Roller derby is a roller skating contact sport played on an oval track by two teams of five skaters. It is played by approximately 1,250 amateur leagues worldwide, though it is most popular in the United States.
79-542: Sun State Roller Derby is a women's flat track roller derby based in Brisbane , in the Australian state of Queensland . Suns State was established in 2007 and has been a member of the international Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) since 2013. Sun State Roller Derby was founded as Sun State Roller Girls in 2007. In March 2007, the league held a public demonstration bout at Sportsmotion, Slacks Creek, as
158-454: A penalty box , power jams , in which one team has a temporary numerical advantage after a foul, can have a major effect on scoring. While the sport has its origins in the banked-track roller-skating marathons of the 1930s, Leo Seltzer and Damon Runyon are credited with evolving the sport to its competitive form. Professional roller derby quickly became popular; in 1940, more than 5 million spectators watched in about 50 American cities. In
237-539: A social media forum (phBB) to structure their organizational and social interactions. The home teams for play within the Rat City league are: The travel teams are: In July, 2007 a junior league was established, the Seattle Derby Brats. The Seattle Derby Brats are an independent organization that rents practice space from Rat City. They were the second junior league to start and the first to have
316-810: A final championship tournament. As of 2019, the WFTDA postseason includes two playoffs that feed into the Championship tournament, plus three standalone, regionally-based Continental Cups. The WFTDA also recognizes eligible tournaments hosted by member leagues. Internationally, the first Roller Derby World Cup took place in Toronto, Canada, in December 2011. The second World Cup took place in Dallas, Texas, in December 2014. Since 2012, USARS has held an annual Roller Derby National Championship. In 2017, FIRS and
395-577: A fourth team to their intraleague competition, the Riots. The season was expanded to 12 games, plus a third place playoff and grand final, to be played throughout 2012. Sun State Roller Derby is active in the local community. One dollar from each intraleague bout ticket sold goes to a local charity. In 2009, the league was invited to welcome international students to Brisbane at the City Council's 'International Student Day' expo. League members helped run
474-490: A given jam, and time and record skaters in the penalty box. The growing popularity of roller skating in the United States led to the formation of organized multi-day endurance races for cash prizes as early as the mid-1880s. Speed and endurance races continued to be held on both flat and banked tracks in the century's first three decades and spectators enjoyed the spills and falls of the skaters. The term derby
553-656: A group blood donation for the Australian Red Cross , where league members donated blood while wearing the popular Sun State "Give Blood, Play Roller Derby" T-shirt. Sun State was featured in Roller Derby Dolls , a half-hour documentary by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) . Roller derby A 60-minute roller derby game, or bout , is a series of two-minute timed jams . Each team, typically with
632-448: A hard-case sports bra and protective cups. Offense and defense are played simultaneously, a volatile aspect that complicates strategy and tactics. For example, one team's blockers may take offensive action to create a gap in the opposing wall for their jammer to pass through, but this same maneuver could potentially weaken their own defenses and allow the opposing team's jammer to score. Strategies (high-level plans toward achieving
711-411: A point for passing that blocker and a point for each opponent blocker not on the track (for instance, serving a penalty, or when the opposition did not field five players for the jam). If the jammer passes the entire pack, it is a four-point scoring trip, commonly called a "grand slam". Each team's blockers use body contact, changing positions, and other tactics to help their jammer score while hindering
790-730: A public bout. The first inter-league junior bout was the Tuscan Derby Brats vs The Seattle Derby Brats at the 2007 WFTDA Nationals. They were the fourth team to be part of the JRDA, the Junior Roller Derby Association but are no longer affiliated. At the 2007 National Tournament, the Seattle Derby Brats skated against Tucson's junior team between the tournament games. The Seattle Derby Brats were founded and coached by Krista Lafontaine Williams ("Betty Ford Galaxy") formerly of Rat City and currently skating with
