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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 players, and newer officials. There may be some truth historically in this and still a few areas where the answer to something is “almost everybody sees it this way, even if it’s not written down explicitly”, but there’s been a definite cultural shift in recent years.
Whether that’s translations of WFTDA resources into more languages, greater numbers of documents and statements published for the whole community rather than remaining behind the NDA, more ways to deliver WFTDA endorsed bootcamps, WFTDA officiating e-learning being available to all rather than waiting to attend a bootcamp in person – this knowledge is more accessible then ever before.
Let me shout it from the rooftops: Nobody should be gatekeepers to the rules. We should all be guides, there to steer those less confident in the right direction, signpost them to resources, and clarify the bits they’re unsure about.
I’m always happy to help answer questions in groups and forums. “Public” discussion about rules is great as it educates others too. However I also want you to feel empowered when it comes to navigating the body of knowledge provided by WFTDA, and help you answer your own questions by knowing where and how to look. I promise that if you develop the skills to do your own deduction, the deeper understanding you get as a result will stick with you.
So let’s imagine you have a question. Maybe it’s your own, maybe it’s come from a leaguemate in training. How can you go about finding the answer?
Step 1: Visit WFTDA Rules and Casebook
First make sure you’re looking at the current version of the rules. They will always be at this domain of rules.wftda.com, so check what your browser is currently pointing to. There have been substantial shifts in some areas of the rules and using search engines with certain phrases may lead you to a long outdated ruleset. You can then proceed in two ways:
a) Use a search function.
Search for a key word in your query. Make sure you’re using appropriate terminology – “helmet cover” or “star” rather than “jammer panty”. You may encounter multiple results.
It’s an even better idea to click “view as single page” and use “Find in page” or Ctrl+F in order to find all instances of a word/phrase in the entire rules, glossary and casebook.
You may find it useful to start with the glossary – it’s an essential part of the rules – to see if you need to modify your choice of key words. (It’s fantastic for this sort of thing!)
Occasionally the phrasing you want to search may be more generalised than your specific concept. For example, instead of “apex jump” you might want to search “jump” or “airborne”.
b) Look at the structural overview of the rules – where would the answer to your question lie?
Sometimes you need to combine knowledge from multiple sections – e.g. section 2 and section 4 – as the question involves them both. This is particularly the case when looking at questions involving most penalties. It’s important not to read individual parts of the rules in complete isolation – for example, something being illegal doesn’t automatically mean it’s penalisable. And always check back against the glossary to check you truly understand the “WFTDA definition” of certain terms.
c) Check both the rules *and* the relevant casebook entries for each section.
The rules give the general overview, but the casebook gives the detailed applications that you can relate to real life, along with the incredibly useful “keep in mind” notes that explain the reasoning behind each call. The casebook is just as much a part of “the rules” as the rules section itself.
The numbering in the rules and casebook is designed to match up, so if you’ve just found a partial answer in rule 4.4, check out the casebook entries under C4.4A, B, C etc. for more.
Remember though – although the casebook can’t cover every possible scenario, the reasoning behind an entry may well apply to your question. So don’t tap out because the scenario doesn’t match exactly – check all those paragraph(s) anyway.
d) Sometimes it helps to understand the context, but be careful…
There is occasionally some value to revisiting old editions of the rules or (perhaps more usefully) change summaries, as it can help to see where a new rule came from, why it is the way it is, and why someone who’s been in roller derby a while may be operating under an older way of thinking about things.
Change summaries can be found here. Revisiting the nostalgia of two whistle starts, one minute penalties and an entirely different way of seeing star passes shows just how much has changed over the last decade or so!
However it’s important not to apply the “old” logic of previous iterations of the rules and assume because that’s how it was that it still holds today. Tread with caution!
Step 2: Consult WFTDA supporting documents
Still having no luck? Is your question actually a rules question? Anything about standardisation in roller derby that applies for WFTDA-sanctioned play is often still applied in non-sanctioned gameplay. They’re not part of the rules themselves (or certainly not in detail!) but can be found in the sanctioning or other supporting documents.
Some key examples of these are:
- The track specification
- Some safety requirements
- Skater equipment
- Skater uniform (including numbers)
- Rosters
- Officiating communication and expectations
- How to complete game paperwork
You can find these on the official WFTDA website under the resources section. The key places you’ll want to check out are:
Officiating Standards and Procedures
There are also a number of rules statements directly from the WFTDA, which are like extended “keep in mind” sections from the casebook, clarifying the application of certain concepts, particularly when there have been large changes or big discussions. These may be located here:
Some statements may have been made historically on the restricted sections of the WFTDA forum, but permission has been given to share them verbatim on other platforms. The best example of this is the statement on ceding cuts when the concept was brand new. (The link below is hosted by Smasher of Rules Colored Glasses)
Copy of statement on ceding cuts
There are some older clarifications and statements floating around on the internet, but treat them with caution – it’s always worth checking if they’re still up to date.
Step 3: Struggling to make sense of the rules language and want an alternative explanation? Try non-WFTDA resources
This very blog does some deep dives, but do check Rules Colored Glasses for some fab resources and Zen of Reffing for some detailed breakdowns, section by section with more examples and analogies that might help to explain things in a different way. You may also find some useful videos on YouTube. Be aware external sites like ours don’t guarantee absolute accuracy, and information can be out of date or just plain wrong. Always check the date, take things with a big ol’ handful of salt and use us as a springboard rather than a landing pad!
