Roller Derby Dictionary/The Sore Ass

Patient Offence, Passive Offence

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 15:26:10 +0100

Passive Offence

Normally associated with the Power Jam, the passive offence sees the team with the jammer on track remaining as stationary as possible, while the penalty killing team try to hold the jammer as long as possible before either they run out of engagement zone or there is a no pack.

Patient Offence

See Passive Offence

Perma-Goat

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 17:39:00 +0100

Thanks to http://www.derbylife.com/articles/2013/04/permagoat for giving me this new one to use:

Perma-Goat

The blocker that seems to be always the one behind the wall of opposing blockers controlling pack speed. See Goat

Sur5al

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 20:34:09 +0000

Sur5al

sur5al is a form of roller derby played to WFTDA rules but with some notable exceptions.

It is played by many teams at the same time;
teams consist of only 5 players;
teams face off against each other for 1 jam. A team picks up 3 points for a win, 1 for a drawn jam, but their are also points awarded for gaining lead jammer in that jam.
teams play each other a number of times, and at the end the team with the most points wins.
If a player fouls out then that team skates short for the rest of the tournament.

Minjury

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 13:29:00 +0000

A roller derby related injury to a female skater’s lady-parts. - see Skate Rape

Submitted by Geek Le Chic

The Dictionary...Finally Updated!

Fri, 12 Oct 2012 14:06:00 +0100

Ok so this took a lot longer than planned but I finally got round to putting all of the defined terms onto the dictionary page for the first time since I initially started it.

You can find all the defined terms here: http://rollerderbydictionary.tumblr.com/Dictionary

As always, if you spot a definition that could be improved please let me know.

I am also going to start looking for appropriate images, Gifs and videos to illustrate some of the entries. if you see something which would help to demonstrate one of the terms please send it to me.

Leopards, Runts and Queens of the Track

Thu, 11 Oct 2012 10:37:08 +0100

Some new Entries to the Dictionary. Keep sending your suggestions over to keep the RDD minions busy.

9 Month Injury
Pregnancy…

Leopard

recurring theme amongst UK Refs. The use of Leopards is not specifically outlawed in the WFTDA or MRDA rulesets and so it was posed by Southern Discomforts Sutton Impact that he would bring a leopard to MERDC to help him jam… Now any serious rules discussion amongst UK Refs will include a reference to leopards.

Not Lead
A Jammer without Lead Jammer Status

Queen of the Track
Drill/Game. There are many variations of this game however the main theme is that players attempt to put each other down or out of bounds. Once a player is down or out they are out of the game. The last skater left in is declared queen of the track.

Runt
See Goat

Short Forward
Plate mounting style. A plate shorter than the boot is mounted forward on the boot so that the rear wheels are under the arch of the foot.

Derby Slang

Thu, 04 Oct 2012 13:30:26 +0100

bkspidey:

Is their a blog dedicated to explaining derby slang?

If not, someone should start one.

Yes, Yes there is…

obi-one-kenobi-nil: rollerderbyordie: The basics of Roller...

Mon, 03 Sep 2012 16:55:45 +0100

obi-one-kenobi-nil:

rollerderbyordie:

The basics of Roller Derby for family and friends with those confused looks at their first bout.

“Oh, isn’t there a ball involved?” NO! IDIOT!

For the 12 people who have asked me wtf roller derby is.

A Rather Fine Example we think!

Bus Queues, Cake Sales and School Chair Skittles

Tue, 21 Aug 2012 12:08:00 +0100

Today I am going to look at some interesting and amusing terminology surrounding the place every skater hates to spend time, the Penalty Box.

Bus Queue
A penalty box with a number of skaters sitting and standing at the same time, resembling a group of potential passengers awaiting the arrival of the Number 32.

Cake Sale
A period of increased activity at the Sin Bin. When lots of players are being sent to the box in the same jam. “The blue team blockers are heading to the bin like they have half price cake on sale…”

School Chair Skittles
The act of scattering the penalty box chairs in an overzealous attempt at getting into the box quickly.

Update to "Jumping the Apex"

Mon, 20 Aug 2012 12:27:48 +0100

Mystery Referee said ‘As a ref, I feel the clarification “and doesn’t hit anyone on the other team.” should be added. Because if she does, then we must sacrifice her to the box. At least by the currently-in-use WFTDA rules.’

Our striped minions here have checked the WFTDA rulebook and decided that the clarification doesn’t need to specify “other team” as the rules for Misconduct don’t specify that it has to be contact with an opposing skater.