869-623: A reciprocity agreement for insurance purposes. Outside the United States, many roller derby leagues enjoy support from their national skate federations, such as Skate Australia , the British Roller Sports Federation , and Roller Sports Canada . In Europe, roller derby was recognized as a sport in Paris in 2010 by the Federation Internationale de Roller Sports (FIRS), which reports directly to
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#1732801361432948-509: A recruitment drive. By 2010, membership of the league was over 170. Sun State has had 3 league splits — with members leaving to form new leagues. Northern Brisbane Rollers (in January 2008), Gold Coast Roller Derby (in October 2008) and Brisbane City Rollers (in January 2009) all formed out of splits from Sun State. Eight of the league's skaters were members of Team Australia for
1027-423: A roster of 15, fields five skaters during each jam: one jammer , designated with a star on their helmet, and four blockers . During each jam, players skate counterclockwise on a circuit track. The jammer scores a point for each opposing blocker they lap. The blockers simultaneously defend by hindering the opposing jammer, while also playing offense by maneuvering to aid their own jammer. Because roller derby uses
1106-417: A scenario when one team's jammer is sent to the penalty box. In this case, that jammer's team cannot score. If the lead jammer is penalized, no one can prematurely end the jam. It would be pointless to play if neither team could score; thus, both jammers cannot serve a penalty at the same time. If one jammer is sent to the penalty box while the opposing jammer is already serving a penalty, the opposing jammer
1185-551: A strong "do-it-yourself" ethic that combines athleticism with the styles of punk and camp . As of 2020 , the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) had 451 full member leagues and 46 apprentice leagues and the Roller Derby Coalition of Leagues (RDCL) supporting women's banked track roller derby had eight full member leagues. Contemporary roller derby has a basic set of rules, with variations reflecting
1264-726: Is an international sport, mostly played by amateurs. It was under consideration as a roller sport for the 2020 Summer Olympics . Fédération Internationale de Roller Sports (FIRS), recognized by the International Olympic Committee as the official international governing body of roller sports, released its first set of Roller Derby Rules for the World Roller Games, organised by World Skate , that took place September 2017 in Nanjing, China . Most modern leagues (and their back-office volunteers) share
1343-590: Is held in October of each year. In July 2012, Sun State was accepted as a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association Apprentice Programme. Sun State became Australia's second full members of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association in June, 2013. 2009 In July 2009, Sun State played its first interleague bout against Victorian Roller Derby League ("VRDL"). In the first Queensland interleague bout, "South vs North" on 28 November 2009 at
1422-673: Is made up of four teams:Poison Skid'les, Evil Angels, Battle Axles, and Stunflowers. Division I plays positional roller derby with more in-depth strategy. Division II (ages 11 to 17) features full-contact play. The teams in Division II are in three tiers, listed in order of skill: the Toxic AvengHers/Mighty Rollers, the Ultra Violets, and the all star travel team, the Galaxy Girls. PFM Roller Derby
1501-711: Is released from the penalty box early. The second jammer's penalty is then only as long as the amount of time the first jammer spent in the box. Players skate on four-wheeled ("quad") roller skates, and are required to wear protective equipment, including a helmet, wrist guards, elbow pads, knee pads, and mouth guards. All current sets of roller derby rules explicitly forbid inline skates for players. (USARS requires quad skates for all skaters. WFTDA and MRDA permit inline skates for referees, but virtually all referees wear quad skates.) Individual teams may mandate additional gear, such as padded knee length pants, similar to what aggressive skateboarders wear, and sex-specific gear such as
1580-549: Is within 10 feet of the next. Blockers must maintain the pack, but can skate freely within 20 feet behind and ahead of it, an area known as the "engagement zone". The first jammer to break through the pack earns the status of "lead jammer". A designated referee blows the whistle twice and continually points at the jammer to confer lead jammer status, which lets that jammer stop the jam at any time by repeatedly placing hands on hips. Lead jammer status cannot be transferred to other skaters, but certain actions (such as being sent to
