History of Roller Derby

Roller derby’s roots date back to creator Leo Seltzer in 1935 when he put teams of skaters on a banked track for a very long race. As the game developed, it consisted of predetermined outcomes and staged violence, that lasted well into the 1970’s, notably with the San Francisco Bay Bombers. Thereafter, roller derby was in complete decline until the late 1990s when the Texas Roller Girls began what is now called the Flat Track Revolution. Roller derby today, whether played on a flat or banked track, is a true athletic competition where the skaters with the best strategy, track awareness and team inclusion win.

Banked tracks still exist, though rare, are large and expensive pieces of equipment, costly to store and maintain. If you ever have the chance to watch a banked track bout, they are just as exciting. Nonetheless, without the invention of the flat track, which can be set up on just about any surface using rope and duct tape, modern roller derby would not be what it is today. Currently there are an estimated 1,200 independent grass roots leagues in the world, mostly flat track. Flood Water is proud to be one of these leagues.

If you are interested in watching one of our games, check out our “Events” page. If you think Roller Derby could be the sport for you browse our “Get Involved” Page for more information.

Roller Derby Positions:

• Jammer – 1 per team
  • Person who races the track and collects points

• Pivot – 1 per team
  • Person who can take Jammer position if Jammer is unable to break through the opposing team blockers. Acts as a blocker until panty swap is made.

• Blocker – 3 per team
  • – Persons blocking the opposing Jammer from leaving the Pack and earning additional points.

FWRD plays by WFTDA Rules for all of our bouts, so we think its only appropriate to use WFTDAs training material. Please visit the WFTDA page for more information.

If you’re a visual learner and a video would be more helpful. Watch the video below.