During a Junior Roller Derby bout there are many people involved both on and off of the track. The illustration below provides a representation of the players and officials that will typically be found on the track during active play. Depending on the number of available referees and nsos the numbers of each could be fewer through a combination of responsibilities, or greater by breaking down responsibilities for some of the positions.
To begin with, lets take a look at the players that would be found on the track provided there is nobody currently in the penalty box. They are, for each team:
- 1 Jammer – the player with the STAR on their helmet
- 1 Pivot – the player with the STRIPE on their helmet
- 3 Blockers
As we move into the discussion about Referee and NSO positions, please realize that these are based on optimal numbers of staff available. When numbers are less than optimal, some positions may be combined.
Now lets take a look at the Referee crew. They include:
- 1 Head Referee Role usually combined with Rear IPR as one person
- 2 IPRs (Inside Pack Referees) – Front and Rear
- 2 JAM Referees (1 for each team)
- 3 OPRs (Outside Pack Referees) – Front, Middle, and Rear
And finally, there are the Non-Skating Officials (NSOs). NSO positions encompass both on and off track roles. Among those you will find the following, on track:
- 1 Head NSO
- 1 JAM Timer
- 2 Penalty-Lineup Trackers
Along with the on-track officials, you will typically find the following off-track NSO’s that are also a key part of the game:
- 1 Scoreboard Operator
- 2 Score Trackers (one for each team)
- 1 Penalty Box Manager
- 2 Penalty Box Timers (one for each team)
Now that we have established the player positions on the track, the officials on the track, and those officials off the track in support of the bout, you might be asking yourself, “What Next?”. In answer to that question, there are a lot of ways I could take it from here. With that said, let me see if I can lay out the direction I will be taking. Future articles and their sequence will follow the path I have outlined below:
- Player positions and general responsibilities for playing the game
- Referee positions and general responsibilities for controlling the game
- NSO positions and general responsibilities
- General rule categories and penalties
- The Flow of the Game (Putting it all together)
- JAMs
- Engagement Zone
- Scoring Points
- Penalty Process
- Types of games
- Tournaments
- Sanctioned vs Non-sanctioned
- Mashups
- Scrimmages
- Junior Roller Derby Association (JRDA)
- Team Charters
- Committees
As this series of articles progresses, there may, and probably will be changes to what I have listed above. It is my intention to build this series of articles so that they may eventually be put together as a complete introduction to what Junior Roller Derby is all about. Where it is as a sport for our young people. How to understand it as a parent, spectator, and possible future official.