1659-505: The 2011 Roller Derby World Cup . Team Australia finished 4th overall. Sun State Roller Derby is one of several leagues in the Brisbane area. The league focuses on representing skaters in Beenleigh and Logan . One of the league's organisational missions is to promote the empowerment of women and to improve the health, well being and personal growth of women in the area. The league is only open to female skaters, but males participate in
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#17328013614321738-683: The Claremont Colleges roller derby team defeated Arizona State University . The website FlatTrackStats compiles ratings of WFTDA teams, adjusting them after every bout based on how the actual score compares to the predicted score. The WFTDA's own Stats Repository has comparable information and often is updated at halftime of a bout. Roller derby bouts are now streamed online, and there are archived videos of past bouts and tournaments. The WFTDA offers live streaming video of its tournaments at wftda.tv. Derby News Network offered live streaming video and archived video including events outside
1817-952: The Gotham Girls Roller Derby , the Tucson Roller Derby , the Detroit Derby Girls , and the Windy City Rollers . Sweeping the WFTDA Western Regional Tournament , the Tucson Dust Devil, in an upset of the formerly top ranked Texas Texecutioners, the Rat City All-Stars rose to first in the national roller derby rankings, up from third, and rose to the first seed for the championships. In November 2008, Rat City Rollergirls and
1896-570: The Roller Derby "commissioner", hoped to use television to expand the live spectator base. He adapted the sport for television by developing scripted story lines and rules designed to improve television appeal, but derby's popularity had declined. 1989 saw the debut of RollerGames , an even more theatrical variant of roller derby for national audiences. It used a figure-8 track and rules adapted for this track. Bill Griffiths, Sr. served as commissioner while his son, Bill Griffiths, Jr., managed
1975-658: The Rose City Rollers ' Axles of Annihilation to win the tournament. In 2009, the Rat City Rollergirls announced a change of venue from the hangars at Magnuson Park to the KeyArena at Seattle Center and ShoWare Center in Kent . Ticket sales for the first bout of the season vastly exceeded expectations of KeyArena management, filling more than 4,000 of the 5,500 seat capacity in what is referred to as
2054-552: The 'lower bowl'. That season, Rat City averaged 4100 fans per event. On March 6, 2010, Rat City Rollergirls had a turnout of 5,185 in KeyArena. According to announcements that evening this was record attendance for both Rat City Rollergirls and the largest attendance to women's roller derby in history. On June 5, 2010, the Sockit Wenches defeated Grave Danger to win the season 6 championship. The lower bowl at KeyArena
2133-469: The 15 roster players, and different selections for jammer and pivot. During each jam, players skate counterclockwise on a circuit track. Points are scored only by a team's jammer. After breaking through the pack and skating one lap to begin another "trip" through the pack, the jammer scores one point for passing any opposing blocker. The rules describe an "earned" pass; notably, the jammer must be in-bounds and upright. The jammer's first earned pass scores
2212-647: The 2007 national champions the Kansas City Roller Warriors . In the qualifying round, they beat the 2006 and 2005 national champions, the Texas Rollergirls , who placed third. Eight teams went to Austin to compete in the 2007 Texas Shootout National Championships, four from the eastern regional division and four from the western regional division, these notable teams included: the Carolina Rollergirls (fourth place),
2291-719: The 2020 Olympic Games. In 2009, the feature film Whip It featured roller derby and introduced a wider audience to the sport. The WFTDA encouraged leagues to coordinate with promotions during the film's release to increase awareness of the leagues. Furthermore, corporate advertising has used roller derby themes in television commercials for insurance , a breakfast cereal , and an over-the-counter analgesic . Most players in roller leagues skate under pseudonyms, also called " derby names " or "skater names". These typically use word play with satirical, mock-violent or sexual puns , alliteration , and allusions to pop culture . Referees often use derby names as well, often shown on
