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 […]
Read More Skew’s quick and dirty guide to WFTDA changes 2019Most derbyists are familiar with the phrase “no impact, no penalty”. It may sometimes sound frustratingly dismissive, particularly in those past years where someone smacked you hard in the spine and your teammates kept you upright and stable. (Thank goodness for changes, eh?) Many actions in roller derby are illegal, but this alone is insufficient […]
Read More A primer on “impact” in roller derbyI’ve split this Rules with Skew edition in two. The first part can be found here, and it’s a must read before you tackle this one. The examples in this post build on what was started there. (Plus it’s got the bit about ceding cuts.) This part finishes the rest of the examples, as well […]
Read More Rules with Skew (9b) – ten ways you can get a cut penalty (the second five)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 as a part of cutting) but “cutting in line”. You could think of roller derby as a particularly jostly aggressive queue. Everyone […]
Read More Rules With Skew (9a) – ten ways you can get a cut penalty (the first five)Since I started following roller derby, there has been greater investment in uniforms at all levels of the sport. The focus has been more and more on high performance and exciting design, mostly moving on from the days when screen-printed cotton tees were pretty much the norm. Now, even at local league level, teams want […]
Read More The six questions you should ask yourself about your new uniformThe humble “low block” call used to be a catch-all penalty for all contact involving mid-thigh and below. Similar to the head and neck, this part of each leg is both an illegal blocking zone and illegal target zone. You can’t block with it or block to it. It’s been this way for a long time – this is not new for 2017/18 – but the new verbal cue of “leg block” seems to have suddenly got people thinking about lower limbs.
Read More Rules with Skew (8) – getting the low down – low blocks, leg blocks and more…Misconception: A skater can contact their teammates anytime, anywhere in any way and can’t be penalised for doing so. Truth: There are rules governing how teammates can affect teammates in gameplay – you can only contact a teammate to help them or yourself out in specific situations. Assists are on a comeback in derby. I’m […]
Read More Rules with Skew (7) – whips, assists and all that sweet stuffApex jumps – one of the biggest crowd pleasers in roller derby. Requiring speed, power and balance to execute, to some they’re the holy grail of jamming (and even blocking!). They’re also one of the holy grails of derby photography, so huge thank you once again to Paul Jones Photography Cardiff for letting me use […]
Read More Rules with Skew (6) – apex jumpsAll photos in this post come from the ace Paul Jones Photography Cardiff. Used with permission. Go check out his work from the most recent world cups, Welsh derby and more! People of roller derby – we need officials. It’s a fact – if you want to play the game, you need a crew of […]
Read More On recruiting roller derby officialsBLUE 736, DESTRUCTION. There was a no pack and you are the skater deemed solely or most responsible for its illegal destruction. Oops. Time to leave the track, sit a penalty and reassess. Not all “no pack” situations result in a penalty, of course – there are ways “no pack” can arise legally or with […]
Read More Rules with Skew (5) – seven ways you might get a penalty for destroying the pack
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