The Rules of Flat Track Roller Derby

NOTE: You are viewing the January 1, 2013 revision of The Rules of Flat Track Roller Derby, which is officially retired.

The current version of the rules can be found at Rules Central.

6.13 - Illegal Procedures

Technical infractions that give the offending team an advantage but do not necessarily impact a specific opponent.

6.13.1 - False start: A Jammer or Blocker who false starts must yield advantage. If a false-starting Blocker or Jammer yields advantage but the opposing Jammer or Blocker does not take advantage of that attempt to yield position, neither Jammer nor Blocker will be assessed a penalty.

6.13.1.1 - A Jammer false starts for being out of position at the jam-starting whistle when that Jammer is touching beyond the Jammer Line.

6.13.1.2 - A non-Pivot Blocker false starts for being out of position at the jam-starting whistle when the Blocker:

6.13.1.2.1 - Is touching on or beyond the Pivot Line.

6.13.1.2.2 - Is touching on or behind the Jammer Line.

6.13.1.2.3 - Lines up in front of a Pivot Blocker who is upright and on the Pivot Line.

6.13.1.3 - A Pivot Blocker false starts for being out of position at the jam-starting whistle when the Pivot Blocker:

6.13.1.3.1 - Is touching beyond the Pivot Line.

6.13.1.3.2 - Is touching on or behind the Jammer Line.

No Impact / No Penalty

6.13.2 - A false start by a Jammer or Blocker who yields advantage.

6.13.3 - A Blocker who is on the track, between the Jammer and Pivot lines, skating into position when the jam-starting whistle blows.

6.13.4 - Assisting a downed teammate within the Engagement Zone.

6.13.5 - A skater exiting the penalty box before their penalty time finishes after being incorrectly instructed to do so by the penalty box official. The skater must return to the box and finish the penalty.

6.13.6 - A skater who establishes starting position on the track before the jam-starting whistle, but is blocked out of bounds prior to or as the whistle blows will be allowed to remain in the jam.

6.13.7 - Too many skaters on the track. The extra skater is instructed to return to the bench without stopping the jam.

6.13.8 - More than one designated Pivot for a team on the track after the jam-starting whistle. The skater at fault is the Pivot who was the last Pivot to enter the track in that jam. If the referee is unable to determine the last Pivot to enter the track, the referee handling the Illegal Procedure must single out the Pivot on the track closest to the referee who calls the penalty. After the whistle, the referee must instruct that skater to return to the bench if that skater is an extra skater on the track (see Section 6.13.7) or remove the helmet cover if that skater is an extra Pivot, but the team otherwise has the correct number of Blockers. Any Pivot starting in the penalty box is the designated Pivot for that jam.

6.13.9 - A Jammer attempting to call off a jam without establishing Lead Jammer status and the jam is not called off.

6.13.10 - A skater exiting the penalty box and re-entering the track in front of one pack skater of the same team.

6.13.11 - A skater, after being waived off of a full penalty box, re-entering the track in front of one pack skater of the same team.

6.13.12 - A skater, after addressing mid jam equipment malfunction, re-entering the track in front of one pack skater of the same team.

6.13.13 - A skater initiating contact or engaging an opponent before the jam-starting whistle that forces the receiving opposing skater off balance, forward, or sideways, but does not cause the opposing skater to lose the established starting position.

6.13.14 - A skater initiating contact or engaging an opponent after the fourth whistle ending the jam that forces the opposing skater slightly off balance, forward or sideways but does not cause the opposing skater to fall.

6.13.15 - A Blocker starting the jam with more than one knee down.

Major Penalties

6.13.16 - A skater exiting the penalty box and re-entering the track in front of one opposing pack skater.

6.13.17 - A skater, after being waived off of a full penalty box, re-entering the track in front of one opposing pack skater.

6.13.18 - A skater, after addressing mid jam equipment malfunction, re-entering the track in front of one opposing pack skater.

6.13.19 - A penalized skater who leaves the penalty box during either a team or Official Timeout.