2370-653: The Beenleigh Arena, Sun State defeated Northern Brisbane Rollers ("NBR"). 2010 In 2010, the league competed in the Great Southern Slam , Australia's first roller derby tournament. After defeating Woollongong and Townsville/Brisbane City Rollers in the preliminary pool rounds, the Sun State Roller Girls defeated local Brisbane rivals Northern Brisbane Rollers in the quarter-finals. They met and defeated Adelaide Roller Derby in
2449-558: The Defiants, Vandals and Furies. Six games were played during the intraleague season, with each team playing the other teams twice. The grand final was played on 17 December as a double header bout, with the third place Furies playing Newcastle Roller Derby League before the grand final was played between the Defiants and Vandals. The Furies defeated Newcastle, and the Vandals were crowned the 2011 winners. 2012 In 2012, Sun State added
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2528-594: The Dress for Success official name-change fundraiser. The league donated $ 1000 to Southside Education School For Girls and $ 5000 to Dress for Success. In 2010, the league held a shoe/handbag/jewellery drive, helped run a fundraising gala for Dress For Success, and raised $ 250 for The Brain Foundation (on behalf of the Brisbane Zombie Walk ) and donated $ 7500 to Fitted for Work. In 2011, the league organised
2607-621: The International Olympic Committee. As of 2017, FIRS has been accepted as the international rule set by the International Olympic Committee. Teams competed under the FIRS rules at the 2017 Nanjing Games. The former Canadian Women's Roller Derby Association worked with the American federation. Since 2006, the WFTDA has sponsored an annual championship . In 2008, it adopted the "Big 5" format: four regional playoffs and
2686-738: The L.A. T-Birds, who (according to the storyline) were seeking revenge on the Violators (led by Skull) for cheating in the Commissioner's Cup. The other teams included the Maniacs (led by Guru Drew), Bad Attitude (led by Ms. Georgia Hase), the Rockers (led by DJ Terringo and consisting of skaters who were also professional rock and roll musicians), and Hot Flash (led by Juan Valdez Lopez). It ran one season, because some of its syndicators went bankrupt. In 1999, TNN debuted RollerJam , which used
2765-586: The Montreal tournament as the eighth seed and finishing the weekend in ninth place. Sun State was eligible for Division 2 in 2017, but declined their invitation to Playoffs. In 2018, Sun State was the sixth seed at the WFTDA Playoffs in Atlanta , and finished the weekend out of the medals with a consolation round victory over Rat City Roller Derby , 250-58. 2008 Sun State Roller Girls' first season
2844-776: The Rainier Roller Girls, the Dockyard Derby Dames, the Jet City Rollergirls, and the Tilted Thunder Rail Birds. Since 2018, PFM has held practices and scrimmages at Magnuson Community Center. The 2007 documentary, Blood On The Flat Track : The Rise of the Rat City Rollergirls , was directed by Lainy Bagwell and Lacey Leavitt. It played at 14 film festivals around the world, including screenings in Brisbane and Sydney , Australia , as well as Aarhus , Denmark . It
2923-588: The Rainier Roller Girls. Betty Ford Galaxy retired from coaching junior derby at the end of the 2014 season. Many other local skaters have helped coach and hold board positions. The Seattle Derby Brats has teams for multiple levels of play. The youngest group of skaters (ages 8 to 11), known as the Tootsy Rollers, play a positional-blocking version of roller derby with little contact. The Tootsy Rollers are split into four teams: Lemon Drops, Acid Pops, Orange Crush and Turquoise Terrors. Division I (ages 11 to 17)
3002-616: The Rat City Rollergirl league, the Sockit Wenches won the season championship at Sand Point on October 21, 2006. They beat the formerly undefeated Derby Liberation Front, scoring the decisive points in the final seconds of the match, and of the season. In February 2008 Rat City first hosted the Rust Riot Pacific Northwest Tournament, predominantly featuring B-teams from Washington , Oregon and Idaho . Rat City's Rain of Terror defeated
3081-476: The Roller Derby rules to increase skater contact. By 1939, after experimenting with different team and scoring arrangements, Seltzer's created a touring company of four pairs of teams (always billed as the local "home" team versus either New York or Chicago), with two five-person teams on the track at once, scoring points when its members lapped opponents. On November 29, 1948, before television viewership
