Roller Derby Scoring

Roller derby is certainly not like football or baseball in that there is no ball put into play. Instead it more closely resembles a race, in that one skater — called a jammer — must get through a pack of skaters and pass all her opponents. If the jammer cannot get past her opponents, no points are scored by her team. There are three positions — jammer, blocker and pivot — who attempt to knock their opponents down in order for their teammate to get through. Roller derby skaters find themselves simultaneously playing offense and defense as they skate around the track.

Roller Derby Pack

Two teams of five players each are on the starting line. The jammers for each team are in the back, and start after the rest of her team skates off. The whole goal is for the jammer to lap everyone on this oval track and begin scoring points. For every opponent a jammer passes, she scores a point. All the while, the other four players, called blockers, are trying to knock their opponents down to make it harder for the opposing jammer and easier for their own jammer to score.

The Pivot

At the starting line, the blocker with the striped helmet is the pivot. This position guides the speed of her blockers, paying attention to where her and the other team's jammer is. The pivot might signal for her team to skate faster, so it is harder for the other team's jammer to catch up to the pack and thus score before the clock runs out. The pivot might signal for her team to slow down if she sees her own jammer is trying to catch up to the pack.

To do this, the pivot needs to stay at the front of the pack. She is often the last person the jammer must pass, making her the last line of defense for her team.