The Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) has developed and published The Rules of Flat Track Roller Derby under the leadership of the WFTDA Rules Committee comprised of WFTDA and Junior Roller Derby Association (JRDA) members, and with participation and review by WFTDA Member Leagues.WFTDA Member Leagues are required to play by The Rules of Flat Track Roller Derby.
Available in English, Español, Français, and Deutsche in the Current Rules section below.
Current Rules Version – January 1, 2023
The Rules of Flat Track Roller Derby are available in English in digital and printable formats at rules.wftda.com and the links below.
Visit The Rules of Flat Track Roller Derby Website
Download The Rules of Flat Track Roller Derby PDF
Español
La WFTDA ha desarrollado y publicado las Reglas del Flat Track Roller Derby bajo el liderazgo del Comité de Reglas de la WFTDA compuesto por miembros de la WFTDA y Junior Roller Derby Association (JRDA), y con la participación y revisión de las Ligas Miembro de la WFTDA.
Las ligas miembro de la WFTDA deben jugar según las Reglas de Flat Track Roller Derby.
Français
La WFTDA a développé et publié les règles du roller derby sur piste plate sous la direction du comité des règles composé de membres de la WFTDA et Junior Roller Derby Association (JRDA), avec la participation et la vérification de membres de ligues WFTDA.
Les ligues affiliées à la WFTDA doivent jouer selon les règles de Roller Derby sur piste plate et doivent se jouer selon les nouvelles règles.
Deutsche
Die WFTDA hat die Flat-Track Roller-Derby Regeln unter Führung des WFTDA Regel-Komitees, und unter Mitwirkung und Zustimmung von WFTDA Mitgliedsorganisationen, entwickelt und veröffentlicht. Das Komitee setzt sich aus Mitgliedern der WFTDAund Junior Roller Derby Association (JRDA) zusammen.
Vereine können umgehend damit beginnen, die neuen Regeln anzuwenden und müssen sämtliche WFTDA-sanktionierten Spiele nach den neuen Regeln gespielt werden.
Rules Statements & Clarifications
Statements and clarifications on The Rules of Flat Track Roller Derby from the WFTDA Rules Committee to be incorporated in future updates.
Statement on Illegal Holding (Updated)
In 2019, the WFTDA Rules Committee released a public statement regarding illegal holding penalties. The statement read as follows:
The Rules Committee Theory Panel has been monitoring a potential issue over the last two years and feels the time has come to make a public statement providing direction.
The Rules of Flat Track Roller Derby detail a number of ways to legally and illegally block. The Rules cannot exhaustively catalog all possible forms of contact, and there will remain gray areas. However, the absence of a specific prohibition does not implicitly make an action legal. The action must be evaluated in the spirit of the sport and in line with other similar actions.
Legal forms of blocking do not include grasping or holding an opponent even if the contact is made using legal blocking and/or target zones. This illegal hold can take several forms including intentionally trapping an opponent’s arm, or as has been observed in some recent play, encircling an opponent’s leg. The latter of which is a dangerous and unfair tactic. A skater must be able to disengage from a one-on-one block without breaking an opponent’s hold.
It is within the Referees’ discretion to penalize these illegal holds as Unsporting Conduct.
Rules Theory has been made aware of a new blocking tactic which has become popular recently. This move involves the initiator trapping the target’s shoulder between their upper arm and chest. The initiator then presses down on top of the target’s shoulder to complete the block.
While legal blocking and target zones are used in the tactic, the 2019 Rules Committee statement applies to this action. Trapping a target’s shoulder using the upper arm can be considered an illegal hold and would therefore be an Unsporting Conduct penalty. Referees have discretion to penalize for this move.
Additionally, if the initiator exerts downward force to the top of the target’s shoulder, then the initiator of the block should be expelled due to the danger of injuring the target skater. Dropping ones body weight down onto an opponent is dangerous and is a significant physical threat to the opponent.
Discussion: Rules Statement on Illegal Holding (Updated)
en español
Declaración (actualizada) sobre los agarres ilegales
En 2019, el Comité de Reglas de la WFTDA emitió una declaración pública sobre las penalizaciones por agarres ilegales. La declaración rezaba así:
El Panel Teórico del Comité de Reglas lleva dos años monitorizando un posible problema sobre el que ha llegado el momento de hacer una declaración pública orientativa.
Las Reglas de Roller Derby de Pista Plana detallan varias maneras de bloquear de manera legal e ilegal. Las reglas no pueden catalogar en profundidad todas las formas de contacto, y siempre habrá zonas grises. Sin embargo, el que una acción específica no esté prohibida no implica su legalidad. Dicha acción deberá evaluarse según el espíritu del deporte y de acuerdo con otras acciones similares.
Los bloqueos legales no incluyen las acciones en las que se agarre o se retenga a une oponente, incluso si el contacto se lleva a cabo utilizando zonas de bloqueo o de objetivo legales. Un agarre ilegal puede llevarse a cabo de varias maneras, incluyendo atrapar de manera intencionada el brazo de une oponente o ―como se ha visto en partidos recientes― rodear la pierna de une oponente. Esto último es una táctica peligrosa e injusta, ya que cualquier patinadore debe tener la capacidad de desvincularse de un bloqueo de une-contra-une sin tener que soltarse (o romper la unión) de un agarre.
