Welcome to Roller Derby!
The Pikes Peak Derby Dames are a member league of the Women's Flat Track Derby Assocation (WFTDA), the governing body of flat track roller derby in the United States. The WFTDA is split into four regions, with PPDD being located in the Western region.
How the Game is Played
Download the official WFTDA rules: Verson 3.1 (PDF format)
The Objective
Each team's Jammer attempts to pass as many of the opposing team's players as possible. One point is scored for each opposing team member they pass during a jam.
The Basics
Games between two roller derby teams are called "bouts." There can only be five girls per team on the track at a time. There are three positions: Pivot, Blocker, and Jammer.
The Pivot - leads the pack and is the last line of defense. The pivot
controls the speed of the pack.
The Jammer - attempts to break through pack and score points for her team by passing the opposing team's players.
The Blockers - prevent Jammer from passing by providing a physical barrier or knocking them out of bounds.
The Pivot and Jammer are distinguished by their helmet covers: the Pivot have a stripe on her helmet and the Jammer has a star. For each play there will be one Pivot, one Jammer, and three Blockers for each team.
Jams are two minutes long maximum. There are as many jams within a period as time allows, with 30 seconds between jams to allow the pack to reassemble. Bouts may consist of two thirty-minute periods, or three twenty-minute periods (PPDD currently plays two thirty-minute periods).
The Start of the Jam
The jam starts on the first whistle, with the pivots and blockers for each team starting out in a pack, and the Jammers waiting
until the second whistle is blown. 
When the second whistle is blown, the
Jammers try to break through the pack in an attempt at being the "Lead
Jammer." The first Jammer to pass the opposing team's Pivot in bounds and without committing any fouls
is considered the Lead Jammer, and can call off the jam at her discretion by repeatedly placing her hands on her hips.
If there is no lead Jammer, the Jammers must skate the entire two
minutes, trying to score as many points as possible.
No points are awarded with the first break through the pack; points begin accumulating once a Jammer has lapped the pack.
Concluding a Jam
A whistle is blown four times to signal the end of a jam for any of the following reasons:
- The maximum two minutes is expired
- The period time has expired
- The lead Jammer calls off the jam
- An emergency/injury is called
- An official timeout is called by the Referees
Penalties
Activities that result in a skater being sent to penalty box are:
- holding
- illegal blocking
- tripping
- illegal use of hands
- deliberately falling as a method to block
- grabbing a skater from the ground
- fouling a skater who is down
- intentional cutting of track
- insubordination to referee
- fighting
- other minor penalties are called at the discretion of officials
You can download the official rules from the WFTDA website.
