In the Mile High City, the biggest difference for competitive athletes coming from outside Denver is the altitude.
The lower levels of oxygen can tax the lungs ability to oxygenate the blood, putting even higher demands on the body during times of stress, I.e. Athletic competitions.
Windy City posted a few short videos of a training session in which it's athletes carried weighted backpacks and breathed through straws to simulate the rigors of competing in Denver during the womens Flat Derby Association's 2011 Championship Tournament, Continental Divide and Conquer.
Rumor has it that Gotham Girls Roller Derby spent a week in Denver prior to the start of the tournament, acclimating to the altitude.
Host-league Rocky Mountain will likely have a distinct home-field advantage When they play No. 3 South Central seed Nashville, scheduled for 3:45 p.m. (Mountain) today.
Showing posts with label roller derby. Show all posts
Showing posts with label roller derby. Show all posts
Friday, November 11, 2011
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Windy City All Stars versus Kansas City Roller Warriors
CORRECTION: In Jam 4 of the second half, Windy City captain Jackie Daniels was penalized for an Out of Play Block after a No Pack was called. No further penalties were issued to Daniels. A second Windy City was penalized for Insubordination, but I was unable to determine who it was at the time.
Two regionally ranked No.1 seeds attacked the court at the UIC Pavilion, Chicago, on Saturday, September 10, 2011, in a bout that narrowed a point gap near the end only to disappoint the hometown crowd.
The Windy City All-Stars, ranked No. 1 in the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association’s North Central Region, invited the Kansas City Roller Warriors, No. 1 in WFTDA’s South Central region, back to Chicago for a chance at revenge for KC’s loss the only other time the two teams have met on September 20, 2008.
Kansas City won 111-92 in a bout surely to shape the Derby News Network’s power rankings for October 2011, well after the regional tournament season has started.
The Roller Warriors shaped the opening half with solid pack control and delayed jammer starts, stifling any tempo Windy City could muster despite a late game rally by Chicago.
KC would effectively wall in the back holding back Windy City captain Jackie Daniels, while Kelly Young nabbed lead and a grand slam, calling it before Daniels could enter the engagement zone to score, and setting the tempo for the remainder of the game.
Windy City dug a deeper hole in the second jam trying to get back into the game when Athena DeCrime was directed to the box for a major track cut penalty 0:32 into the jam. Chicago’s pack would answer – thanks to bridging from Sargentina -- holding KC’s Case Closed into the pack until she finally earned lead 1:10 remaining in the jam.
The third jam took the wind out of the Windy City, when Athena De Crime was released from the box, scored two grand slams in a power jam with Hall Balls serving time as the jammer, only to get called on a major Back Block. Daniels, too, was sentenced to 1 minute in the box for an Out of Play Block after a No Pack situation.
The UIC Pavilion crowd of 999 grewwrestles restless as several fans were complaining about missed calls against Kansas City, while lamenting the number of whistles coming in their players’ direction.
Zoe Trocious drew first blood in the Lead Jammer category for Windy City, nabbing lead after Roller Warriors Track Rat was called for a Track Cut. Trocious would not earn any points however, calling the jam with a 0-0 wash.
Despite the heightened anticipation from the crowd, two Official Time Outs were called after back to back jams. Chicagowould try attempted to take advantage of two KC blockers in the box with a knee-down start, but Case Closed would play countered with some jammer defense to free her players from the box to and nullify the WCR pack advantage.
Varla Vendetta managed two trips to the box in Jam 9, giving Hall Balls a significant power jam. Balls would earn three scoring passes at five points apiece.
Chicago calls a timeout with 15:44 remaining in the first half, desperately searching for an answer to their woes. KC took advantage of a power jam and a 4-2 blocker advantage with a knee down start. Kelly Young snagged lead jammer with 1:11 left in the jam. She would pick up 9 more points and call it before a sprung Varla could begin earning points.
With a full-pack, Zoe Trocious, would earn lead and successfully call it with a 3-0 point swing, but not before teammate Yvette YourMaker would head to the box on her Four Minors.
After the third OTO of the first half, KC would jump on the opportunity to yank the momentum from Chicago’s hands. Their back wall, thanks to the help of Eclipse and Bruz-Her, would hold Athena DeCrime in the rear, while jammer Track Rat earned a Jammer Lap Point for 5 on her first scoring pass and 3 points (a pass, 2 Ghost Points) for an 8-0 swing in the Roller Warrior’s favor, 53-15.
