The WFTDA Rules Committee announces a minor update to the WFTDA Official Rules.

This update includes several small edits and one change to a player’s uniform requirement.  The WFTDA voters have elected to narrow the acceptable range of player demarcation numbers.

Below are the relevant new rules:

3.7.4       Each skater participating in a bout must visibly display a unique (with relation to her own team) number on the back of her uniform.
3.7.4.1     The print of the number should be at least four (4) inches tall, so that it is legible and large enough to be read by officials who are positioned anywhere within the track or on its boundary.
3.7.4.2     A player’s number must be of a readable font.  A number is of readable font if it can be easily read and distinguished from the other players’ numbers by the officials, other players, and fans.
3.7.4.3     A player’s number may contain up to four characters.
3.7.4.4     A player’s number must be alphanumeric with at least one numerical digit.  For example: L5 is an acceptable number, but LV is not.  Numbers cannot contain symbols.
3.7.4.5      A player may have small characters preceding or following her player number on her jersey e.g. 55 mph, where “mph” is considerably smaller than 55.  These small characters are not considered part of the skater’s number and they may not inhibit the legibility of the player’s number whatsoever.  The maximum size for the small characters is two (2) inches.
3.7.4.6     Players on the same team may not have identical numbers.  For example, two players may not both wear L5, but one may wear L5 and another may wear J5.
3.7.4.7     A team’s jersey numbers must meet the definition of high contrast beyond a reasonable doubt or the Head Referee shall request that the team provide an alternative that meets the definition.
3.7.4.8     A team’s jersey numbers are of high contrast if there is a large degree of visual difference between the color of the number and the base color of the jersey such that the number significantly stands out from the base color of the jersey.

Question:

If a skater blocks an opposing skater while grabbing and holding on to a teammate, does that qualify as a multiplayer block?

Answer:

Grabbing and holding a teammate is not illegal. For players to be penalized for a multi-player block, the link itself must be that which is blocking or impeding an opponent.

Question:

When a Jammer’s hips are in front of an opposing Blocker’s hips and that Blocker forces the Jammer out of bounds, but falls down herself, the Jammer is free to re-enter the track without earning a cutting the track penalty. If she re-enters in front of that Blocker has she earned a point?

Answer:

Yes, once a point is earned it cannot be unearned. In this case once the Jammer’s hips pass the opposing Blocker’s hips the point is earned, what happens after that is not relevant to scoring. Note: this also applies towards earning Lead Jammer.

Question:

When judging the impact of an Out of Play penalty, should a Referee differentiate between a foul occurring on a Jammer as opposed to a Blocker?

Answer:

No. As per the rules (6.5), all illegal actions outside the Engagement Zone are to be penalized equally regardless of position.

Question:

May a Captain or Designated Alternate call a timeout while serving time in the Penalty Box?

Answer:

Yes. No rule prohibits a Captain or Designated Alternate from calling a timeout while in the Penalty Box.

Question:

Can a Jammer begin a scoring pass (or her initial pass) by entering the pack from the front?

Answer:

No. Initial passes and scoring passes only begin when the Jammer enters the pack from behind. Only by exiting the pack from the front, lapping the pack and re-entering it from the back will a Jammer begin her next scoring pass. Scoring does not take place until a Jammer completes her initial pass and starts a scoring pass.

Question:

Is there such thing as a “Negative Jammer Pass?” Can a Jammer pass begin from the front of the pack?

Answer:

No, Jammers cannot earn “Negative passes” or “anti-passes,” nor can Jammers earn negative points. Passes and points are gained, they cannot be lost.

A Jammer pass, either initial or scoring, cannot be initiated by entering the pack from the front. If a Jammer is lapped by the pack and is swallowed back into the pack before she has begun her initial pass, that time she spends in the pack should not be considered her initial pass. Her forward engagement of the pack on her subsequent pass will be considered her initial pass.

This also applies to a Jammer getting lapped after any pass has begun.

Question:

If a Jammer is lapped by the pack, does she stay on the same pass (initial or scoring), or must she repass the pack to regain her previous pass position?

Answer:

If a Jammer is lapped by the pack, she remains on the same pass she was originally on (even if it was on or before her initial one).  For example, a Jammer enters pack moving forward from the rear, is hit, stays down, and the pack laps her, she is still to be considered on the same pass.  Similar to a Jammer completing a scoring pass, being swallowed back(ward) into the pack does not begin a new scoring pass.

Question:

What happens if two players from the same team line up on the track where both are wearing a Pivot helmet cover? What if one is in the penalty box and the other is on the track? Are any penalties given?

Answer:

Section 3 states a team may only have 1 Pivot on the track. The second Pivot onto the track should be sent to her bench because she is an extra skater, she is not permitted to rejoin the jam in progress. If the referees do not know which Pivot was second on the track the referees should send the Pivot closest to them back to her bench.

Should a skater wearing the Pivot cover begin a jam when her team’s Pivot is already serving time in the penalty box, the correct course of action is to remove the Pivot from the jam as if she were an extra skater. This is to be done after the jam starting whistle, and she is not to be warned before then.  She has designated herself as a Pivot to the opposing team, the referees, the fans when the jam starting whistle has blown and there is already a skater from her team designated Pivot in the lineup.  She may stay only if she removes the Pivot cover before the jam starting whistle.