3160-776: The Rolling Dead ( Night of the Living Dead ), Knocktoberfest ( Oktoberfest ), Spanksgiving ( Thanksgiving ), Seasons Beatings ( Seasons Greetings ), Grandma Got Run Over By a Rollergirl (" Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer "), Cinco de May-hem ( Cinco de Mayo ), and War of the Wheels ( War of the Worlds ). Roller derby is a contact sport, and injuries can occur. Superficial injuries include bruising. However, torn ligaments, broken bones, and concussions also occur. Some leagues prominently display their injuries, to embellish
3239-584: The Starbucks logo and the Rat City Rollergirls "skater portrait in a circle" logo. After casual observers noted the absence of similarity, the matter was dropped in September 2008 without further legal action. The Rat City Rollergirls logo artwork was designed by local Seattle artist, Ego. The Rat City All-Stars competed in the 2007 WFTDA National Championships in Austin, Texas. They placed second, to
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3318-521: The Sydney Roller Derby League on 22 October at Sydney Olympic Park. In November 2011, Sun State competed in and won the inaugural Tropicarnage Cup, a Queensland roller derby tournament which attracted nine teams from across the state. Sun State progressed through their first game against Reef City Roller Girls (Cairns) before playing Townsville Roller Derby in the tournament semi-finals. Sun State defeated Northern Brisbane Rollers in
3397-484: The Tropicarnage Cup final. In late November 2011, Sun State competed in their first international bout, competing against Rat City Rollergirls from Seattle, Washington, in the first game of a double header played by Rat City against Sun State and Northern Brisbane Rollers . Rat City, unofficially ranked number 5 in the world at the time, strongly defeated Sun State. 2012 In 2012, the league competed in
3476-562: The USOC recognized USARS to participate in the 2017 Nanjing games. The largest roller derby tournament in the southern hemisphere, The Great Southern Slam , has been held biannually in Adelaide, South Australia since 2010. Rat City Rollergirls Rat City Roller Derby is a women's flat-track roller derby league in Seattle , Washington. Founded in 2004 as Rat City Rollergirls, LLC,
3555-531: The United Kingdom, France, Brazil, Germany, Belgium, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Israel, Singapore , UAE , Egypt , Thailand, and China. In many international leagues, gear and equipment must be imported. Roller derby's contemporary resurgence has been regarded as an aspect of globalization which demonstrates "the speed with which pop culture is now transported by highly mobile expatriates and social media , while also highlighting
3634-415: The WFTDA. FiveOnFive magazine covers roller derby and diverse aspects such as business, training, junior roller derby, and nutrition. The largest governing body for the sport is the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA), with 397 full member leagues and 48 apprentice leagues. WFTDA membership is a major goal of aspiring leagues. Other associations support either mixed-gender or men-only derby;
3713-462: The WFTDA. Roller derby is played in two periods of 30 minutes. Two teams of up to 15 players each field up to five members for episodes called "jams". Jams last two minutes unless called off prematurely. Each team designates a scoring player (the "jammer"); the other four members are "blockers". One blocker can be designated as a "pivot"—a blocker who is allowed to become a jammer in the course of play. The next jam may involve different players of
3792-624: The backs of their striped uniforms. Some players claim their names represent alter egos that they adopt while skating. Whether a team should skate under real names or derby names is sometimes debated. Some derby names are obscene, a subject of some internal controversy. Copying of derby names has attracted legal and sociological analysis as an example of indigenous development of property rights. New players are encouraged to check derby names against an international roster to ensure they are not already in use. The names of roller derby events are also as sardonic and convoluted—for example, Night of
3871-518: The changing role of women in many societies". Many roller derby leagues are amateur, self-organized and all-female and were formed in a do-it-yourself spirit by relatively new enthusiasts. In many leagues (especially in the U.S.), a punk aesthetic and/or third-wave feminist ethic is prominent. Members of fledgling leagues often practice and strategize together, regardless of team affiliation, between bouts. Most compete on flat tracks, though several leagues skate on banked tracks, with more in
