Rule Sections

WFTDA Rules May 26, 2010 Section 11 - Glossary

11 - Glossary

Term Definition
Assist Helping a teammate improve her position by giving her a push or whip.
Bettering your Position Improving your position while out of bounds by passing an upright and skating player who is in bounds and re-entering the track in front of her.
Block Blocking is any movement on the track designed to impede or dislocate an opponent. Blocking includes the possible counter-blocking motion initiated by the opponent to counteract the block; counter-blocking is treated as a block and held to the same standards and rules. Blocking need not include contact. Impeding the movement of an opposing skater by hitting her or positioning yourself in her path.
Blocker Blockers are the positional players that form the pack. The Pivot Blocker is one of the four Blockers per team allowed in each jam. (See Section 3.1 - Blocker)
Blocking to the Back Any contact to the back of the torso, booty, or legs of an opponent. It is not considered blocking from behind if the Blocker is positioned behind the opponent (as demarked by the hips) but makes contact to a legal target zone.
Blocking Zones Areas of the body that may be used to hit an opponent when performing a block. (See Figure 3 - Legal Blocking Zones in Section 5 - Blocking)
Captain The skater identified to speak for the team. Only the Captain and the Designated Alternate may confer with the referees. (See Section 9.2.10)
Contact Zones Areas of the body that may be used to give or receive a hit. (See Figure 2 - Legal Target Zones and Figure 3 - Legal Blocking Zones in Section 5 - Blocking)
Counter-Block Counter-blocking is any motion/movement towards an oncoming block by the receiving skater which is designed to counteract an opponent’s block. Counter-blocking is treated as a block and held to the same standards and rules. Standing up, turning away, ducking, etc is not considered counter-blocking.
Designated Alternate The Captain selects an additional person to act in their stead; this person is the Designated Alternate. The Designated Alternate may be another skater, coach or manager. The Designated Alternate must be one of the sixteen individuals described in Section 2.1.4. A team shall only have one Designated Alternate.
Down Skaters are considered down if they have fallen, been knocked to the ground or have taken a knee. Skaters on one knee are considered down. After downing herself or falling, a skater is considered down until she is standing, stepping, and/or skating. Stationary standing players are not considered down.
Engage Any sort of interaction with another skater on the track during a jam. (See also “Assist” and “Block”)
Engagement Zone The zone in which skaters may legally engage. The legal Engagement Zone extends from twenty (20) feet behind the rearmost pack member to twenty (20) feet in front of the foremost pack member, between the inside and outside track boundaries. Jammers may engage each other outside of the Engagement Zone.
Expulsion To remove a skater from the remainder of the game for serious physical violence or any action deemed by the officials to cause an extraordinary physical threat to others. (See Section 7.5 - Expulsion and Fouling Out)
Fall Small Falling with the arms and legs controlled, tucked in to the body, and not flailing.
Fouling Out To remove a skater for the remainder of the game for excessive turns served in the penalty box. (See Section 7.5 - Expulsion and Fouling Out)
Game A bout or game is composed of sixty (60) minutes of play divided into two periods of thirty (30) minutes played between two teams.
Game Roster The skaters that are actually suited up and eligible to play on game day.
Gross Misconduct An indiscretion so serious that it justifies the instant expulsion of a skater, even on the first occurrence.
Illegal Procedures Technical infractions that give the offending team an advantage but do not directly impact a specific opponent.
Immediately The first legal opportunity in which a skater may complete an action.
Impact A foul has an impact on safety or game play when a measurable physical force or effect can be observed. (See Major Penalty and Minor Penalty)
In Bounds A skater is in bounds as long as all parts of the skater’s body and equipment that are in contact with the ground are within or on the track boundary. If a skater jumps, and ceases all contact with the ground her prior in bounds/out of bounds status is maintained until contact with the ground re-establishes in bounds/out of bounds status. In bounds skaters are not necessarily in play.
Initiator of the Block The skater who makes contact with a target zone of an opponent is the initiator of the block. The initiator of a block is always responsible for the legality of the contact.
Initial Pass The first pass a Jammer makes through the pack. No score is awarded on this pass; it is only used to establish the Lead Jammer. (See Pass and Scoring Pass)
In Play When a skater is positioned within the Engagement Zone and is in bounds, she is in play and may legally block and assist. Downed players are not in play. Jammers may engage each other anywhere inside the track boundaries for the duration of the jam, but must be within the Engagement Zone in order to legally initiate engagement with Blockers.
In Position When a skater is on the track, in the designated area for their position, when the first whistle of the jam blows. Blockers are in position when they are on the track, between the Pivot and Jammer start lines. Jammers are in position when they are on the track behind the Jammer line.
Insubordination Willfully failing to comply with a referee’s orders.
Jam Jams are two (2) minute races between teams to score points.
Jammer Jammers are the point scorers for their teams. Each team is permitted one Jammer per jam. The Jammers are identified by stars on their helmet cover. (see Section 3.3 - Jammer)
