HISTORY

In 1935, during the heart of the Great Depression, a man named Leo Seltzer invented a spectacle called roller derby. In its infancy, derby was simply a cross-country roller skating race, where participants circled a track thousands of times to simulate the distance between LA and New York. Occasionally, massive collisions and crashes occurred as skaters tried to lap those who were ahead of them. Quickly, Seltzer realized that the violence was the most exciting and crowd pleasing aspect of the game. Hence the “jammer” was born. Two teams of five skaters now circled the pack, with each team sending out a swift and agile jammer to skate around and lap members of the opposing team. It became a full-contact physical sport, with elbows, body-checks and fights galore. The fans loved it.

In the years following derby had its ups and downs in popularity. Now the game is back with full vengeance. All-female roller derby leagues are popping up across the nation from places like New York, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Seattle, Denver, Kansas City, and now Omaha. This new generation of roller derby combines athleticism and showmanship. Neo-derby has taken on a new life and the ORG is excited to be a part of this resurrection. Join us in being a part of the Great Derby Renaissance.

HOW TO PLAY

Roller derby is a full-contact, competitive game played on quad roller skates. Players skate around an oval track in a counter clockwise direction. Games, known as bouts, consist of three 20-minute-long periods, which are divided into two-minute-long jams. Jams consist of up to five women on the track from each team. Each team gets one pivot, one jammer and three blockers on the track.

Pivots, sporting the striped helmets, skate at the front of the pack. They set the pace and often call plays for the team. The pivot is the last line of defense to prevent an opposing jammer from scoring.

Blockers keep the pack in a tight formation and work to prevent the opposing team’s jammer from scoring points. Blockers also work to provide safe passage for their jammer through the pack. Blockers achieve both goals by engaging in checks and bumps with the opposing teams players.

Jammers, sporting the starred helmets, are positioned at the back of the pack. The jammers work their way through the blockers and pivots and score points by passing members of the opposing team.

The jam starts when the referee blows the whistle. All skaters on the floor begin to roll forward after the first whistle. When the referee blows the double whistle, the jammers begin fighting their way through the pack in an attempt to be named "lead jammer." The first jammer to get through the pack without committing a penalty is the lead jammer. Each successive time that the jammer laps the pack after their first pass through, they receive one point for each member of the opposing team that they pass. A jam lasts a maximum of two minutes, but the lead jammer has the right to stop or call off the jam at her discretion

The best way to understand the game is to see it with your own two eyes. So check out the calendar for more information on the next ORG event.