3950-604: The classic rules and banked oval track, but allowed inline skates (although some skaters wore traditional quad skates). Jerry Seltzer was commissioner for this version. Roller derby began its modern revival in Austin, Texas in the early 2000s as an all-female, woman-organized amateur sport. By August 2006, there were over 135 similar leagues. Leagues outside the U.S. also began forming in 2006, and international competition soon followed. There are over 2,000 amateur leagues worldwide in countries including Canada, Australia, New Zealand,
4029-520: The early 2000s revival of roller derby was initially all-female, some leagues later introduced all-male teams and all-gender games; as of May 2013 there were over 140 junior roller derby programs in the United States, and many more around the world. College roller derby is also expanding in the United States. The University of Arizona 's Derby Cats describe themselves as the first-ever official college flat-track roller derby team. The first intercollegiate derby bout took place on March 3, 2018, when
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#17328013614324108-433: The engagement zone. Groups of blockers on the same team typically create formations, known as walls, to prevent the opposing blocker from passing. Blocking with hands, elbows, head, and feet is prohibited, as is contact above the shoulders, below mid-thigh, or to the back. Referees penalize rules violations. A player receiving a penalty is removed from play and must sit in the penalty box for 30 seconds of jam time. If
4187-452: The ensuing decades, however, it predominantly became a form of sports entertainment , where theatrical elements overshadowed athleticism. Gratuitous showmanship largely ended with the sport's grassroots revival in the first decade of the 21st century. Although roller derby retains some sports entertainment qualities such as player pseudonyms and colorful uniforms, it has abandoned scripted bouts with predetermined winners. Modern roller derby
4266-684: The first Roller Derby World Championships organized by World Skate in 2017, as part of the 2017 World Roller Games USA Roller Sports (USARS) is recognized by the International Roller Sports Federation (FIRS) and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) as the National Governing Body of competitive roller sports in the United States, including speed, figure, hockey, roller derby and slalom. WFTDA and USARS maintain
4345-660: The first league home team championship in October 2005 at a former navy hangar in Magnuson Park , as the Derby Liberation Front defeated the Throttle Rockets 52-32. The Rat City Rollergirls hosted the 2006 Roller Derby "Bumberbout" Flat Track Invitational on Saturday, September 2, 2006, in the KeyArena at Seattle Center . The Texas Rollergirls won the championship, retaining undefeated status. The Rat City Rollergirls finished second. Within
4424-407: The game's goal, which is to outscore the opposition) include the following: Tactics (deliberate conceptual tasks in support of the strategy) may include the following: WFTDA bouts are officiated by three to seven skating referees and many non-skating officials (NSOs). Volunteer leagues adapt when fewer than the optimal number of officials are present. Up to four referees skate on the inside of
4503-446: The image of violence or machismo . However, some skaters say the sport is reasonably safe if skaters take precautions. The rules require appropriate medical professionals on-site at every bout, even if not required by laws or arena regulations. The WFTDA offers insurance for leagues in the United States with legal liability and accident coverage, but it recommends that skaters also carry their own primary medical insurance. Although
4582-571: The interests of a governing body 's member leagues. The summary below is based on the rules of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA). In March 2010, Derby News Network said that more than 98% of roller derby competitions were conducted under WFTDA rules. For example, members of the United Kingdom Roller Derby Association are required to play by WFTDA rules, while members of the former Canadian Women's Roller Derby Association were encouraged to join
4661-402: The jam ends during this interval, the player remains in the penalty box during the subsequent jam until the interval ends. While the penalty is being served, the penalized player's team plays short-handed, as in ice hockey . A player "fouls out" of the game on the seventh penalty, and is required to return to the locker room. A "power jam", derived from ice hockey's " power play ", refers to
