The Women's Flat Track Derby Association in April announced the league would be testing a new beta rule set in which minors were eliminated from the game.
As both a coach and referee, I wanted to reserve judgment until I had an opportunity to watch a test bout. Thank god for DVDs.
I just got my package of East Coast Extravaganza 2011 DVDs from Blaze Streaming Media Blazing Media Promotions.
I finished watching the WCR-MTL bout last night, which was under the standard rule set.
Upon starting the WCR-Charm bout, I realized it was under the Beta Test rules with no minors and it's definitely interesting.
The obvious impact is minor elbows, back blocks, etc., that have low impact to gameplay aren't called.
This gives jammers a lot more freedom to skate without worrying about picking up her fourth minor. The jammer rotations remain set, unless a short rotation needs a rest.
The second major impact is what constitutes a cutting penalty.
Under the standard rule set if a skater passes two or more skaters, or the fore-most blocker, (regardless of color) the offending player will be assessed a major penalty and directed to the box.
Only cutting one player, regardless of team, will earn a skater a minor penalty.
Under the No Minors Beta Test, a player may pass one friendly player while skating out of bounds without being assessed a penalty. However passing two players of any color, or one player of the opposing team, will result in a major penalty.
In the WCR-Charm bout, jammers are constantly forced to recycle to the back of the pack, to keep from taking a major penalty.
As a coach, it would be nice to not have to worry about minor penalties. I'm usually the point person for checking minors and deciding whether to draw an intentional fourth minor or bench a player because of minors.
From a ref's perspective, not having the extra whiteboard and personnel in the center would free up lots of space in the middle. Also WFTDA rules are generally designed to promote the safety of the sport. Misconduct, Blocking to the Head and Direction of Gameplay are all rules designed to keep skaters safe.
If WFTDA was to remove minors from the rules then it would allow the higher-level teams would be allowed to play without worrying about picking up penalties that minimally affect gameplay.
I do think the minors help keep lower-level players safe, holding skaters to a high accountability for things that could escalate into grosser penalties.
The Beta Test isn't necessarily a guarantee WFTDA will remove minors from the rule set. Instead, these games give the organization a greater awareness of the play level and impact certain rules and sub-rules have on the game.
They could as easily Beta Test a clockwise-skating rules set.
Friday's second game of Uproar on the Lakeshore pitted North Central darlings, the Minnesota Roller Girls, against the third seed from the east, Charm City, in a game where Charm started establishing their dominance at the start-stop pack control early on.
Charm's Joy Collision, No. 747 lined up on the jammer line against MNRG's No. 91, Suzie Smashbox. Neither jammer would earn lead, but the Charm City defense held Smashbox to just three scoring passes, while Joy picked up four with a 10-16 point spread.
Minnesota would fail to earn lead in the next four jams, but kept the point spread close, keeping it within six points, 21-27, with 20:49 left in the first half.
L'exi Cuter, Scarmen Hellectra and Psycho Novia would pick up the heavy lifting to pull Minnesota back in the lead, earning lead in the next three jams, picking up 5, 4-1, and 4 scoring passes respectively.
However Hellectra would be sent to the box for a block to the back and Charm's Just Carol capitalized on the power jam, earning lead and scoring 19 points, 1 point short of four grand slams because of a no pass, no penalty call.
With that effort Charm City pulled back into the lead, 35-52 with 14:17 left in the game.
L'exi Cuter would earn lead again, this time against Alli B. Back, No. T2, but Charm's Mistress May Eye, No. 10, and Rosie the Rioter, No. 100, practically stop L'exi cold on the track, stuffing any chance at multiple scoring passes, forcing L'exi to settle for four points and calling it off.
Killaman Jaro, No. 9, jamming for MNRG would make it through the pack first against No. 1618 I.M. Pain, but get boxed for a fourth minor. Declared "not lead," Pain would pick up three scoring passes for maximum points, earning 15 points for Charm to extend their lead 44-60 with 10:04 remaining in the half.
Minnesota would call a timeout, but unable to make up much of the difference, found themselves trying to claw out of an increasing hole. Minnesota's Smashbox would get boxed in two different jams, one for a major track cut and for picking up her fourth minor. Hellectra would be the only jammer to finish the first half with a multiple scoring passes in the last 10 jams.
Meanwhile Charm picked up five jams with multiple scoring passes in those same jams to end the half with a 58-109 lead.
Penalties and lack of Lead Jammer calls in their favor spelled Minnesota's demise in the first half. Smashbox started in the box wearing the jammer star, exit, and get called back for her fourth minor, and Pain would capitalize, earning lead and picking up a 5-5-5-5 scoring pass.
Minnesota would earn lead three times in eight jams, as Charm picked up the lead and racked up more points or cut into Minnesota's scoring opportunities. With more than 24 minutes remaining in the second half, Charm lead 148-72.
I.M. Pain would pick up lead and 10 points in Jam 12, and Lady Quebaum would add to Charm's score earning lead and 12 points in a 5-4-3 jam, missing two points for a minor cut and a no pass-no penalty.
Charm's defense would continue to execute when called upon, speeding up to keep Minnesota's jammer, declared lead, from earning any points against their Just Carol, who earned 4. Pain would go on to two more multi-scoring passes with lead jammer extending the margin with a 37-3 point differential against her opposing jammer. Holden Grudges jammmed to give Pain a rest between her 37 point run, earning lead and putting up 19 points of her own, helping Charm put the game out of reach for MNRG 237-100 with less than 10 minutes left to play.
Joy Collision blocked L'exi Cuter at the top of the pack, holding her to just 17 points in the last jam of the game. Collision would get boxed for a clockwise block, joining Grudges in Charm City's penalty box, but Minnesota didn't have much of a chance.
Charm won 249-119, advancing to play Rocky Mountain on Day 2 of the championship tournament.