YourMaker used excellent defensive positioning to knock Kelly Young Out of Bounds to force a Minor Track Cut; Young opting to come right in rather than yield ran straight into one of her own players , knocking her off balance and crumpling her into an awkward heap, much to the delight of the WCR fans.
Trocious would be the only WCR skater to pick up any more points before heading into the half time, earning Lead Jammer and 4 points against Case Closed. Meanwhile, penalties continued to plague Chicago, with Daniels boxed in two different jams, for a Track Cut in Jam 12 and a Back Block in Jam 17, both times as the Jammer but she would be released before First Half clock would run out.
Jammer DeCrime would also be boxed for a Track Cut in Jam 15.
The halftime score was 78-21 in Kansas City’s favor, lead mostly on their jammers’ ability to earn lead and points while capitalizing on Chicago’s inability to stem the bleeding to the box. Kansas City earned lead 14 times in the first half versus Windy City’s 3 (Zoe Trocious earned 3-0 in all three of her jams, earning her team 7 points for her effort). Even with Lead Jammer, Athena DeCrime was the only Chicago player to make multiple scoring passes, earing two grand slams in Jam 3.
Second half
Down by 57 points, Windy City would storm out of the locker room with Jackie Daniels taking the jammer line for Chicago. Daniels, shaking off her first-half penalty trouble would race through a weakened Kansas City pack (Eve-olution serving time in the penalty box) to pick up 9 points in two scoring passes, thanks to WCR’s defense holding Case Closed in the pack long enough for a Jammer Lap Point.
Wreck N Shrew, too, would respond -- earning lead and four points (which had originally been reported as a 5 point grand slam. Faced with a 13-0 Chicago rally, Kansas City would call a timeout with 27:25 on the clock. A boxed Bork Bork Bork and Deb Autry would give the Roller Warriors the pack advantage, but Varla would still earn five points. Kansas City’s pack work looked sharp in Jam 3 of the second half. Eclipse worked hard at the front of the pack, with some tremendous blocking. KC would answer a Chicago 2-Wall in the front with their own 3-Wall in the back, managing to kill 2 minutes of game clock while only losing a 5-point swing.
Track Rat managed a 10-0 point swing in KC’s favor, despite not clearing the pack on her first pass until a minute-plus of jam clock had ran down. Jackie Daniels exhibiting some fierce blocking at the top of the pack, but get’s called on an Out of Play Block after a No Pack Calland an Insubordination after arguing her case with the referee. A second Windy City player was given an Insubordination penalty, but I couldn't make out to whom the penalty was awarded. I couldn’t tell if she was given a third, because the action happened on the far side (the straightaway between Turns 3 and 4. Unfortunately, a full Windy City box meant Daniels had to remain on the track to await an open seat.
KC Pivot Toto Basketcase displayed sharp positioning tactics holding the front inside line, often holding the opposing jammer back long enough to reabsorb her. With a sixth sense about the pack behind her, she managed to engage the Jammer in the engagement zone, keenly aware of her positioning and not get called on Out of Play penalties.
Varla’s skill in the sixth jam orchestrated a comeback, with the help of a power jam. Track Rat took an intentional fourth minor, and Varal capitalized on a weaker KC pack. Designated Not Lead (due to a minor cut) with 1:46 left in the jam she picked up 3 grand slams before being sent to the box for a High Block Major.
I don’t see jammerless pack starts very often, but penalty hierarchy dictated that both Varla and Jade Lightning had to serve a full minute before being released. Both teams jockeyed for control, hoping to draw the other into penalty trouble or disadvantaged position. Varla would enter the track and earn lead with 0:58 left in the jam, with Lightning not far behind her. Windy City managed to stuff the KC jammer long enough for a grand slam and 2 points on her second scoring pass.
The referees called an Official Time Out with 16:02 left in the game. Windy City’s hopes of pulling out a win rested on the outcome of the next 15 or so minutes. Wreck N Shrew enticed the crowd to get into the game, rallying the fans around her. Harnessing the crowd’s energy Shrew managed to earn 3 points for Windy City, bringing the game to 93-64. WCR was down but not out, and the house was chomping at the bit with the taste of comeback in their mouth.
