About Roller Derby
Getting Involved
Leagues
There's well over 500 flat track leagues in the world which cater to various genders, abilities, ages, and cultural groups. Below are links to various places you can find a league. If none are what you're looking for, try googling your area + roller derby and reach out to your closest. If you're looking for a specific kind of team and don't have a lead, ask for advice on starting your own!
Roles
Once you've found your local league, how might you join? You are never boxed in to one role if you don't want to be. Player who become pregnant often ref or NSO for a few months, lots of NSOs take up skating and fill in when a ref is away, etc. This is a non-exhaustive list of roles. I've deliberately left out higher roles that a brand new volunteer can't start in under a year, like coaches and high level organisers. If there's something you want to do, pitch it to your local league! Or if you're not sure what you want to do, ask what needs filling in. It takes a small army to run a community organisation.
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Pretty much everybody in almost every league is a volunteer, so if you don't have the time or energy to join a league formally, every single team plays better with an enthusiastic audience cheering them on! You can make a huge impact just by following your local team, sharing their posters and fundraisers, and coming to bouts with your friends.​
On Skates
​​Players (blockers, pivots, and jammers)
All players are running offense and defense simultaneously. All body types are welcome on track. Whether you're under 5'5" or over 6'5", whether you're under 50kg or over 150kg, you possess a strategic advantage as long as you're a team player who's willing to commit and focus.​
​​​Referees (mostly called refs; occasionally zebras)
- One Jammer Ref for each jammer, required for a game to have points and for somebody to win. Calls lead jammer, counts the points, calls penalties, signals the jam calling off.
- Multiple Inside and Outside Pack Refs (IPR / OPR) to call penalties and maintain the safety and respect in the game.
Off Skates
NSOs (Non-Skating Officials; flamingos in some leagues)
- Jam Timer: Stands in the middle of the track as the master of time. Tells everyone when a jam is starting, when there is a team/official timeout, when there is an official review, and when the bout is over.
- Penalty Boxer: Making sure each player sits in the box for the correct amount of time, tracking how many penalties each player has and confirming foul-outs.
- Scoreboard Operator: communicates an overview of the game to the audience and players. Enters scores from jammer refs and maintains times with the jam timer.​
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Commentators: Also communicates the game to the audience, but without the official capacity of an NSO and in much more detail. Explains what's happening and highlights all the cool things going on. Maintains the atmosphere and gets people hyped. Might also fulfill sponsor requirements, which keeps the league running.
​​Game Day Committee:
- Photographers - Audio Technicians - First Aid Officers
- Snacks, Beverages, Tickets, and Merch Sales
- Set Up and Pack Down (and track cleaning)
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Year-Round Administrators:
- Social Media Managers - Website Administrators
- Graphic Designers - Video Editors​
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Equipment Engineers:
Not every league has one, but they all want to. Inspects and maintains equipment, provides advice on skate upgrades based on player style, finds mechanical wear-down and faults, adjusts and replaces parts. Might be repairing a banked track or measuring out a flat track.