4740-417: The largest organization supporting male roller derby is the Men's Roller Derby Association (MRDA). Within the United States, the Junior Roller Derby Association governs play by those under 18. It modifies the WFTDA rules for minors at three skill levels, with the lowest level allowing no intentional contact between skaters, and the highest allowing full contact; additional rules are also changed according to
4819-515: The league has incorporated alternative cultural influences, and has inspired and mentored other leagues. Rat City is a founding member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA), and has achieved success on the WFTDA stage, qualifying for WFTDA Playoffs every season, including a second-place finish in the 2007 WFTDA Championships . The league was founded as Rat City Rollergirls in 2004 by "Dixie Dragstrip", Lilly "Hurricane Lilly" Warner and Rahel "Rae's Hell" Cook. Nearly 2000 fans attended
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#17328013614324898-491: The league in organisational positions. The league is a volunteer run, not for profit organisation governed by a committee that meets monthly and includes elected positions such as: secretary, treasurer, team representatives and a non-bouting member representative. Several positions are held by appointment, including sponsorship officer, fundraising officer, media officer, head official, non-skating official coordinator and head coach. The Sun State Roller Girls annual general meeting
4977-454: The nation. In June 2013, Sun State became a full member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA), thus making them eligible for WFTDA rankings and Playoffs. Their debut in the rankings came in December 2014 at 20th overall. In 2015, Sun State qualified for Division 1 Playoffs for the first time, entering the Dallas Playoff as the seventh seed and finishing in eighth place. In 2016, Sun State returned to Division 1 Playoffs, entering
5056-503: The needs of youth skaters. Some U.S. leagues decline affiliation with a national organization because they prefer local governance. Although WFTDA has been the largest worldwide roller-derby organization, the IOC has recognized World Skate (formerly Fédération Internationale de Roller Sports ) as the only governing body able to sanction international roller derby competitions within the Olympic Movement. Disputes between World Skate and WFTDA has meant that only 4 teams were present in
5135-444: The opposing team's jammer. Play begins by blockers lining up on the track anywhere between the "jammer line" and the "pivot line" 30 feet in front. The jammers start behind the jammer line. Jams begin on a single short whistle blast, upon which both jammers and blockers may begin engaging immediately. The pack is the largest single group of blockers containing members of both teams skating in proximity, arranged such that each player
5214-590: The penalty box) cancel lead jammer status, meaning that the jam has no lead jammer and must continue for the full two-minute period. If the jam is not called off by the lead jammer, it ends after two minutes. If time remains in the period, teams then have 30 seconds to get on the track and line up for the next jam. If the 30-minute period ends while a jam is underway, the jam plays out to its natural conclusion. A skater may block an opponent to impede their movement or to force them out of bounds. The blocker must be upright, skating counterclockwise, in bounds, and within
5293-456: The planning stages. Each league typically features local teams in public bouts that are popular with a diverse fan base. Some venues host audiences ranging up to 7,000. Successful local leagues have formed traveling teams comprising the league's best players to compete with comparable teams from other cities and regions. In February 2012, the International Olympic Committee considered roller derby, amongst eight other sports, for inclusion in
5372-480: The quarter- and semi-finals held on the second day of the tournament. In the quarter-final, Sun State controlled Sydney Roller Derby League to advance to an afternoon semi-final against the Northern Brisbane Rollers , defeating them in the closest game between the two leagues since 2009 and advancing to the Grand Final against Victorian Roller Derby League . The Grand Final was a hard-fought battle, with Victoria coming out on top, cementing Sun State's rank at second in
