How to answer every roller derby rules question you ever thought to ask

[For more updates of new and refreshed blog posts, discussion topics and signal boosting of cool resources, please follow on Facebook at Skewblogs] I once read something on social media suggesting that derby officials ‘enjoyed being gatekeepers’ to the rules. That we were somehow revelling in “we know something you don’t!” with respect to the […]

On retaining roller derby officials – part 2

A few years ago I wrote a piece on recruiting roller derby officials and a few weeks ago I published the first part of this blog on retaining them. While I think there are bigger, community-wide issues on the retention of officials and staffing of games, this focuses on the league level and officials who […]

On retaining roller derby officials – part one

A few years ago I wrote a piece on recruiting roller derby officials. Demonstrating consistency in recruiting officials is usually part and parcel of a strong officiating culture, but things don’t stop at recruitment. Khaos Theory’s post on league buy-in and getting everyone in your league on board is a great read to complement this […]

Rules with Skew (10) – Fouled out or expelled – on leaving the game prematurely

It sucks to leave a game of roller derby early, whether through injury, unfixable equipment malfunction, foul out or expulsion. Given these things happen pretty rarely they can be as disorienting as they are emotional. You feel powerless to help your team and are frustrated with what’s happened. There are also things involved you’ve probably […]

Hello! Please read me…

Hi! Welcome to the blog. I’m currently in the process of updating content to be accurate for 2023, including removing any broken links and amending any out of date references. Much of the content was written in 2018 and while the rules of roller derby haven’t changed massively since then, it’s important that where it […]

Rules with Skew (1) – the “back” is bigger than you think

[This post is now officially 2022-ready! It’s undergone a significant bit of restructuring, hence it’s newly published under the given date. Some content was originally written in 2018.] Misunderstanding: It’s okay to contact an opponent in the buttocks or the back of the leg. Demystified: Depending on which part of the buttocks you hit, you […]

Skew’s quick and dirty guide to WFTDA changes 2019

The quick and dirty guide I wrote to understanding what had changed for rules/procedures between the 2017 to 2018 WFTDA season is the most read thing I’ve ever written here. Well, roller derby, it’s 2019. As ever, this is unofficial advice and subject to personal interpretation. It’s also called the quick and dirty guide for […]

A primer on “impact” in roller derby

[Skew here! It’s November 2022 and this post has been reviewed to check it’s 2022-ready. Please note that it links to some “Rules with Skew” pages that may have not been reviewed – please treat the content on these with a pinch of salt and always refer back to WFTDA resources if unsure.] Most derbyists […]

Rules with Skew (9b) – ten ways you can get a cut penalty (the second five)

[Reviewed May 2023 – happy learning!] I’ve split this Rules with Skew edition in two. The first part can be found here, and it’s helpful to read before this one if you’re new to the concept of cutting the track. The examples in this post build on what was started there. (Plus it’s got the […]

Rules With Skew (9a) – ten ways you can get a cut penalty (the first five)

[This post was last reviewed in May 2023 – happy learning!] The thing to understand as a newcomer to the idea of cutting the track is that it’s not fundamentally about “cutting off the corner” or “cutting the distance short” (though this can happen indirectly as a part of cutting) but “cutting in line”. You […]

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