Jumping the Apex

A move where the skater cuts the inside of the track by jumping over it. A move which is legal as long as the skater jumps from in-bounds, lands in-bounds and does not make contact with any other skaters in the process.

Hello to All the New People and Some Suggestions

Wed, 15 Aug 2012 13:48:00 +0100

So, I decided to start inviting people via the good old medium of facebook and what do you know, followers!

Straight away I had some suggestions for entries to the dictionary from the lovely Freddie Fraggles who put these beauties forward for entry.

Rollin’ News
UK & Ireland roller derby news website, most notably featuring scores from every bout every weekend.

Team Zebra Fan Club
Appreciation society for all fans of roller derby officials

And some extra entries from the Roller Derby Dictionary research minions:

Hit It and Quit It
Scoring 1 pass and then calling the jam off before the opposing jammer can get through the pack.

PegAssist
An Assist where one player stands on their toe stops and whips a teammate around themselves over out of bounds area of the track.

This Is How I Roll
Film. 2012 film detailing the rise of Mens Roller Derby, and following New York Shock Exchange (NYSE)

The Commish
Jerry Seltzer - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Seltzer

Also the main Dictionary page is in the middle of being updated with all the newer entries so please bear with me while I beat the scribe minions into action…

New and Updated Entries

Fri, 10 Aug 2012 10:48:06 +0100

Whoops! So I thought I had posted these ages ago but have just found the draft of it in the hands of a minion. The said minion has been locked into a referee kit bag for a week as a punishment.

I have to throw a massive shout out to Bob Noxious for a lot of the following entries and clarifications. If you have never heard of Bob Noxious, he is one of the founders of the AFTDA and a much respected announcer.

Updated Entries

B2, B3, B4

Terms for the blocker positions. B4 is normally the big hitter that hangs about at the back to kill jammers - This differs from coach to coach and some opt for and older school system of P(pivot), B1, B2,B3.

Merby

Mens Roller Derby - This term is falling out of favour with a lot of mens leagues now and some mens leagues see it as a derogatory term.

Sheriff Block

Another name for the Can Opener - It’s a move made famous by Helen Wheels, one of the sport’s early skaters who played with AZRD. AZRD’s travel team is the Tent City Terrors, a band of prisoner’s on the lam. AZRD often skated under different names for inter-league than league play. Helen was dressed as the Sheriff on the lam with the prisoners and their go to jammer. Her skate name on the Terrors was “Sheriff Shutyopieo,” sounding like Sheriff Shut Your Pie Hole. She was the first to use the move in inter-league play and the name “Sheriff” stuck. (Thanks to Bobby Nox for this explanation!)

Sit Block

A booty block where the blocker in front sits back into the lap of the player(normally a jammer) behind them in order to slow them down and stop them getting past. Once slowing down the opposing jammer, the blocker squats down farther, protruding her booty into the jammer behind her. This “butt in the gut” allows the blocker to literally stall and move the jammer at will.

New Entries

Fat Controller

A wall where one player skates backwards in front of the wall and physically directs the rest of the wall with pushes and pulls.

Bearing Press

A tool used to insert bearings into wheels. Often they can be used to remove bearings from wheels.

Bridge

A blocker who is extending the engagement zone by skating as far away from the rest of the blockers while still being part of the pack.

Derby Deeds

Podcast.

DerbySkinz

Clothing company specialising in apparel for Roller Derby

Disco

A form of transition.

DNN

Derby News Network. A website dedicated to streaming coverage of Roller Derby Bouts

Duck Walk

A method of accelerating on skates. The feet are placed at 45 degree angles to the body(making a v shape in front of the skater) and then the skater starts stepping forward.

Durometer

A rating for wheels or bushings. Relates to the Shore Hardness scale. As a general rule the lower the number the softer and therefore grippier the wheel. Derby wheels generally sit in the range of 80A - 105A. For more in depth info see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shore_durometer

FiveOnFive

Roller Derby Magazine

Gaskets

Extra padding usually worn beneath the knee or elbow pads.

Jumping the Apex

A move where the skater cuts the inside of the track by jumping over it. A move which is legal as long as the skater jumps from in-bounds and lands in-bounds.

Lanes

Imaginary lanes on a derby track. Used by some coaches/blockers in training and drills.

Panty Slide

see Baseball Slide.

RollerCon

Annual Roller Derby Convention

Scrum

A rugby style scrum of players. Usually seen during the jam line start tactic where all the blockers are huddled together with the jammers fighting to get through.

