It's not often that you find a sport that both Nancy Regan and Larry
Flynt would enjoy. Roller derby has broken out of its entertainment mold
and into the legitimate sports world, complete with competitive rules,
penalties, piercings and fishnets. This past Saturday, we went to see South Florida's Gold Coast Derby Grrls take on the Dallas Derby
Devils. Here is a quick rundown to help you better understand the video:
Positions:
- Jammer: Scores the points by lapping all the other team's players. There's one jammer per team.
- Blocker: Four per team. Their only goal is to (legally) do what they can to keep the other team's jammer from getting by.
- Pivot: This is a blocker who can take over the jammer's position if the official jammer opts to change latter.
Rules:
There are two 30-minute halves, each made up of shorter sessions called jams. A jam begins when the referee blows one whistle, indicating that the blockers may go, followed by two whistles, indicating that the jammers may go.
The first jammer passed the blockers is called the lead jammer. The jam itself will last up to two minutes unless the lead jammer stops it early by patting her waist. Blockers may use themselves as obstacles or strike the jammer using any part of the body below the mid thigh. Penalties vary in severity based on how much impact action has on the game.
So, for those of you who haven't gotten straight to the video by now, please, click and enjoy. The Gold Coast Derby Grrls won 122 to Dallas's 112 point! Plus, in the final second, the team does a collective "I Like Big Butts" victory dance. (Check out a new Miami roller derby team here.)
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