Jammer Lap Point If one Jammer completely laps the opposing Jammer, she will score an additional point each time she fully laps her. Exceptions occur when the opposing Jammer is not on the track (see Section 8.5).
Lap A complete pass through the pack; this may require more than one trip around the track.
Lead Jammer Lead Jammer is a strategic position established on the Jammers’ initial pass through the pack during each jam. The Lead Jammer is the first Jammer to pass the foremost in-play Blocker legally and in bounds, having already passed all other Blockers legally and in bounds.
Loss of Relative Position When a skater’s position in relation to other skaters on the track is lost for a sustained period of time due to the actions of an opponent, such as a legal block or an illegal block. Being forced out of bounds is always to be considered a loss of relative position.
Low Block A Trip or Low Block is any contact which lands on an opponent’s feet or legs, below the legal target zone, that causes the skater to stumble or fall. (See Section 6.3 - Low Blocking)
Major Penalty A foul that has a measurable physical force or effect which causes harm or adversely affects the game. Assessed if the infraction has extensive impact on safety or game play.
Minor Penalty A foul that has a measurable physical force or effect but does not cause harm or adversely affect the game. Assessed if the infraction has limited impact on safety or game play.
Misconduct Wrongful or improper behavior motivated by intentional purpose or obstinate indifference to the rules.
Multi-Player Block Blocking with multiple players via a grabbing, holding, linking or joining fashion that impedes an opponent’s movement through the pack. Touching and assisting teammates that does not create a wall to impede an opponent is not a multi-player block. (See Section 6.7 - Multiple-Player Blocks)
No Pack There is no pack when there is not a group of Blockers (from both teams) skating within proximity to each other or when there are two or more equally numbered groups of Blockers not skating within proximity to each other. (See Proximity)
Out of Bounds A skater is out of bounds when any part of the skater’s body or equipment is touching the ground beyond the track boundary. If a skater jumps, and ceases all contact with the ground her prior in bounds/out of bounds status is maintained until contact with the ground re-establishes in bounds/out of bounds status. Out of Bounds skaters are not in play.
Out of Pack A skater is out of pack when she is more than ten (10) feet from the nearest pack skater but within twenty (20) feet of the nearest pack skater.
Out of Play A Blocker that is positioned more than twenty (20) feet outside the pack, out of bounds, or down is out of play. A Jammer that is out of bounds is out of play.
Pack The pack is defined by the largest group of Blockers, skating in proximity, containing members from both teams. The Jammers are independent of this definition. (See also Proximity)
Pass To pass is to move in front of an opposing skater by positioning your hips in front of hers. A pass begins with the Jammer behind the pack and ends when the Jammer has cleared the pack by twenty feet. To begin the next pass, the Jammer must fully lap the pack and catch up to the back of the pack. (See Scoring Pass and Initial Pass)
Penalty The punishment meted out for misconduct.
Pivot Blocker Commonly referred to as the Pivot. The Pivot is a Blocker, as defined in Section 3.1 - Blocker, with extra abilities and responsibilities as outlined in Section 3.2 - Pivot Blocker.
Points Awarded in Error Points that have not been legally earned by a Jammer and have been awarded to her and her team incorrectly and/or erroneously by a referee, an official, or as the result of a technology malfunction.
Positional Blocking A.K.A. Body Blocking, Frontal Blocking, Passive Blocking. Passive blocking is blocking without contact, positioning yourself in front of an opposing skater to impede her movement on the track. It may also be done unintentionally, if the blocking skater is not aware of the skater’s position behind her.
Proximity A measure of distance for in-play skaters that is defined as skating not more than ten feet in front of or behind the nearest pack skater.
Re-engage A skater positioning herself in front of an opponent who has already passed her.
Re-pass The act of passing an opponent who has already been passed during the current lap. If the Jammer drops back behind an opponent that she passed illegally, by being reengaged or repositioning herself, she may attempt to pass her again legally .
Relative Position The position a skater holds in relation to other skaters on the track.
Scoring Pass Any pass a Jammer makes through the pack after the completed initial pass. Points may only be earned on scoring passes. A Jammer Lap Point is independent of this definition. (See Jammer Lap Point, Pass, and Initial Pass)
Shorted Skater The skater serving a penalty in the penalty box.
Straddling Skaters Skaters are straddling the track boundary line when they are simultaneously touching both inside and outside the track boundary line.
Substitutions Replacing a skater on the track or in the penalty box with another skater.
Suspension To remove a skater from more than one game. (See Expulsion)
The Star The Jammer’s helmet cover, which has a star on it.
Target Zones Areas of the body on an opponent that a skater may hit when performing a block. (See Figure 2 - Legal Target Zones in Section 5 - Blocking)
Warnings A formal verbal indication from the referee that play is improper and that a skater must take corrective action.

WFTDA Standardized Flat Track Roller Derby Rules Updated May 26, 2010
Copyright © 2010 Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA)

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