Skater Tot

See Fresh Meat

Slalom

To move side to side by altering the angle of the skates like a slalom skier.

Toe Stop Start

A method of accelerating by running on the toe stops of the skates.

Giner Shiner

A bruise of the crotch caused by falling on a skate. See Skate Rape

Butt to the Gutt

See Sit Block

Mens Derby Coalition

the original name of the mens derby governing body. It was officially changed in 2011 to Mens Roller Derby Association.

The Flying Squirrel

an egregious foul where one skater takes down an opponent by leaving her feet and generally tackling the opponent. This foul, if seen, leads to expulsion.

Dangle Derby

See Merby

Self Assist

a blocker or jammer usually hip whipping themselves off a teammate to pass opponents.

Spearing

Leading into a block helmet first

RDAC

Roller Derby Association of Canada

Rule 1

Don’t be a Douchebag! - See No Douchebag Rule

Original Dust Devil

WFTDA’s first event, held February 24-26, 2006 at Bladeworld in Tucson, AZ. It served as the first National Championship, crowning the Texacutioners the sport’s first national champs who defeated the hosting Tucson Saddletramps. It was also the first public use of standardized rules, WFTDA 1.0. It was played by 20 teams:

AZRD - Arizona Roller Derby

Assassination City Derby - Dallas

Atlanta Rollergirls

Bay Area Derby Girls

Carolina Rollergirls - Raleigh

Dallas Derby Devils

Duke City Derby - albuquerque, NM

Gotham Girls Roller Derby

Houston Roller Derby

Kansas City Roller Warriors

Mad Rollin’ Dolls (Madison, WI)

Minnesota Roller Girls (St. Paul, MN)

Providence Roller Derby - RI

Rat City Rollergirls - Seattle, WA

Rocky Mountain Rollergirls - Denver

Rose City Rollers - Portland

Sin City Rollergirls - Las Vegas

Texas Rollergirls - Austin, TX

Tucson Roller Derby - Tucson, AZ (host)

Windy City Rollers (Chicago)

Your finish in this tournament served as the intial rankings, upon which we’ve voted on and assigned based on playoff tournaments ever since.

The tournament name has been used by Tucson, however, the original Dust Devil was the only time it served as the National Championship Tournament. There were no Regional Tournaments. Teams qualified if they had two public bouts

Yoga Starts

Term given to a line of kneeling blockers trying to cover the entire width of the track at the jam line.

The First Men's European Roller Derby Championship (MERDC)

Tue, 31 Jul 2012 11:09:00 +0100

So this weekend saw history made as the 1st Men’s European Roller Derby Championship was held in Birmingham, England. The Roller Derby Dictionary had a team of researchers there eagerly writing down new expressions as they were coined and even listened in as El Toupee, Russell Banned, Bulldog and Sven WillIBeFamous discussed the finer points of Unicornism…

Here is the first of the updates from MERDC about this very point.

Unicorn
5 Grand Slams in a row(or a 25 - 29 point jam). Named after the mythical creature of legend.

Golden Unicorn
6 Grand Slams in a row(or a 30 - 34 point jam).

Platinum Unicorn
7 Grand Slams in a row(or a 35 -39 point jam).

Diamond Unicorn
8 Grand Slams in a row(or a 40 - 44 point jam).

Rainbow Unicorn
10 Grand Slams in a Row(or any jam scoring over 50 points).

Just on the subject of Grand Slams, Here’s a variation of the Grand Slam.

Natural Grand Slam
A Grand Slam where the jammer lap point is gained by lapping the jammer on track and not from a NOTT point/Ghost Point.

The Roller Derby Dictionary wouldn’t be complete without an entry for the MERDC so here it is:

MERDC
The Men’s European Roller Derby Championships. First held at the Futsal Arena, Birmingham, England on the weekend on 28th/29th July 2012. The first winners were Southern Discomfort Roller Derby.

Carpet Munch

Thu, 28 Jun 2012 13:59:00 +0100

Taking a spill while in gear but not on the track. Example: “She skated through the living room but had a carpet munch when the carpet tripper her up.”

Submitted by Tumbl Weed

Zebra Herd, Assemble!: A Reminder to All Skaters:

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 15:36:25 +0100

Zebra Herd, Assemble!: A Reminder to All Skaters::

fuckyeahrollerderbyzebra:

When a referee makes a call.

We ARE NOT:

Commenting on how well/poorly you skate.

Judging intent on your actions.

