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 completely 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 without established Lead Jammer status attempting to call off a jam, if the jam is not called off.

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

5.13.7 - 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.

5.13.8 - Illegal Positioning: A Skater who commits a False Start (see Section 3.2.7) by touching completely outside of their legal starting area (but fully inside the track boundary) at the jam-starting whistle. Each Skater who violates this rule shall receive a penalty, even if this includes more than one Skater from the same team.

5.13.8.1 - If all of a team's Blockers are illegally positioned by touching completely outside of their legal starting area, the jam should not be started.

5.13.8.2 - If, at the jam-starting whistle, a pack cannot be defined because one or more Skaters is touching partially outside of their legal starting area (see Section 3.2.8), one Skater who is touching partially outside their legal starting area will be immediately penalized (i.e., not given a chance to yield). If more than one Skater could be assessed this penalty, it should go to the Pivot (if the Pivot is illegally positioned as described), or to the Skater closest to the Referee.

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

5.13.10 - Entering the Penalty Box to communicate with a penalized Skater (see Section 6.2.4.1).

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

5.13.10.2 - If a team’s non-skating bench staff enters the Penalty Box to communicate with a penalized Skater, this penalty will be issued to their team’s Captain.

5.13.11 - 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.

5.13.12 - 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.

5.13.13 - Improper uniform, jewelry, or skates.

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

5.13.15 - 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.

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

5.13.17 - 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.

5.13.18 - 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.

5.13.19 - 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.

5.13.20 - A Skater completely 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).

5.13.21 - 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.

5.13.22 - Removing required safety equipment (see Section 6.2.6 and Section 9.1.1).

5.13.23 - A Skater who has fouled out of a game interfering with play or the game beyond behavior expected from an audience member. This includes returning to the designated team area during the remainder of the game. This penalty is to be assessed to that Skater’s team’s Captain.

5.13.24 - 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 team area during the remainder of the game. This penalty is to be assessed to that Skater’s team’s Captain.

5.13.25 - Skaters who intentionally begin in a starting position that purposefully prolongs their ability to return to an in-play position or their team’s ability to form or reform a pack at the jam-starting whistle (e.g., intentionally starting on one’s back, intentionally starting in a dog pile). One penalty will be applied per team, to the single Skater who seems most responsible, or the Pivot, for beginning the jam in this manner. Other Skaters may receive subsequent penalties for failure to reform the pack per Section 5.10.6 and Section 5.10.13.

5.13.26 - Not applicable.