5451-518: The second ever Great Southern Slam (TGSS), as well as competing in several other interleague games. The interleague season commenced on 24 March 2012 with a rematch of the 2011 game between Sun State and Canberra Roller Derby League at the Beenleigh Arena, with Sun State again defeating Canberra convincingly. This was the only interleague activity before TGSS on 9–11 June 2012. On the first day of TGSS, Sun State recorded solid wins over Geelong Roller Derby League and South Seas Roller Derby, advancing to
5530-416: The semi-finals, before losing to the Victorian Roller Derby League in the dying seconds of the grand final. The tournament saw Sun State emerge as the highest ranked team in Queensland . 2011 In 2011, the league played a number of interleague bouts. The 30 April 2011 re-match between Sun State and Victorian Roller Derby League at the Gold Coast Convention Centre was billed as the derby grudge match of
5609-437: The track. In flat-track derby, up to three additional referees skate on the outside of the track. They call penalties, award points, and ensure safe game play. Referees must wear skates and typically wear white and black stripes. NSOs take up a range of positions inside and outside the track, start and time the jams, record and display scores and penalties communicated by referees, record the number of each skater on track for
5688-717: The year in Australia by Skate Australia . Victoria won the game to continue their undefeated record against Sun State. On 6 August 2011, Sun State defeated the Canberra Roller Derby League at the Australian Institute of Sport. After a last minute cancellation from a New Zealand league, the Brisbane City Rollers ("BCR") played Sun State on 27 August at the Beenleigh Arena, with Sun State being victorious. Sun State defeated
5767-600: Was between two teams: the Golden Roughs ("Roughs") and Liquorice Short Shorts ("Shorties"). Three public intraleague games were played in the 2008 season, beginning on 13 September 2008, with the Liquorice Short Shorts winning on all three occasions. 2009 The Roughs and Shorties met six times in the 2009 season, with the Golden Roughs taking the season title – winning four bouts to two. Audience numbers grew to over 1500 per bout. 2010 2010
5846-412: Was formed as a practice group for skaters wishing to try out for Rat City, and for many years rented track space from Rat City, however the organization, a registered non-profit, has always been independent from Rat City. Composed of skaters in training, as well as recreational derby players who do not wish to commit at the level of league play, PFM alumnae go on to league play with the Rat City Rollergirls,
5925-584: Was released on DVD in Canada in October 2009 and in the United States in February 2010. Several of the members of the Rat City Rollergirls were profiled in an article on MSNBC. In 2008, the Rat City Rollergirls were a featured league in a video game developed by Frozen Codebase and the Women's Flat Track Derby Association. In May 2008, Starbucks initiated an inquiry as to trademark infringement between
6004-405: Was sold out, with over 6000 fans in attendance and 6885 tickets sold. In late 2017, Rat City rebranded as Rat City Roller Derby. As a business enterprise, the league is registered as a non-profit corporation, Rat City Roller Derby, which is owned by the skaters. Although stakeholders in the enterprise, the skaters are not currently paid for their participation. The RCRG make extensive use of
6083-470: Was the final season in which the Sun State Roller Girls featured the Golden Roughs and Liquorice Short Shorts teams. Six regular season games were played as well as a grand final on 27 November 2010, with the Roughs again victorious four bouts to three. 2011 In 2011 the Sun State Roller Girls dissolved the Golden Roughs and Liquorice Short Shorts, and the skaters were reallocated into three new teams —
6162-516: Was used to refer to such races by 1922. The endurance races began to transform into the contemporary form of the sport in the mid-1930s, when promoter Leo Seltzer created the Transcontinental Roller Derby, a month-long simulation of a road race between two-person teams of professional skaters. The spectacle became a popular touring exhibition. In the late 1930s, sportswriter Damon Runyon persuaded Seltzer to change
6241-516: Was widespread, Roller Derby debuted on New York television . The broadcasts increased spectator turnout for live matches. For the 1949–1950 season, Seltzer formed the National Roller Derby League (NRDL), comprising six teams. NRDL season playoffs sold out Madison Square Garden for a week. During the late 1950s and 1960s, the sport was broadcast on several networks, but attendance declined. Jerry Seltzer (Leo's son),
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