Another OTO with 14:15 left, KC would pick up a single point, thanks to Track Rat sprinting ahead forcing Lead Jammer Zoe Trocious to call it to quell a drastic point swing in Rat’s favor.
A visibly upset Windy City Co-Captain Ol’ Drrrty Go-Go came out to the infield to personally deliver some choice words to one of the jam refs, but bench coach Justice Feelgood Marshall coaxed her back to the Chicago bench before she got into any trouble.
After successfully poodling Kelly Young in the jam prior, Kansas City would fail to capitalize allowing Zoe Trocious to pick up a 5-5-4 jam after Track Rat was boxed for a Back Block Major. With their opponent’s jammer in the box, Windy City’s pack slowed the pack down to allow Trocious quick passes. She would earn Lead Jammer in 12 seconds, her first five in 30 seconds and her second five in 16 seconds. Time was definitely not on WCR’s side, but their pack work took advantage of what time they had left. The chants for Zoe were deafening.
Kansas called a timeout with 10:13 remaining the gap narrowed to 95-83, and an opportunity for Windy City to take the lead near. Track Rat managed a 2-0 point swing after getting the game clock rolling, Fueled by the chants of Zoe, Trocious answered with a 4-0 jam in the 13th, quickly calling it. Within 10 points, WCR called a timeout with 7:27 game clock remaining. In what appeared to be a lineup mistake, WCR’s pivot Jackie Daniels instead hands her cover to a teammate, and switching into jammer position relieving Wreck N Shrew.
Chicago would take a knee down start but Hall Balls would earn Lead Jammer, beating Jackie out of the pack by a second. Balls nabbed two points before calling it. Young, further complicating things for a Windy City bench, earned lead with a fantastic spinaround move with 1:20 to go in the jam against Trocious, who’s famous footwork and ragdoll juking looked to tire. Kansas City’s pack amazingly plugged the center lanes forcing Trocious into the high-risk inside/outside lanes.
The gap widened to 102-87, YourMaker managed a grandslam against Track Rat, again bringing the score within 10 points, 102-92
Windy City managed a front 3-Wall against KC jammer Balls, as Evolution worked furiously to free her jammer. Balls scored four points for her effort against Deb Autry.
With less than 2 minutes in the game and a 106-92 Kansas City lead, Windy City looked to throw a tired Zoe Trocious on to the track for a Hail Mary. Trocious with a phenomenal game had to be WCR’s go-to player of the night – if anyone could get through the pack cleanly for multiple passes it would have been Zoe.
Kansas City paired her up against veteran jammer Kelly Young. Pitting Experience against the Chicago jammer’s agility paid off for the Roller Warriors, as Young would earn lead with 1:36 left on the jam clock. With a 14 point gap to be mindful of, Young just had to skate clean and make sure Trocious didn’t outscore her. With 40 seconds left in the jam and the game clock experied, Young called the jam with five more points before Trocious could begin scoring.
The Kansas City Roller Warriors improved to 8-1 on the season, heading into the South Central Regional Tournament as the No. 1 seed and holding their ground as the Derby News Network's No. 7 ranked. Windy City All-Stars slip to 10-2 (both losses to higher ranked teams) and heading to the North Central Regional Tournament with their No. 1 seed.
Two regionally ranked No.1 seeds attacked the court at the UIC Pavilion, Chicago, on Saturday, September 10, 2011, in a bout that narrowed a point gap near the end only to disappoint the hometown crowd.
The Windy City All-Stars, ranked No. 1 in the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association’s North Central Region, invited the Kansas City Roller Warriors, No. 1 in WFTDA’s South Central region, back to Chicago for a chance at revenge for KC’s loss the only other time the two teams have met on September 20, 2008.
Kansas City won 111-92 in a bout surely to shape the Derby News Network’s power rankings for October 2011, well after the regional tournament season has started.
The Roller Warriors shaped the opening half with solid pack control and delayed jammer starts, stifling any tempo Windy City could muster despite a late game rally by Chicago.
KC would effectively wall in the back holding back Windy City captain Jackie Daniels, while Kelly Young nabbed lead and a grand slam, calling it before Daniels could enter the engagement zone to score, and setting the tempo for the remainder of the game.
Windy City dug a deeper hole in the second jam trying to get back into the game when Athena DeCrime was directed to the box for a major track cut penalty 0:32 into the jam. Chicago’s pack would answer – thanks to bridging from Sargentina -- holding KC’s Case Closed into the pack until she finally earned lead 1:10 remaining in the jam.
