Ever wondered what a derby wife, derby widow, NSO, IPR, or zebra huddle is??? Roller derby is a pretty odd sport, and more so it has some really odd terms, here's a few to get you started.
ADRD- Adelaide Roller Derby (League)
After party - A celebration after the bout where the winners can claim their bragging rights and the losers can drown their sorrows. Those who did not skate, they just drown.
After after party- known amongst ADRD skaters as "The Place"- A venue in which drunken celebrations continue. Usually decided at the after party & often involves karaoke.
Backstretch - The straightaway portion of the track that is opposite of the area where the skaters start.
Banked Track - A specially designed track built with embankments in each of the turns which helps increase the speed. There is currently no banked track roller derby in Australia.
Bout - A bout is the entire single competition between two teams. A bout consists of 2 periods and preset amount of time per period (usually 30 mins).
Break (the pack) - When a jammer passes all of the pack skaters the first time, they broke the pack. This means they now have to skate back around to the back of the pack. Then, for every skater they pass, they will score a point.
Call Off (the jam) - A jammer who has been designated as the lead jammer can “call off” the jam by putting her hands on their hips. Calling off a jam is a strategic move to prevent an opposing team from scoring.
Crash Zone - This is a buffer zone outside the outer perimeter of the track. This area is kept clear to assure the safety of fans from skaters falling out of bounds as well as an area that may be used by outside referees.
Cutting the Track- skating out of bounds on the inside of the track. ( can incur minor & major penalties).
Flat Track - Roller derby played on an even track surface with no modifications to change the angle of the turns.
Fresh Meat - Term used to identify skaters who are new and are in training and have not been drafted to a team.
Front stretch - The straightaway portion of the track where the skaters start from. This is the area closest to the team benches.
Infield - The area in the middle of the track oval. This area is considered to be out of bounds. ADRD uses this section for penalty benches, score keeper, penalty tracker and penalty timers.
IPR- Inside Pack Referee, pack ref who skates on the inside of the track.
Jam - an individual race during a period where the skaters in the pack as well as the jammers are started. A period can have an unlimited amount of jams. The jam will last for a certain amount of time (90 seconds for ADRD) and can be called off early by the skater designated as lead jammer.
Jam Timer - A person holding a stop watch who is responsible for timing the length of an individual jam. If the designated time of the jam expires and the jam has not called off, they will blow a whistle 4 times to indicate the end of a jam.
Jammer - skater who is responsible for scoring points during a jam. The jammer will be identified with a helmet cover with a star on it.
Jammer Line - A place on the front stretch of the track where the two jammers line up at the beginning of the jam. The jammer may not cross the jammer line until the second whistle is blown at the start of a jam.
Jammerless Jam - A situation where both jammers have received penalties that sent them to the penalty box and therefore there is are no jammers for either team on the track.
Lead Jammer - The lead jammer is the first jammer to “break” through the pack entirely in bounds and did not commit any penalties along the way. Being lead jammer means that the jammer can stop a jam in progress if it is strategic to do so.
NSO- Non Skating Official, consisting of score keeper, penalty trackers, penalty timers, jam timer.
OOB- Out of bounds- skating outside the marked track.
OPR- Outside Pack Referee- pack referee skating on the outside of the track often in a "skate and wait" formation. ( can also consist of 4 standing referee's, one placed at each corner of the track).
Pack - A group of skaters, 4 from each team. This includes 3 blockers and 1 pivot. The pack skates together (& must stay within 20 feet of each other) their goal is to assure that their team’s jammer is helped through the pack while preventing the opposing team’s jammer from getting through.
Panty - Slang for the helmet covers used by jammers (jammer panty) and pivots (pivot panty).
Passing the Star - A strategic move where the jammer can take off their helmet cover (with the star on it) and pass it to their pivot (the skater with the striped helmet cover). This will give the pivot the jammer position and the pivot will be able to score points. The jammer would become a blocker and can’t score points. The star can not be passed back to the original jammer.
Penalty box - When a skater has to leave the track for a major penalty, they will spend their prescribed time in the penalty box. There are also penalty timers for each league who keep track of the time served on a penalty and will release the skaters when their penalty time expires.
Pivot - A skater who is a member of the pack who is responsible for setting the pace for the speed of the pack. The Pivot is can also be declared the jammer by having the star being passed to them by the jammer. The pivot is identified by a helmet cover with a stripe on it.
Pivot Line - A specific line on the front stretch where the two pivots line up. The remaining blockers of the pack line up directly behind the pivots and the jammers line up a prescribed distance behind the pivot line at the jammer line.
Raised Track - A rope material placed on the track to define the actual boundaries (both inside and outside) of the track. They are used by referees to determine if a skater is in or out. Sometimes, these are ropes of lights which enhance the presentation of the game. ADRD does not use raised tracks at this point.
Reverse Jam - Skating a jam in the clockwise direction. Done in practices for training purposes. Also done at times in public during exposition bouts.
Rollercon - The annual roller derby convention usually held the last week of July in Las Vegas USA.
Scrimmage - An informal game used for training or for other purposes and does not count towards any statistics. Many scrimmages are closed to the public.
Sin Bin - see “penalty box”.
SOE- Skate of Emergency, interstate double header hosted in Adelaide 27/9/09 Adelaide Phantoms Vs Sydney City Assassins, Adelaide Tornados Vs Northern Brisbane Brawl Stars.
SOO- Skate of Origin, interstate bout consisting of ADRD Adelaidies Vs VRDL All Stars affectionatly known as "the Ashes of Roller Derby" SOO2 was hosted in Reservoir Victoria on the 22/8/09
Stats Geek - General term used to identify a person who is involved in gathering or maintaining statistics.
Turn 1, 2, 3, 4 - Identification of each turn on the track. Turn 1 is the left turn just after the pivot line, it then continues around the track in an anti-clockwise direction.
WFTDA - Women’s Flat Track Derby Association. The leading national body of roller derby leagues with about 70 members nationwide.
Widow/Widdower- This term is coined because derby tends to become a quick obsession, and the derby girl spends sooo much time on derby practices, fundraisers, and meetings, that her significant other is essentially a widow/widower to derby.
Wife- She is the one person that the very instant you looked at her, you felt like you'd known her since you were a fetus. She looked just like your best friend from fifth grade, or something she did reminded you of all the things you ever liked in anyone else.
She is the first person you'd call if you ever need to get bailed out of jail.
She's the one who will be holding back your hair when you puke after drinking too much, and she won't let anyone take your picture while doing it.
She'll ride in the ambulance with you when you lose a tooth, break your wrist, or tear your ACL. She'll make you laugh the whole way to the hospital, try to steal your pain medication (lovingly), and sneak your favorite food and a beer into recovery.
She'll make her actual husband understand that if he loves her, he's gonna have to put up with you, too, no matter how many times you come over forcing him to revisit all the derby-related shows on his Tivo that you missed.
She may not even be your best friend in the league or the sport, but she'd be the one you know will be the first one to back you up, even if you're dead wrong. She'll just tell you you've lost your f#$king mind later in private, possibly kick your ass a little bit, and then be the only one who could ever talk your hotheaded ass into some reason.
Zebra - another term for a referee.
Zebra Convention/Huddle - game play stopped so the referees can confer with each other.
Got any more? please feel free to add them.
Posts