6.13.20 - A penalized skater’s teammates or other support staff who enter the designated penalty box area to communicate with a penalized skater. If the person entering is not a skater in the bout the penalty will go to the Captain. Medical personnel are allowed in for medical purposes.

6.13.21 - A penalized skater who removes safety equipment while in the penalty box. A penalized skater may remove their mouth guard only after being seated in the penalty box. Merely adjusting safety equipment while in the penalty box is not to be penalized.

6.13.22 - A false start by a Jammer or Blocker who does not yield advantage. The Jammer or Blocker who committed the false start must stop all forward motion until the opposing Jammer or Blocker(s) takes the lead by passing the false-starting Blocker or Jammer. If a false-starting Blocker or Jammer yields advantage but the opposing Jammer or Blocker(s) does not take advantage of this attempt to yield position, a penalty must not be assessed and the yielding skater may proceed.

6.13.23 - Forcing a jam to be called off due to too many skaters on the track. The penalty is issued to the Pivot in that jam. If there is no Pivot in that jam, the penalty is issued to the last non-Pivot Blocker to enter the track to the extent that the referee is able to determine who that skater was. If there is no Pivot in the jam and the referee is unable to determine the last skater to enter the track, the referee issuing the Illegal Procedure must penalize the Blocker on the track closest to the referee who calls the penalty.

6.13.24 - Improper uniform, jewelry, or skates.

6.13.25 - A Jammer successfully calling off a jam without establishing Lead Jammer status.

6.13.26 - Violations of the passing the star procedures outlined in Section 3.5 - Passing the Star. The initiator of the star pass receives the penalty for the illegal star pass.

6.13.27 - Illegally blocking a star pass.

6.13.28 - A skater exiting the penalty box and re-entering the track in front of more than one pack skater.

6.13.29 - A skater, after being waived off of a full penalty box, re-entering the track in front of more than one pack skater.

6.13.30 - A skater, after addressing mid jam equipment malfunction, re-entering the track in front of more than one pack skater.

6.13.31 - A skater exiting the penalty box before their penalty time finishes. (Note: If the penalty box official instructs the skater to leave early, this penalty does not apply.)

6.13.32 - Too many skaters and/or team support staff in the designated team area. The penalty is issued to the Pivot at the time the penalty is determined. If there is no Pivot in that jam, the penalty is issued to the Captain in all circumstances.

6.13.33 - Removing required safety equipment (see Section 7.2.6 and Section 10.1.1).

6.13.34 - A skater initiating contact or engaging an opponent before the jam-starting whistle that forces the receiving opposing skater out of their established starting position. This includes forcing a skater down or out of bounds.

6.13.35 - A skater who has fouled out of a bout but been allowed to return to the track area interfering with play or the bout. This includes returning to the designated bench area during the remainder of the bout. Penalty is to be assessed to that skater’s team Captain.

6.13.36 - Skaters who begin in an intentionally taken starting position which purposefully prolongs that skater’s ability to return to an in-play position or a team’s ability to reform a pack (e.g., intentionally starting on one’s back, intentionally starting in a dog-pile), as this represents an intentional and immediate prolonged failure to rejoin/failure to reform. One penalty will be applied to a single skater per team, if applicable, who seems most responsible or the Pivot (further penalties should be assessed as laid out by rules 6.10.12 and 6.10.16).

6.13.37 - At the jam-starting whistle, the majority of a team’s on-the-track Blockers are not in position between the Pivot and Jammer lines, such that a pack will form behind the Pivot Line and in front of the Jammer Line at the time of the jam-starting whistle or immediately after the jam-starting whistle. The penalty should be given to the Pivot of the offending team(s), and if no Pivot exists, to the last non-Pivot Blocker to enter. If the referees cannot determine the last Blocker to enter, the Blocker closest to the penalizing referee will be charged with the penalty. This is not to apply to a situation where a Blocker false starts by lining up in front of a Pivot’s hips or accidentally jumps the jam-starting whistle.

Expulsion

6.13.38 - Not applicable.

Real. Strong. Athletic. Revolutionary.