The third jam took the wind out of the Windy City, when Athena De Crime was released from the box, scored two grand slams in a power jam with Hall Balls serving time as the jammer, only to get called on a major Back Block. Daniels, too, was sentenced to 1 minute in the box for an Out of Play Block after a No Pack situation.
The UIC Pavilion crowd of 999 grew
Zoe Trocious drew first blood in the Lead Jammer category for Windy City, nabbing lead after Roller Warriors Track Rat was called for a Track Cut. Trocious would not earn any points however, calling the jam with a 0-0 wash.
Despite the heightened anticipation from the crowd, two Official Time Outs were called after back to back jams. Chicago
Varla Vendetta managed two trips to the box in Jam 9, giving Hall Balls a significant power jam. Balls would earn three scoring passes at five points apiece.
Chicago calls a timeout with 15:44 remaining in the first half, desperately searching for an answer to their woes. KC took advantage of a power jam and a 4-2 blocker advantage with a knee down start. Kelly Young snagged lead jammer with 1:11 left in the jam. She would pick up 9 more points and call it before a sprung Varla could begin earning points.
With a full-pack, Zoe Trocious, would earn lead and successfully call it with a 3-0 point swing, but not before teammate Yvette YourMaker would head to the box on her Four Minors.
After the third OTO of the first half, KC would jump on the opportunity to yank the momentum from Chicago’s hands. Their back wall, thanks to the help of Eclipse and Bruz-Her, would hold Athena DeCrime in the rear, while jammer Track Rat earned a Jammer Lap Point for 5 on her first scoring pass and 3 points (a pass, 2 Ghost Points) for an 8-0 swing in the Roller Warrior’s favor, 53-15.
YourMaker used excellent defensive positioning to knock Kelly Young Out of Bounds to force a Minor Track Cut; Young opting to come right in rather than yield ran straight into one of her own players , knocking her off balance and crumpling her into an awkward heap, much to the delight of the WCR fans.
Trocious would be the only WCR skater to pick up any more points before heading into the half time, earning Lead Jammer and 4 points against Case Closed. Meanwhile, penalties continued to plague Chicago, with Daniels boxed in two different jams, for a Track Cut in Jam 12 and a Back Block in Jam 17, both times as the Jammer but she would be released before First Half clock would run out.
Jammer DeCrime would also be boxed for a Track Cut in Jam 15.
The halftime score was 78-21 in Kansas City’s favor, lead mostly on their jammers’ ability to earn lead and points while capitalizing on Chicago’s inability to stem the bleeding to the box. Kansas City earned lead 14 times in the first half versus Windy City’s 3 (Zoe Trocious earned 3-0 in all three of her jams, earning her team 7 points for her effort). Even with Lead Jammer, Athena DeCrime was the only Chicago player to make multiple scoring passes, earing two grand slams in Jam 3.
Second half
Down by 57 points, Windy City would storm out of the locker room with Jackie Daniels taking the jammer line for Chicago. Daniels, shaking off her first-half penalty trouble would race through a weakened Kansas City pack (Eve-olution serving time in the penalty box) to pick up 9 points in two scoring passes, thanks to WCR’s defense holding Case Closed in the pack long enough for a Jammer Lap Point.
Wreck N Shrew, too, would respond -- earning lead and four points (which had originally been reported as a 5 point grand slam. Faced with a 13-0 Chicago rally, Kansas City would call a timeout with 27:25 on the clock. A boxed Bork Bork Bork and Deb Autry would give the Roller Warriors the pack advantage, but Varla would still earn five points. Kansas City’s pack work looked sharp in Jam 3 of the second half. Eclipse worked hard at the front of the pack, with some tremendous blocking. KC would answer a Chicago 2-Wall in the front with their own 3-Wall in the back, managing to kill 2 minutes of game clock while only losing a 5-point swing.
Track Rat managed a 10-0 point swing in KC’s favor, despite not clearing the pack on her first pass until a minute-plus of jam clock had ran down. Jackie Daniels exhibiting some fierce blocking at the top of the pack, but get’s called on an Out of Play Block after a No Pack Call
KC Pivot Toto Basketcase displayed sharp positioning tactics holding the front inside line, often holding the opposing jammer back long enough to reabsorb her. With a sixth sense about the pack behind her, she managed to engage the Jammer in the engagement zone, keenly aware of her positioning and not get called on Out of Play penalties.