It’s tournament season in the WFTDA again and the Rules Committee wanted to publish and publicize some of the tournament policies that relate to rules and game play.  These policies are in effect for the tournament season but are not necessarily binding rules beyond that.  We offer a special thanks to the Executive Director, the Board of Directors and the Tournament Head Referees for instigating these efforts to keep the five regional tournaments as consistent as possible.

-The home team is the team with the higher tournament seed.  The WFTDA Tournaments Committee will develop a tie break system in the eventuality that two teams with the same tournament seed face each other.

-The home team will wear dark and the visiting team will wear light.

-The home team will choose their bench.  The visiting team has the option to switch benches with the home team at halftime.

-The full team roster and penalty count will be displayed on an infield whiteboard; there will be no “3 minor white boards” aka “hot boards.”

-During an official review teams will only be charged a timeout if they specifically request one in addition to their official review.  “Winning” an official review does not grant the team another official review.  “Losing” an official review does not mean the team is charged a timeout.

-At the beginning of a jam, no pack situations will start the Jammers if they have not already been started.   Furthermore, failure to reform [a pack] penalties will apply.

-Skaters who do not stand in the penalty box after being instructed by the penalty box official will receive an Illegal Procedure minor penalty.

-Players are not permitted to leave the penalty box during a team timeout.  Captains may participate in an official review even if they are serving a penalty.  Captains may call timeouts and request official reviews from the penalty box.

-Penalty Box: The penalty box will be divided in half, one half for each team.  A team will sit in the penalty box opposite/farthest from their bench.  If the teams switch benches at halftime they will also switch sides of the penalty box.  Jammers’ seats will be in the middle of the penalty box seats.  There will be a “line of no return” beyond the last seat in the penalty box.  If a player touches beyond this line on the way to the penalty box she must traverse all the way around the track and enter the penalty box legally.  Skaters in the penalty box will remain in the penalty box during timeouts.  Only skaters serving penalties are allowed in penalty box area.

-Destroying the Pack: When both teams are not equally guilty of pack destruction, the penalty will be given to the team that deviates from the established pace of the pack.  Destroying the Pack is almost always a major penalty as the action removes all Blockers from play, thus causing  everyone lose relative position.

-Failure to Return to Play and/or Reform a Pack: When a player is out of play she must immediately return to play at the first legal opportunity.  Failure to do so will result in a minor penalty.  If the player takes 3 seconds or more to begin her efforts at returning to play, during which time “out of play” warnings will be given with the corresponding hand signal, a major penalty will be assessed.   This same policy of failure to reform will be extended to “No Pack” situations.  The penalty will go to a skater from each team that does not make an effort to reform the pack.  If a specific skater can not be determined, the team’s Pivot will be penalized.

Questions and Answers:

Question:

What penalties apply when Jammers cut the track around opposing Jammers?

Answer:

If the opposing Jammer is the only skater that position is gained upon, then it is a minor penalty for track cutting within the Engagement Zone (EZ).  It will be a major penalty if the track cut includes any other Blocker in addition to the Jammer.  If the Jammer cuts the opposing Jammer outside the Engagement Zone, there is no penalty.  Jammers are still subject to skating out of bounds penalties.

Question:

Is out of play engagement behind the Engagement Zone penalized the same as ahead of the EZ?

Answer:

Yes, out of play engagement is penalized equally regardless of relation to the pack.

Question:

If an illegal block allows the Jammer to pass an opponent for a point will that illegal block be penalized as a major penalty?

Answer:

Only the impact on, and relative position of, those directly involved in the action are relevant for penalty assessment.  Whether or not the illegal contact allows the Jammer, or any other skater to pass, is not relevant.

Question:

If a Jammer illegally touches an opponent as she passes her is that always a major penalty?

Answer:

No, part of the job of officiating Women’s Flat Track Derby is determining how much of the illegal contact impacted the outcome that occurred.  If the illegal contact did not cause the Jammer to pass the opposing skater (i.e. she would have passed without the illegal contact), it will be a minor penalty and the pass will NOT be considered legal.  In this situation the Jammer will not earn a point or credit towards earning Lead Jammer.  If the illegal contact allows the Jammer to pass the opposing skater, it will be a major penalty, the Jammer will go immediately to the penalty box and no point nor legal pass toward Lead Jammer will be awarded.

Question:

What is the metric for determining a clockwise block?

Answer:

The metric for determining a clockwise block is measured by the direction of the skates moving past a line perpendicular to the track boundaries.

Question:

It is illegal to block and counterblock while out of bounds, but is it illegal to firmly receive a hit?

Answer:

Players can firmly absorb a hit, but cannot counterblock while out of bounds.  When a player is hit, her actions beyond keeping upright and skating are considered counterblocking.

Question:

If a player’s mouthguard accidentally falls out of her mouth during game play is that considered removal of safety equipment (a major penalty) or equipment malfunction (no penalty)?  What if a player is adjusting the position of her mouthguard, should that be a penalty?

Answer:

If a players’ mouthguard accidentally falls out of her mouth during game play that should be treated as an equipment malfunction.  No penalty should be given and the player can resume play as soon as she fixes the malfunction.  A major penalty should be issued when the player removes her mouthguard, even if it is only half removed.  A player who adjusts the position of her mouthguard should not be penalized.