfall. An enforcer of the rules. Referees are dressed in black and white stripes and have whistles so that they can start and end jams and draw attention to penalties.

Jam refs keep track of jammers, while pack refs some inside the track boundary and some outside keep track of the pack. At this time the jammer racks up points for each opponent she passes. Legal target zones include hands, arms, chest, abdomen, sides, hips, and the front and sides of the legs to the mid-thigh. Illegal target zones include the head, neck, back, butt, back of the thighs, and any part of the leg below mid-thigh. Often used for starts and stops.

Can be an effective method of getting a jammer through a pack. Usually these are referred to numerically. The jammer starts each jam behind the pack. After she has lapped the pack once known as a nonscoring pass , she is eligible to score points for each subsequent skater she laps.

Blocking zone — A part of the body with which it is permissible to hit another skater. Blocking must be done to a legal target zone. Legal blocking zones include the arms from the shoulder to above the elbow; the torso; the hips; the butt; and the mid- and upper thigh.

Illegal blocking zones include elbows; forearms; hands; head; and any part of the leg below the mid-thigh. Penalty box — When skaters accumulate four minor penalties or one major, they must skate off the rink and spend time waiting here 1 minute per infraction until they can return to play.

The penalty box has 3 seats for each team, one of which is designated for the jammer. Thus, the most players than can be in the box at once from any one team is two blockers and one jammer. Assist — A motion administered by one player to help another player usually the jammer gain advantage. Creating whole new sets of rules simply creates more loopholes. I have a modest proposal that would eliminate the usefulness of patient offense at least it would greatly diminish the number of times during a typical game where it would be beneficial without drastically changing the basic precepts of the game.

First of all, jammers would obviously still get penalties. Those penalties would be tracked just like normal. Jammers still foul out if they are caught being very naughty seven times. However, jammers would not leave the track. There would be no seat for the jammer in the penalty box.

This would be a similar concept, but now that major penalty would have a major consequence. If the jammer does something illegal to gain an advantage on a pass, then that whole pass is forfeit. When a jammer is on an Illegal Pass, nothing counts. In order to get lead or score points, the jammer needs to finish her Illegal Pass and restart that same pass her next time around. Sorry, Jammers. Try to behave next time around. A jammer is only eligible to score points or get lead jammer on a Legal Pass.

As soon as the jammer commits a penalty, her jam ref would signal the penalty and report it to the tracker. The jam ref would then wave the Illegal Pass signal for the remainder of the Illegal Pass maybe pat his head while rubbing his belly, or something less fun like the signal we now use for Not Lead Jammer.

Do over!