Les réferis tienen discreción para penalizar estos agarres ilegales como conducta antideportiva.
El Panel Teórico ha sido informado de una táctica de bloqueo nueva y de reciente popularización. Para llevarla a cabo, le iniciadore atrapa el hombro de su objetivo entre la parte superior del brazo y el pecho de diche iniciadore, que a continuación presiona el hombro de le oponente hacia abajo para completar el bloqueo.
Aunque la táctica se sirve de zonas de bloqueo y objetivo legales, la declaración de 2019 del Comité de Reglas se aplica en este caso. Atrapar el hombro de une oponente con la parte superior del brazo se puede considerar un agarre ilegal y, por lo tanto, resultar en una falta por conducta antideportiva. Les réferis tienen discreción para penalizar esta acción.
Además, si le iniciadore ejerce presión hacia abajo sobre el hombro de su objetivo, esi iniciadore deberá ser expulsade por el peligro de lesionar a le patinadore objetivo. Dejar caer el propio peso corporal sobre une oponente es peligroso y constituye una amenaza física significativa para le oponente.
Rules Change Summaries
These documents summarize the changes in the various releases of The Rules of Flat Track Roller Derby.
Please note that these are not comprehensive listings of new and changed rules. They are only provided as a convenience to highlight the most significant changes. Skaters, coaches, officials, and fans are encouraged to read through the new rule sets in their entirety.
January 1, 2023 Change Summary
February 15, 2022 Change Summary
- Change Summary for The Rules of Flat Track Roller Derby February 15, 2022
- Line-by-Line Change Details
- Note: The original change summary document erroneously listed a change to section 4.1, adding the words “or maintaining,” which was also included in the Spanish and French translations. Those files were updated to remove the error on March 4, 2022.
January 1, 2020 Change Summary
- Change Summary for The Rules of Flat Track Roller Derby Jan. 1, 2020
- énderungen in den WFTDA Flat Track Roller Derby Regeln in Deutsch Januar 2020
January 1, 2019 Change Summary
- Change Summary for The Rules of Flat Track Roller Derby Jan. 1, 2019
- énderungen in den WFTDA Flat Track Roller Derby Regeln in Deutsch Januar 2019
Note: Previous change summaries are currently located at https://wftda.org/rules/change-summary
Rules Archive
Previous versions of The Rules of Flat Track Roller Derby documents are archived here. Please note that these rule sets are provided for historical purposes only, and should no longer be used. You should always use the latest versions of the rules posted at https://rules.wftda.com.
- The Rules of Flat Track Roller Derby -February 15, 2022 — View the change summary
- The Rules of Flat Track Roller Derby – January 1, 2020 — View the change summary
- The Rules of Flat Track Roller Derby – July 9, 2019 — View the change summary
- The Rules of Flat Track Roller Derby – August 1, 2018
- The Rules of Flat Track Roller Derby – June 30, 2017
- The Rules of Flat Track Roller Derby – January 1, 2015 — View the change summary
- The Rules of Flat Track Roller Derby March 1, 2014 — View the change summary
- The Rules of Flat Track Roller Derby – June 15, 2013 — View the change summary
- The Rules of Flat Track Roller Derby – January 1, 2013 — View the change summary
- 2011 WFTDA Beta Testing Rules Section 6: No Minors
- WFTDA Rules May 26, 2010 — View the change summary
- WFTDA Rules December 1, 2009 — View the change summary
- WFTDA Rules 4.0 (Released April 28, 2009)
- WFTDA Rules 3.1 (Released August 12, 2008)
- WFTDA Rules 3.0 (Released May 20, 2008)
- WFTDA Rules 2.1.1 (Released July 24, 2007)
- WFTDA Rules 2.1 (Released April 3, 2007)
- WFTDA Rules 1.0 (Released January 9, 2006)
Rules Discussion and Support
Submit Feedback/Ask Questions
There are several ways to communicate with WFTDA Rules Committee and to submit feedback and questions.
The WFTDA Online Community has a Rules of Flat Track Derby discussion group where members can post questions and participate in rules discussions with the WFTDA Rules Committee.
Questions may also be submitted via the rules@wftda.com email address.
WFTDA Rules Credits
WFTDA Rules Committee Members
The WFTDA Rules Committee comprises WFTDA elected and appointed members, as well as a Junior Roller Derby Association (JRDA) appointed member on Rules Theory.
Committee Chair
Darth Bling
Theory
Allyn UR Grill – JRDA
Axis of Stevil – Officiating
Matthew Mantsch
Sinnabar
Wednesday Atoms
Ziggy Scardust
Application
Adam Smasher
RawShark
Shebra
Vera Toss – Visuals
Copy/Edit
Panda Scare
Clerks
<position open>
Meeting Facilitators
Richie Cranium
Stray Taco