The Rules of Flat Track Roller Derby

5.13 - Illegal Procedures

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

5.13.1 - A skater who establishes legal starting position on the track before the jam-starting whistle, but is blocked out of bounds or out of legal starting position prior to or as the jam-starting whistle blows. This skater will be allowed to remain in the jam, and is not considered to have committed a False Start.

5.13.2 - 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.

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

5.13.4 - 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 closest Pivot on the track. 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 5.13.3) 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.

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

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

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

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

5.13.9 - Failure to Yield: A skater who commits a False Start (see Section 3.2.8) by touching partially outside of their legal starting area at the jam-starting whistle, and then fails to yield advantage gained thereby.

5.13.10 - Illegal Positioning: A skater who commits a False Start (see Section 3.2.7) by touching completely outside of their legal starting area at the jam-starting whistle.

5.13.11 - A penalized skater who leaves the Penalty Box during either a team or Official Timeout.

5.13.12 - A penalized skater’s teammate who enters the Penalty Box to communicate with the penalized skater (see Section 6.2.5.1).

5.13.13 - Team support staff who enter the Penalty Box to communicate with a penalized skater (see Section 6.2.5.1). This penalty is issued to the Captain.

5.13.13.1 - All medical support staff will be allowed into the box as necessary, but may only communicate with penalized skaters regarding medical matters.

5.13.14 - 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.

5.13.15 - Forcing a jam to be called off due to too many skaters on the track. Per Section 8.2.1.1.1, if too many skaters are on the track, the referees will direct a skater off the track. If a skater does not leave the track and the jam is called off due to too many skaters being on the track, that skater will receive the penalty.

5.13.16 - Improper uniform, jewelry, or skates.

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

5.13.18 - Violations of rules regarding possessing or wearing helmet covers (see Section 2 - Skater Positions and Identification), including violations of the procedures outlined in Section 2.5 - Passing the Star). The initiator of the illegal action receives the penalty.

5.13.19 - Preventing a Star Pass via any means other than legal blocking.

5.13.20 - A skater exiting the Penalty Box who re-enters the track in a manner that would constitute a penalty for cutting (see Section 5.11 - Cutting the Track), given that all in-bounds and upright Blockers are assumed to have superior position to a skater returning from the box.

5.13.21 - A skater, after being waved off of a full Penalty Box, who re-enters the track in a manner that would constitute a penalty for cutting (see Section 5.11 - Cutting the Track), given that all in-bounds and upright Blockers are assumed to have superior position to a skater returning from the box.

5.13.22 - A skater, after addressing mid-jam equipment malfunction, who re-enters the track in a manner that would constitute a penalty for cutting (see Section 5.11 - Cutting the Track), given that all in-bounds and upright Blockers are assumed to have superior position to a skater returning after addressing mid-jam equipment malfunctions.

5.13.23 - A skater exiting the Penalty Box before they are released by an Official. (Note: If the Penalty Box Official instructs the skater to leave early, this penalty does not apply; (see Section 5.13.2).

5.13.24 - 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.

5.13.25 - Removing required safety equipment (see Section 6.2.7 and Section 9.1.1).

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

5.13.27 - A skater initiating contact or engaging an opponent after the fourth jam-ending whistle that forces the receiving opponent down or severely off balance, forward, or sideways.

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

5.13.29 - An expelled skater failing to leave the track or staging area, or returning to the track area after they have been expelled. This includes returning to the designated bench area during the remainder of the game. This penalty is to be assessed to that skater’s team’s Captain.

5.13.30 - Skaters who begin in an intentionally-taken starting position that 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 return/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 Section 5.10.6 and Section 5.10.13).

5.13.31 - At the jam-starting whistle, half of a team’s on-the-track Blockers (or fewer) are in position between the Pivot and Jammer Lines. 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. In the event that a pack will not form between the Pivot and Jammer Lines at the first legal opportunity, the jam should not be started, with a Delay of Game penalty being issued (see Section 5.15.6).

5.13.32 - Not applicable.