Saying you do things wrong.

Saying you are wrong.

Saying you’re a bad person.

Wishing harm on you or your family.

Commenting on how well/poorly you executed whatever action.

However, we ARE:

Bleacher Creatures - The Credit for Submission

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 12:09:00 +0000

Handsome Joe Hanson with the Crime City Rollers of Malmö,Sweden got in touch to tell me that it was himself that submitted the “Bleacher Creatures” entry.

He tells me that he used this while in Glasgow which can only lead me to believe that he has met Glasgows very own Helliverance. Star of “Shit Roller Derby Announcers Say”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVZoBQ9gSEM&feature=g-user-u&context=G2d0c69cUCGXQYbcTJ33Ysv8lfzegUNaI-FymNu8nLamswGJUZ2hk

New Entries!!!

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 13:48:23 +0000

Firstly let me apologise for not posting any entries in AAAAAGES!. I won’t let it happen again.

Secondly let me apologise to the 2 people that submitted entries for “Bleacher Creatures” and “Soul Crush”. I wanted to edit these to attribute them to you but once I clicked to publish them it stopped telling me who you were… And Now onto some new entries!

Scrimmage
A practice of gameplay. Normally abbreviated to Scrim

Alternate
One of the designated people allowed to speak to the Referees during a bout.

Gotham Web
A wall where the blockers reach out and touch either the hips or shoulders of the other blockers in the wall creating a web of legs and arms

CannonBalling
Throwing a Team mate into the path of an opposing player. See “Punish the Bullet, Not the Gun”

Punish the Bullet, Not the Gun
Phrase used by refs to explain who picks up a penalty if a CannonBalled player commits a foul as a result of being thrown/assisted.

25 in 5
The Minimum Skill Requirement of skating 25 laps of the track in under 5 minutes.

Winning the Afterparty
Out dancing or out drinking the opposing team at the afterparty

bleacher creatures

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 13:44:00 +0000

The wonderful fans! A term particularly useful on a Halloween Bout as is “ghost points”.I did not make this up but read it on a forum somewhere .

Sorry I lost the name of the person that contributed this. If you’re out there let me know who you are…

Soul Crush

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 13:44:00 +0000

SOUL CRUSH.

The Soul Crush refers to a move where a blocker knocks an opposing jammer or blocker (depending on the situation) out of bounds and then the blocker skates backwards on the track forcing the opposing player to either skate back to re-enter behind him or take the track cut penalty. When it is the opposing jammer that is knocked out of play, a smart pack will all start to skate backwards in the hopes that a less-experienced pack will also skate backwards. This happens quite a bit and is amazing to see executed well. The name refers to the fact that you are crushing the soul of your opponent.

Sorry I lost the name of the person that contributed this. If you’re out there let me know who you are…

New Year - New Entries!

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 16:04:31 +0000

Happy new year from me, Professor Dick Shonary and my team of troglodyte derby dictionary archivists.

The new year sees some more gems unearthed to be added to the dictionary.

2 More Jams
There is never a last jam in a scrimmage. There is always one more. This comes from a superstition that if there is ever a last jam someone will be injured. “It’s 21:29 and we have to pack up at 21:30, 2 More Jams then!”.

Bench Manager
Each team is allowed to have extra personnel in the bench area during a bout. These are normally the bench manager and the lineup manager. The Bench manager is in charge of the tactics for the team and shouting advice to the players on track. The Bench manager is normally also the Alternate and so can query or challenge rules and decisions made during play.

Boutmas Eve
The night before a bout when all good rollergirls get excited and go to bed early so that bout day comes quicker.

Fearleader
The roller derby equivalent of a cheerleader in other sports. Same deal - Team colours, Pom poms but way more attitude.

Helmet Tapper
A jam where one jammer is continually lapping the other. From the tapping of the wrist guard against the helmet of the Jam Ref whenever his jammer is being lapped. “This jam is turning into a real helmet tapper marty…”

Jeerleader
See Fearleader

Lineup Manager
The lineup manager is in charge of sending the right players out onto track at the right time in the right positions. See also Bench Manager

Skate Out
The introduction of the teams to the crowd. Some skateouts are simple with the team skating in a pack and as their name is called by the announcer they give a wave. Some are super elaborate and involve glow sticks, flags, custom costumes and laser light shows. Normally accompanied by the teams chosen theme song.

Swimming
Pulling yourself through a pack of players using a swimming motion. Often a Newbie thing that leads to many a forearms penalty.