Sanctioning Policy
Sanctioning Information and Documents
For WFTDA Member Leagues
The WFTDA Sanctioning Policy outlines the requirements for WFTDA-sanctioned and Strength Factor Challenge games and tournaments to count towards WFTDA Rankings points. Failure to meet the requirements outlined in this document could result in sanctioning being rescinded from a game and loss of game eligibility for WFTDA Rankings points (updated June 2020).
Downloadable Version
WFTDA Sanctioning Policy (English)
WFTDA Sanctioning Policy (Deutsch)
Important COVID-19 Requirements
Any league participating in a WFTDA-sanctioned game is required to indicate that they have completed the recommended process to reach Tier 4 of the WFTDA COVID-19 Guidelines to Return to Roller Derby (document available on the new WFTDA Higher Logic community for Skater Representatives). League administrators must indicate their Tier status in the WFTDA Member Portal and the individual submitting sanctioning, or approving sanctioning as a visiting league, must certify this status when submitting the sanctioning application. The WFTDA Sanctioning Committee will review the status of all participating leagues before approving the sanctioning application. Should a league not appropriately represent the COVID-19 status of their locality to their league members, to other leagues or participants, or to WFTDA, the WFTDA Code of Conduct will be enforced.
Definitions
Sanctioning a game is registering the game with the WFTDA Sanctioning Committee for the purpose of obtaining WFTDA Ranking game points.
A WFTDA-sanctioned game is a game played between two WFTDA Member Charter Teams for the purpose of obtaining WFTDA Ranking game points. The game must be played according to the following policies with no deviations:
- The Rules of Flat Track Roller Derby
- WFTDA Officiating Cues, Codes, and Signals
- WFTDA Officiating Procedures for The Rules of Flat Track Roller Derby
- WFTDA Risk Management Guidelines
- WFTDA Charter Policy
- WFTDA Forfeit Policy
- WFTDA Expulsion and Suspension Policy
- All games and uniforms requirements listed in this document
A regulation game is a game played according to The Rules of Flat Track Roller Derby, the WFTDA Officiating Cues, Codes, and Signals, and the WFTDA Officiating Procedures for The Rules of Flat Track Roller Derby with no deviations. All leagues holding WFTDA Insurance or insurance policies with reciprocity with WFTDA Insurance must adhere to the WFTDA Risk Management Guidelines. These guidelines are recommended for all other play.
A Strength Factor Challenge (SFC) game is an unsanctioned game that a lower-ranked charter team (Challenging Team) schedules versus a higher-ranked charter team (Opponent Team) in order to attempt to temporarily increase its strength factor in the WFTDA Rankings Calculator. An SFC game must meet all the requirements of WFTDA-sanctioned games but has additional requirements per the WFTDA Rankings Policy. For information on this program and how to apply, see the Strength Factor Challenge Program section of the Rankings Policy.
A tournament or multi-game event, for the purpose of sanctioning, consists of at least three WFTDA-sanctioned or SFC games between three charter teams. There does not need to be a “winner” of the event.
Application Requirements
In order to sanction games for WFTDA Rankings, leagues must submit a game sanctioning application and meet certain standards in order for the game to count toward rankings. Game applications are submitted via the WFTDA Dashboard. See “Tournaments and Multi-Game Events” (below) for tournament sanctioning.
Should a league fail to meet the requirements set forth in this section, sanctioning for the game could be revoked and the game will not count toward WFTDA Rankings.
Responsible Party
Only a WFTDA Member may sanction a game. If a non-WFTDA Member or event organizer is hosting the game, then one of the WFTDA Member Leagues competing in the event may act as the host for the purpose of sanctioning the event.
Tournaments and Multi-Game Events
Events that qualify for sanctioning as tournaments or multi-game events per the definition in this policy may submit the Tournament Sanctioning application to sanctioning@wftda.com, rather than sanction each game individually.
Bracket-Style Tournaments
A bracket-style tournament is one in which some of the game matchups are determined based on game results from initial round(s) of the tournament.
Unless told otherwise, the WFTDA Sanctioning Committee will sanction all games in which two member leagues are scheduled to play or potentially could play. Once game results are submitted, WFTDA will cancel the sanctioning of any bracket games that did not end up being eligible for WFTDA rankings.