Roller derby is a team sport with an interesting history. It appeared in the United States in the 1930s, during the Great Depression. A businessman by the name of Leo Seltzer noticed that the collisions of roller derby participants cause a strong reaction in the audience. So he decided to make them a separate spectacle. The game, where girls on roller quads push each other and rush along the track, really became very popular. However, over time, roller derby matches began to resemble a well-choreographed show rather than a sporting competition. By the late 1970s, interest in the sport had waned. That all changed in the early 2000s when a few girls from Texas decided to revive roller derby. Instead of a sloping track, they used a flat one, which made the game much more accessible. That’s how the first Texas Roller Derby league came to be, and then many teams around the world.
Roller derby is primarily a women’s sport, although there are also men’s and mixed teams. All players are united by a strong and friendly community. Discrimination is unacceptable here, any participant or participant gets support, understanding and the opportunity to express herself. During the game, opponents may behave harshly, but outside the track there is a peaceful and safe atmosphere.
Up to 15 people can participate in the game (usually 5 people per team). Two teams enter an oval court on roller skates. There are two roles on a team: jammer and blocker. The jammer is one per team, and there are four blockers. The four blockers are in front and the jammer is the main player behind them, this is the structure of one team. The idea is that in a certain time the main player of one team, with the help of his blocker allies, passes through the blockers of the other team as many times as possible. Players can move at any speed, but the goal remains the same. A point is awarded to a team for one jammer overtaken by an opponent. One round lasts 2 minutes, and a session of the entire game is 60 minutes. The goal is to score as many points as possible.
Outside the playing area are benches for violators. The violator is considered to be the one who made a defense on the forbidden places on the opponent’s body. Such places are: head, neck, spine, part of the arms (from wrist to elbow) and part of the legs (from ankle to knee). Permitted places for blocking are: thighs, abdomen, part of the arms (from elbow to shoulders), back and buttocks. A penalty point is awarded to the national team for each offender.
