Roller Derby Glossary

Below, you’ll find common flat track roller derby terms. If you hear a term that isn’t listed here, let us know—we’ll add it!

A

• Apex Jump – A move where a skater jumps over the inside line of the track, usually at a curve, to pass opponents.
• Alt – A skater who steps in as captain if the captain is unavailable.
• Anti-Derby – Skating in the opposite direction of gameplay (clockwise).

B

• Back Block – An illegal hit to an opponent’s back, resulting in a penalty.
• Banked Track – A slanted oval track used in older forms of roller derby. Most
  modern games are played on flat tracks.
• Bearings – Components inside the wheels that allow smooth rolling.
• Bench Coach – A Non-Skating Official (NSO) who communicates strategy offtrack.
• Bin – Slang for the penalty box.
• Blocker – One of four defensive skaters per team who form the pack and try to
  stop the opposing jammer while assisting their own.
• Blocking – Legal movements used to impede or stop an opponent, including
  body contact, positioning, and footwork.
• Blocking Zones – Legal areas of the body used to block an opponent (e.g.,
  shoulders, hips, torso).
• Bout – A sanctioned roller derby game.
• Boutfit – A bout uniform, distinct from scrim tops (see Scrim and Scrim Top).
• Brace – A skater who supports teammates, often facing anti-derby (clockwise).

C

• Captain – The official leader of a team.
• Clockwise/Directional – An illegal hit pushing a skater in the anti-derby
  (clockwise) direction.
• Contact Zones – Legal areas of the body where a skater can receive a hit.
• Counter–Block – Bracing against an incoming block to stay upright or maintain
  position.
• Cut Track – An illegal move where a skater re-enters the track ahead of
  opponents they were behind when they exited.

D

• Derby Direction – The correct gameplay direction (counterclockwise).
• Derby Stop – A quick stop using toe stops.
• Destruction – An illegal move intentionally breaking up the pack formation.
• Downed Skater – A skater who has fallen to the ground.
• Durometer – A measurement of wheel hardness, indicated by a number followed
  by “A” (e.g., 88A, 93A). Lower numbers provide more grip, while higher numbers
  slide more.

E

F

• Fall Small – A safety technique where skaters tuck in arms and legs to avoid tripping others.
• Footwork – Controlled movement used for agility and positioning.
• Forearms – An illegal hit using forearms, resulting in a penalty.
• Fresh Meat – Old term for a new skater (now “New Skater” or “Rookie”).
• Five Seconds – Warning before the jam starts.

G

• Grip – How well a wheel sticks to the floor. Softer wheels have more grip; harder wheels slide more.

H

• Helmet Cover (“Panty”) – A cloth cover worn over a skater’s helmet indicating their role: a star for the jammer, a stripe for the pivot.
• High Block – An illegal hit above the collarbone.
• Hockey Stop – A quick 90° stop

I

• Illegal Contact – Contact before the whistle or out of bounds.
• Illegal Position – Includes destruction, skating out of bounds, failure to reform,
  or failure to yield.
• Illegal Procedure – Not completing a star pass correctly.
• Insubordination – Misconduct or failure to follow referee instructions.
• Inside Line – The innermost boundary of the track.
• Interference – Actions that delay gameplay.

J

• Jam – A period of play lasting up to two minutes.
• Jam Line – The start line where jammers position themselves.
• Juke/Juking – Quick, agile movements to avoid hits.

K

L

• Lead Jammer – The first jammer to legally pass the pack on the initial pass, gaining the ability to call off the jam early.
• Low Block – An illegal hit to an opponent’s legs or feet, causing them to fall.
• LUM (Lineup Manager) – An NSO who indicates which jammer and blockers are
  in the next jam.

M

• Misconduct – Insubordination or other serious rule violations.
• MRDA (Men’s Roller Derby Association) – The governing body for men’s flat
  track roller derby.
• Multiplayer Block – An illegal move where two skaters link arms, preventing
  opponents from passing.

N

• No Pack – An illegal situation where blockers are too spread out.
• No Points / No Penalty – When an illegal action occurs but does not impact
  gameplay, no penalty is issued.
• NSO (Non-Skating Official) – A game official who does not skate.

O

• Out of Bounds – A skater who has gone outside the track boundary.
• Out of Play – A blocker more than 20 feet from the pack who cannot legally
  engage.
• Official Review – A request by the bench coach for referees to review a call.
• Official Timeout – A timeout called by officials.

P

• Pack – The largest group of blockers skating together. Jammers are not part of the pack.
• Penalty – A 30-second time penalty for an illegal action.
• Penalty Box – The designated area where skaters serve penalties.
• Pivot – A blocker wearing a striped helmet cover who may take over as jammer
  via a star pass.
• Pivot Line – A secondary start line for pivots.
• Plow Stop – A stopping technique using inward-pointed toes and outward heels.

Q

• Quad Skates – Traditional roller skates with four wheels arranged in a two-by-two configuration.

R

• Referee – A skating official who enforces game rules.
• Roller Derby – A full-contact team sport on quad skates emphasizing strategy,
  endurance, and agility.

S

• Scrim – A friendly, non-sanctioned game.
• Scrim Top – A practice uniform, typically black and white.
• Stop Block – An illegal block that halts gameplay.
• Suicide Stop – A quick stop using toe stops while transitioning backward.

T

• Toe Stops – Components at the front of skates used for stopping and quick movement.
• Transition – A technique for switching between forward and backward skating.
• Team Timeout – A timeout called by a bench coach.

U

V

W

• WFTDA (Women’s Flat Track Derby Association) – The governing body for women’s flat track roller derby.

X

Y

Z

• Zebra – Slang for referees (due to their black-and-white uniforms).