The Deal
Bout: The name of the game. We don’t have games or matches. We have
bouts. Got it? Good. A bout consists of three 20-minute periods played
between two teams. The team with the most points at the end wins.

Jam: Each period is broken down into a series of plays called “jams,” which
can last up to two minutes.

Pack: The group of skaters on the track, minus the jammers, is referred to as
“the pack.”


The Players
Pivot: Sets the pace for the pack and is her team’s last line of defense.
She wears the helmet with the stripe.

Blocker: Tries to stop the opposing team’s jammer and makes life difficult
for opposing blockers.

Jammer: Scores points by tearing through the pack and passing members
of the opposing team. She wears the helmet with the star.


The Gist Of It
The pack consists of one pivot from each team in the front and three blockers
from each team in the middle. One jammer from each team lines up 20 feet
behind the pack. On the first whistle, the pack takes off. On the second
whistle, the jammers blast off and fight their way through the pack in an
attempt to become “lead jammer.” A jammer must legally make it through the
pack (no fouling or stepping out of bounds) in order to become lead jammer,
which means that sometimes the second jammer through can be lead
jammer. The lead jammer can call off the jam at her discretion by placing her
hands on her hips. If neither jammer legally makes it through the pack, there is
no lead jammer, and the jam will last the full two minutes. Once a jammer
initially makes it through the pack, she can begin scoring points by lapping the
pack and re-entering. She earns a point for each member of the opposing
team that she legally passes her second time through the pack.