Varla’s skill in the sixth jam orchestrated a comeback, with the help of a power jam. Track Rat took an intentional fourth minor, and Varal capitalized on a weaker KC pack. Designated Not Lead (due to a minor cut) with 1:46 left in the jam she picked up 3 grand slams before being sent to the box for a High Block Major.
I don’t see jammerless pack starts very often, but penalty hierarchy dictated that both Varla and Jade Lightning had to serve a full minute before being released. Both teams jockeyed for control, hoping to draw the other into penalty trouble or disadvantaged position. Varla would enter the track and earn lead with 0:58 left in the jam, with Lightning not far behind her. Windy City managed to stuff the KC jammer long enough for a grand slam and 2 points on her second scoring pass.
The referees called an Official Time Out with 16:02 left in the game. Windy City’s hopes of pulling out a win rested on the outcome of the next 15 or so minutes. Wreck N Shrew enticed the crowd to get into the game, rallying the fans around her. Harnessing the crowd’s energy Shrew managed to earn 3 points for Windy City, bringing the game to 93-64. WCR was down but not out, and the house was chomping at the bit with the taste of comeback in their mouth.
Another OTO with 14:15 left, KC would pick up a single point, thanks to Track Rat sprinting ahead forcing Lead Jammer Zoe Trocious to call it to quell a drastic point swing in Rat’s favor.
A visibly upset Windy City Co-Captain Ol’ Drrrty Go-Go came out to the infield to personally deliver some choice words to one of the jam refs, but bench coach Justice Feelgood Marshall coaxed her back to the Chicago bench before she got into any trouble.
After successfully poodling Kelly Young in the jam prior, Kansas City would fail to capitalize allowing Zoe Trocious to pick up a 5-5-4 jam after Track Rat was boxed for a Back Block Major. With their opponent’s jammer in the box, Windy City’s pack slowed the pack down to allow Trocious quick passes. She would earn Lead Jammer in 12 seconds, her first five in 30 seconds and her second five in 16 seconds. Time was definitely not on WCR’s side, but their pack work took advantage of what time they had left. The chants for Zoe were deafening.
Kansas called a timeout with 10:13 remaining the gap narrowed to 95-83, and an opportunity for Windy City to take the lead near. Track Rat managed a 2-0 point swing after getting the game clock rolling, Fueled by the chants of Zoe, Trocious answered with a 4-0 jam in the 13th, quickly calling it. Within 10 points, WCR called a timeout with 7:27 game clock remaining. In what appeared to be a lineup mistake, WCR’s pivot Jackie Daniels instead hands her cover to a teammate, and switching into jammer position relieving Wreck N Shrew.
Chicago would take a knee down start but Hall Balls would earn Lead Jammer, beating Jackie out of the pack by a second. Balls nabbed two points before calling it. Young, further complicating things for a Windy City bench, earned lead with a fantastic spinaround move with 1:20 to go in the jam against Trocious, who’s famous footwork and ragdoll juking looked to tire. Kansas City’s pack amazingly plugged the center lanes forcing Trocious into the high-risk inside/outside lanes.
The gap widened to 102-87, YourMaker managed a grandslam against Track Rat, again bringing the score within 10 points, 102-92
Windy City managed a front 3-Wall against KC jammer Balls, as Evolution worked furiously to free her jammer. Balls scored four points for her effort against Deb Autry.
With less than 2 minutes in the game and a 106-92 Kansas City lead, Windy City looked to throw a tired Zoe Trocious on to the track for a Hail Mary. Trocious with a phenomenal game had to be WCR’s go-to player of the night – if anyone could get through the pack cleanly for multiple passes it would have been Zoe.
Kansas City paired her up against veteran jammer Kelly Young. Pitting Experience against the Chicago jammer’s agility paid off for the Roller Warriors, as Young would earn lead with 1:36 left on the jam clock. With a 14 point gap to be mindful of, Young just had to skate clean and make sure Trocious didn’t outscore her. With 40 seconds left in the jam and the game clock experied, Young called the jam with five more points before Trocious could begin scoring.
