Flat track roller derby is played on quad skates over 60 minutes, split into two 30-minute periods that are made up of Jams lasting up to two minutes each. In every Jam, the Jammer scores one point for each opposing Blocker they lap, and the team with the most points at the end wins.
Roller derby rules in plain words
This page follows The Rules of Flat Track Roller Derby from the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA), dated January 1, 2025. I'll call it the WFTDA rules, as of November 2026. It covers flat track only.
The rule book uses capitalised terms for its roles and zones, such as Jam, Jammer, Blocker, Pivot and Pack. I've kept those because you'll hear them at any bout, but each one is explained in everyday words below.
Who's on the track
| Role | Helmet cover | What they do |
|---|---|---|
| Jammer | The Star | The only skater who can score points |
| Blocker | None | Blocks the opposing Jammer and helps their own Jammer through |
| Pivot | The Stripe | A Blocker who can take over as Jammer through a Star Pass |
For each Jam, a team must field one Jammer and at most four Blockers, and one of those Blockers may be the Pivot. Each team can also have one Captain and one Alternate.
On kit, skaters must wear quad-style roller skates and protective gear during play. Inline skates aren't permitted. The track has to follow the standardised WFTDA Track Specifications and be flat, clean and suitable for skating. The boundary line counts as in bounds.
How a game is timed
- A game is 60 minutes of play, in two 30-minute periods with a halftime between them.
- Each period is broken into Jams, the basic unit of play. A Jam lasts up to two minutes.
- A Jam starts with a single short whistle blast and finishes at the end of four short whistle blasts.
- At least 30 seconds must pass between Jams, and no more than that unless a timeout is called.
- The period clock keeps running between Jams unless there's a timeout.
- Each team gets three Team Timeouts of 60 seconds, and starts each period with one Official Review.
That last point matters for anyone watching on a clock: the time between Jams eats into the period. A period isn't thirty minutes of skating.
How a single Jam plays out
- Jammers line up behind or touching the Jammer Line. Blockers line up behind the Pivot Line and ahead of the Jammer Line, and a Pivot may start touching the Pivot Line.
- One short whistle blast starts the Jam.
- Each Jammer fights through the Pack. Their first trip through doesn't score; it's about getting clear.
- The first eligible Jammer to get ahead of the foremost in-play Blocker, after earning a pass on all Blockers, becomes Lead Jammer. The officials signal it with two short whistle blasts.
- Jammers loop round and come back to the Pack, now scoring a point for every opposing Blocker they lap.
- The Jam ends after two minutes, or earlier if the Lead Jammer calls it off by repeatedly placing their hands on their hips.
Being Lead Jammer is valuable because only the Lead Jammer can end a Jam early. If you're ahead on points in that Jam, you can stop it before the other Jammer catches up.
The Pack and the Engagement Zone
The Pack is the largest group of in bounds, upright Blockers in proximity that contains skaters from both teams. Proximity means not more than 10 ft (3.05m) in front of or behind the nearest Pack skater.
The Engagement Zone is where Blockers may legally block or be blocked. It stretches 20 ft (6.10m) forward and backward from the foremost and rearmost Pack skaters. Blockers outside it are Out of Play: they can't engage or be engaged, they're warned, and they're penalised if they don't immediately try to get back.
Blockers also have to keep the Pack together. Deliberately destroying the Pack is illegal, and when there's no Pack, every Blocker from both teams must work to reform it.
Scoring: lapping opposing Blockers
A Jammer scores one point each time they lap an opposing Blocker, which means passing that opponent twice in a row. The point only counts if the lapping pass is earned. For that, the Jammer must be wearing the Star with the stars showing, and must be upright and in bounds during the pass. Points are grouped by trips through the Pack.
The rule people miss: Blockers in the box still count
A Blocker who's been sent to the Penalty Box doesn't drop out of the scoring. As soon as the Jammer earns a pass on an opposing Blocker, they also earn a pass on any opposing Blockers who aren't on the track, including those in the Penalty Box or off for injury or equipment. So a penalty on a Blocker can hand the other team points without anyone touching them.
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The Star Pass
A Jammer can hand the Star to their Pivot in a legal Star Pass. The Pivot then becomes the Jammer and takes over the points scored, the trips through the Pack and the skaters already passed. Only the Jammer or Pivot may control the Star, and a Pivot who picks it up any other way can't put it on their own helmet.
If the score's tied at the end, the second period is extended by at least one Overtime Jam, and more are added until the tie is broken.
Legal blocks and illegal targets
| Allowed | Not allowed | |
|---|---|---|
| Where you can hit | Chest, front and sides of the torso, arms, hands, hips, front and sides of the legs above mid-thigh | The back, the head down to the collarbone, the legs from below mid-thigh to the wheels |
| What you can hit with | Torso, arms above the elbow, legs above mid-thigh | Forearms (unless held close against the torso) and the head |
Avoidable forceful contact to the back, and any forceful contact to the head or neck, should be penalised regardless of impact.
Penalties and the Penalty Box
- Each penalty is 30 seconds of Jam time in the Penalty Box.
- The final 10 seconds must be served standing.
- Penalty time only runs while a Jam is in progress.
- No more than two Blockers from the same team can sit in the box at once. A third is put In Queue and told to return to play.
- A skater with seven penalties recorded fouls out of the game.
My verdict for new derby fans and skaters
I'd learn the roles first: the Star scores, the Stripe can take over, everyone else blocks. Then the one-point-per-lapped-Blocker rule, and the fact that penalised Blockers still count. That's enough to follow a bout and understand why the crowd suddenly roars when a Blocker heads to the box.
I'd skip the Official Review process, the full penalty list and the finer Pack definitions until you're training with a league. If you know ice hockey rules, the penalty box will feel familiar, and the idea of one runner breaking through a wall of defenders has a touch of flag football about it.
Frequently asked questions
How long is a roller derby game?
A game lasts 60 minutes of play, divided into two 30-minute periods with a halftime between them. Each period is made of Jams of up to two minutes.
How do you score in roller derby?
Only the Jammer scores. They get one point every time they lap an opposing Blocker, as long as the lapping pass is earned.
What is a Jam in roller derby?
A Jam is the basic unit of play. It can last up to two minutes, starts with one short whistle blast and ends after four short whistle blasts.
What is the Lead Jammer?
The first eligible Jammer to get ahead of the foremost in-play Blocker after earning a pass on all Blockers. They can call off the Jam early by repeatedly placing their hands on their hips.
How long is a roller derby penalty?
Skaters serve 30 seconds of Jam time for each penalty, with the final 10 seconds served standing.
