Myths about OSDA
There are many myths about OSDA out there and thanks to the Richmond Derby Demons for debunking them. You can view the list of myths here.
If you are an OSDA member league or team do you have to play only by OSDA rules?
No. You can play by any ruleset you like, the only caveat being that only games played by OSDA rules with certified referees will be ranked for official rankings and tournament placement.
If you are not an OSDA member league or team can you play by OSDA rules?
Sure! Be our guest. Give them a try and see how you like them. There are OSDA member leagues that will scrimmage you or help you try those rules out.
Why don’t you call your games bouts?
Games have always been called games in Roller Derby since the 1930s, so we’ll stick with that.
Why don’t you “Pass the Star”?
The OSDA skates a game with rules taken from the Roller Derby Banked Track rules. Passing the star was never done in Roller Derby, Banked Track games. The Pivot was always permitted to go out on a jam once the opposing teams/or the Pivot’s own jammer started the jam. They did so without having to pass the star,or in the banked track game, exchange their helmets, as they did not wear covers over their helmets. It is the OSDA’s belief that this adds to a more defensive game, because now you have two positions that are possible scoring players. This leads to having to have the Pivots keep a good eye and check on each other to keep one another from breaking out of the pack to score. The OSDA just feels it is more along the lines of they way “Old School Roller Derby” was played.
When does the Pivot Becomes Lead Jammer?
There is no set distance a Pivot must be out of the pack to become a jammer. Just as there is no set distance the trailing/secondary jammer may become the “Lead Jammer”. For the Pivot, it is once he/she breaks from the pack, ie, one stride from the pack and he/she can be a Jammer once that opposing Jammer has broken from the pack. If they are “dumped”,sorry old school term, blocked fall down or are knocked out of bounds, they would still be concidered a Jammer. Even if they are caught up to within the 20 foot distance in front of the pack, slowed down enough for the pack to catch
up to them and then he/she is returned to the pack, they would still have been concidered a Jammer.
For the secondary Jammer to over Lead Jammer status, all that jammer must be is passed the Lead Jammer. It could be one stride, one hip, a shoulder ahead. For my part, I don’t change Lead Jammer status unless it is one stride ahead of the skater. Lead changes are usually very fast on a jam, as our jammers are encouraged to block each other while on a Jam since they have everything to gain by being Lead Jammer. In the pack while both are scoring points, then I go with the shoulder, hip and even skate if it’s close…more a judgement call, which I think it still would be if a set distance was in place. It could/would lead to a number of arguements, “he/she wasn’t 5 feet in front of the jammer”,”my team’s jammer was still Lead Jammer” etc. That’s why I let the Jammer referee who has lead Jammer stop the jam when their Jammer puts the hands on the hips to call off the jam. Hope that I gave you the answer you were looking for and not confuse you.
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Co-Ed Games
When the SheDevils/Hooligans have a co-ed game there is an equal number of men and women on each team. There is however no limit as to how many of each sex from one team are allowed on the track at a time. The SheDevils and Hooligans train together. They skate against each other in our practice times, 5 girls against 5 guys, so when a co-ed game is skated the girls have no problems with the guys being on the track as the same time. Okay, strategy time, you have 30 seconds between jam to field a team of 5 skaters, wait until last seconds to get your team out, just make sure they are on the track and ready to go when the referee blows the whistle to start the jam…..change your jammer last second if the guy/girl on your team is faster than opposing jammer, but still remember, has to be done before the whistle starts the jam or you could be cut short a jammer, then the Pivot has to take the jam once the opposing jammer has broke the pack.
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