The Kansas City Roller Warriors improved to 8-1 on the season, heading into the South Central Regional Tournament as the No. 1 seed and holding their ground as the Derby News Network's No. 7 ranked. Windy City All-Stars slip to 10-2 (both losses to higher ranked teams) and heading to the North Central Regional Tournament with their No. 1 seed.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Bout day - Sept. 10, 2011
Today, I'm headed over to Chicago to watch the last home game of Windy City's travel season Windy City's last home game before the Regionals. In a double header that features the Second Wind (taking on Ohio, I think), the All-Stars (10-1) will play Kansas City Roller Warriors (7-1). Windy City, ranked 9th on DNN power rankings for September 2011, will challenge KCRW, ranked 7th, in a contest surely to have implications on the next power rankings and the WFTDA Championship tournament.
Chicago bested Kansas City 155-39 the last time these two played September 20, 2008. Kansas City's only loss this season came at the hands of No. 1 Oly Rollers, while Windy City fell to Bay Area Derby during the Golden Bowl, for Chicago's only loss in an impressive season.
There's no shortage of roller derby in Chicago. The Chicago Outfit's Syndicate, No. 20 on DNN and 8th in the North Central Region, takes on Brew City, NC7. The 8-4 Syndicate looks to add another impressive win on their inaugural full season as they head into Regional play.
In Iowa, the Old Capitol City Roller Girls of Iowa City take on Cedar Rapids' Helldorados.
Chicago bested Kansas City 155-39 the last time these two played September 20, 2008. Kansas City's only loss this season came at the hands of No. 1 Oly Rollers, while Windy City fell to Bay Area Derby during the Golden Bowl, for Chicago's only loss in an impressive season.
There's no shortage of roller derby in Chicago. The Chicago Outfit's Syndicate, No. 20 on DNN and 8th in the North Central Region, takes on Brew City, NC7. The 8-4 Syndicate looks to add another impressive win on their inaugural full season as they head into Regional play.
In Iowa, the Old Capitol City Roller Girls of Iowa City take on Cedar Rapids' Helldorados.
Friday, July 15, 2011
By the Position – Pivot/No. 1
Welcome to the first in hopefully a series of five blogs in which we'll break down the five different positions a team may field during a jam. Since each team has different language and names for the position we will try to make our breakdowns as basic as possible.
Today's blog will focus on the No. 1 position, or the general pivot position.
The No. 1 generally holds the front-inside position.
"We just call it Pivot," says Erica "Hoosier Mama" Jones of Windy City Rollers. "Pretty much the last line of defense — Keeping that front on lock down to prevent the exit of the opposing jammer." The players wearing the pivot cover (striped helmet cover) have first right to the pivot line, a clearly marked line that extends from the inside track boundary to the outside boundary. Pivots are the only players who may line up on the pivot line, although neither is required to do so. If any pivot lines up on the pivot line, all other non-pivot skaters (this includes friendly and opposing players) must line up behind her hips.
Again, the pivot is not required to line up at the front of the pack, nor do the rules specify that the pivot must stay at the top of the pack. Some pivots will fall back into the pack, or hang out on the outside of the pack.
"Pivot also acts as the person who controls the pack and its speed," says Jones, who's skated with WCR since 2006. "The pivot can work with the back blocker as a great communicator since she can keep her head turned and see all that is happening or is going to happen and relay it to her team. She has room up there for more movement which gives her a few more seconds to take a look around at what's occurring."Knowing when to speed the pack up versus slowing it down can be intimidating for a newer skater. The position is generally reserved for more experienced skaters who understand her team's focus and all the avenues of gameplay occurring on the fly.
"It gets difficult in the front when most of the action is occurring in the back," Jones says.
"The pivot really has to make smart plays so she doesn't take herself too far out of position and leave the front wide open for the opposing to team to take over, Sometimes as a pivot you can feel a bit useless while you're 'waiting' for that opposing jammer to get near you. You definitely have to make smart moves in order to keep your pack under control. It can be more of a thinker position."
But the position isn't without its benefits.
"I like having more room for movement in the front of the pack," Jones says. "Mid-pack and back pack tend to get a little tight."
"While in the front I have the opportunity to cover more track and get to where I need/want to be quicker," she says. "I like the feeling of making that one move that helps your jammer bust out of the front of that pack and get lead or hit the track for another scoring pass. Usually by the time that opposing jammer gets to you her speed has been impeded by your players and all the chaos in the pack so you don't have to scramble as much to stop her, slow her down, etc."A team's pivot is also the only player who may receive a "star pass" from her jammer. The star pass is when the jammer physically hands the star cover to the pivot, who then puts the star cover over the top of her pivot cover. Often considered the "Hail, Mary" of roller derby, a jammer may decide to pass the star because she's tired, she is in penalty trouble, or the pivot may be in a better position to score points.
