About the Sport
Terms Defined
Pack: Eight tight-skating blockers playing offensively and defensively.
Pivot: (Striped Helmet) Gives strategic instructions to the other defensive members, helps control the speed of the pack, and can pinch-skate as a Jammer after the “pass the star” maneuver has been completed successfully.
Blocker: Defensive player charged with protecting her team’s Jammer and impeding the progress of the other team’s Jammer and Blockers.
Jammer: (Star Helmet) Point Scoring skater who dodges and dives through the pack, lapping the other four (or possibly five) skaters from the other team, scoring a point for each.
Game Play
Pivots and blockers will line up at the first turn, behind the pivot line. Twenty feet behind them are the Jammers. The first whistle blows and the pack takes off, blocking and jostling for strategically important positions. At the second whistle the Jammers begin their race to be the first to dodge, block and speed their way through the pack and be declared Lead Jammer. In order to do this, they must stay in bounds until they reach the engagement zone, and pass all opposing blockers legally. Lead Jammer gives them the ability to call off the jam before two minutes have elapsed. They score no points on their initial trip through the pack.
Once they break through, they race around the track to fight their way past the pack again, this time scoring a point for each opposing player they pass legally.
Penalties
Penalties are given for illegal hits, procedural mistakes, and passing other skaters out of bounds. For more precise rules and descriptions, see the official rules.