Step 4: That Facebook group/forum you use? Try the search function.
Chances are, someone will have asked a very similar question before, and the community will have discussed it in detail. There are certain questions that are well-known to crop up several times per year. (They’re usually ones I’ve tried to tackle in a previous blog!)
Rules discussions may be on officiating groups (of which there are many – for individual leagues, officials in local areas, countrywide, speaking a particular first language, or across an entire continent – ask your local officials what they use).
Alternatively, the most active worldwide discussion group for WFTDA rules is probably Roller Derby Rules Clarification and Tough Questions on Facebook. Everybody from refs and NSOs to skaters and coaches use this group, at all levels of play and all around the world, for any play using the WFTDA ruleset.
Important: take note of timestamps and beware older posts/comments – rules can and have changed in the past. The more recent changes concern penalty-worthy impacts from use of forearms, but *mostly* any responses from 2019 onwards will be representative of WFTDA-rules derby today.
If in doubt, comment again on the existing thread!
Step 5: Ask your question, but show what you’ve already thought about
Ultimately discussion is valuable – it helps others answer questions they’d never thought to ask. While learning to find your own answers independently is an important skill, discussion is still great and can benefit a greater number of people than learning in isolation. Ask in a forum like those linked above, if you like, but also speak with your leaguemates, officials and announcers. If it directly relates to something you’re learning in training, definitely check in with your coaches. Depending on who you ask, you’ll find they have a different way of explaining more fundamental rules – find an explanation that clicks with you!
a) Say what rules/glossary/casebook entries/resources you’ve consulted
already and ask if you’ve understood correctly or if there are any nuances or exceptions, or why it doesn’t quite cover what you’re asking.
b) Be specific.
Give as much detail of specific scenario: from initiation, colours/positions of skaters involved, what happened, any illegal actions, and what immediately followed. However, try to present your query in general terms, rather than making it about a specific call from a specific game.
c) People will disagree.
Remember you may get different (and often conflicting) answers from different people, with differing levels of experience – look at all the responses for where consensus sits and for answers that refer back to the rules and casebook. People can (and will!) be wrong or mistaken about rules. Even me!
Step 6: Understand that sometimes the answer is clear cut…and sometimes it isn’t.
Sometimes there’s not a single “right” answer. You could justify calling a situation either way, based on how the rules are currently written. The answer could depend on some currently unknown context. Often these questions concern edge cases which could rarely happen in play, or theoretical “boundaries” between scenarios that would be impossible to reliably determine either way in practice.
Sometimes there just isn’t sufficient information in the question to have a definitive answer. Sometimes “it depends” or “I’d have to see it to call it” are reasonable and correct responses. If you can provide more details, hypothetical or otherwise, do.
Sometimes by the word of the rules the answer is one thing, but applying it in practice may look a little different, because we’re all only human. We’re also allowed to revise our understanding and approach from how we might have once called something compared to how we’d call it now, and so we should.
Step 7: Share your learning
One reason it’s great to ask in an online group or amongst a group of people in real life is that it enables both a range of responses, but it also allows others to stumble upon something they didn’t know, that may have otherwise passed them by.
If you’re feeling shy, and want to ask your question or clarify your understanding privately, that’s great, but it may also be cool to then share your understanding directly with others in your league, whether on a forum, in group discussion at training, or via a coach. If your league hasn’t got a dedicated discussion space for rules, ask to see if you can get one. (If you’ve read my previous posts on retaining officials, you’ll know I feel strongly about normalising rules chats as part of a healthy league culture!)
Common pitfalls to avoid and how to avoid them:
Pitfall: Googling and accidentally reaching and referring to an out of date copy of the rules or other regulations
How to avoid it: Always start by going to (or checking you’re at) rules.wftda.com or the other WFTDA resources linked in this post
Pitfall: Forgetting other derby exists outside WFTDA with different rules (USARS, MADE, JRDA)
How to avoid it: Make sure the resource/discussion group you’re using is about WFTDA derby.
Pitfall: Stopping when you only have a partial answer
How to avoid it: Remember that just because something is illegal doesn’t mean it is automatically penalised when it happens. You often require sufficient impact on the game. Make sure to look at the rest of the body of the rules and check against any casebook entries. You may also find it useful to read this blog of mine.
Pitfall: Missing out a key detail (particularly if asking about a real life thing that happened!)
How to avoid it: Often when asking about a real life example of a penalty being issued, the circumstances described may not be those that actually led to the penalty being issued. It is always best to reach out to the officials that issued the penalty and understand the exact circumstances. It’s okay to ask about the reasoning behind penalties post-game if officials are still in the track area and not busy with other duties.
In conclusion:
Keep asking questions. Keep challenging your existing knowledge of roller derby. If you’re a player, knowing and truly understanding the game can provide you with the ability to lower your penalty count, draw penalties on others, play strategically, and outwit the opposition even when you might not out-skate them. It also helps you to bring official reviews to the table that have a greater chance of success. As an official you can anticipate and handle situations secure in the knowledge you have already, and act with confidence rather than having to think too much on the fly.
Talk with others, but – especially if you are an official – learn how to interrogate the many resources available independently, and use this to deepen your understanding.
Skewblogs 