Only the jammer may hand the cover to the pivot. The star may not be thrown. If the star is dropped, only the pivot or the jammer may pick it up. The opposing team may block a star pass as long as it uses legal blocking techniques.
Jones has some advice for any skater looking to work on her Pivot abilities.
Work on your lateral moves! The more you move forward the less room you are giving yourself to work with at the front. Pushing/chasing too far out will defeat any plays your team has made towards that opposing jammer and/or pack. Try to avoid going after useless blocks on opposing blockers. Make your moves/blocks count because if you miss or slip up there usually isn't anyone in front of you to pick up your slack. You tend to be your jammers best friend so work on your timing. You're like the gate keeper in a sense haha. Realize that you may not be the one making those awesome huge knock down take out hits all the time."
Other Pivots to watch:
Sk8r-Kinney-Cincinnati Roller Girls
Dolly Rocket - Charm City Roller Girls
Sassy - Oly Rollers
Mobi-wan Kenobi - Rose City Rollers
Shenita Stretcher - Philly Roller Girls
Read the rest of the series:
By the position – An intro
By the position – Pivot/No. 1
By the position – No. 2
By the position – No. 3
By the position – No. 4
By the position – Jammer/No. 5
Links
Skate Log Forum — Pivot Tips
Gotham Girls Roller Derby — What does a pivot do?
Bright Hub — What does the Pivot do?
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Answering a question or two about no pack situations
Question: Can you engage the jammer in a no pack situation?
Answer: In No Pack situations blockers may not actively or passively engage a Jammer ... Or other blockers. This includes, but not limited to, hitting, booty blocking or merely standing in her way -- These are all penalties in no pack situations. Likewise, jammers may not engage blockers in a No Pack situation, as they are considered out of play -- jammers are still subject to penalties for an action to an Out of Play player. A Jammer can however engage the other jammer as long as both players remain In Play (on the track, upright).
Question: Who's responsible for reforming the pack in a No Pack situation?
Answer: The onus is on both teams to try and reform the pack, however only one person is required to attempt to reform the pack. If neither team tries to reform the pack in a No Pack situation, a penalty will be assessed to each team. If one team attempts to reform the pack, and the other team attempts to evade or keep the pack destroyed, then the offending team will be assessed the penalty.
Question: What happens if the pack is destroyed by game play?
Answer: Destruction of the pack is generally considered a willful act. If the pack is destroyed via a block sending someone out of bounds or or down, referees shouldn't call a destroying the pack penalty. Destruction of the pack generally comes from one team willfully speeding faster than the natural pace of the pack or breaking excessively to slow down as the other half continues forward.
Question: Who gets the penalty for destroying the pack?
Answer: The referees usually assess a destroying the pack penalty to (in this order): The offending player who acts to destroy the pack, the player who orders the destruction of the pack, the pivot, the captain/alternate or the closest player to the referee.
Answer: In No Pack situations blockers may not actively or passively engage a Jammer ... Or other blockers. This includes, but not limited to, hitting, booty blocking or merely standing in her way -- These are all penalties in no pack situations. Likewise, jammers may not engage blockers in a No Pack situation, as they are considered out of play -- jammers are still subject to penalties for an action to an Out of Play player. A Jammer can however engage the other jammer as long as both players remain In Play (on the track, upright).
Question: Who's responsible for reforming the pack in a No Pack situation?
Answer: The onus is on both teams to try and reform the pack, however only one person is required to attempt to reform the pack. If neither team tries to reform the pack in a No Pack situation, a penalty will be assessed to each team. If one team attempts to reform the pack, and the other team attempts to evade or keep the pack destroyed, then the offending team will be assessed the penalty.
Question: What happens if the pack is destroyed by game play?
Answer: Destruction of the pack is generally considered a willful act. If the pack is destroyed via a block sending someone out of bounds or or down, referees shouldn't call a destroying the pack penalty. Destruction of the pack generally comes from one team willfully speeding faster than the natural pace of the pack or breaking excessively to slow down as the other half continues forward.
Question: Who gets the penalty for destroying the pack?
Answer: The referees usually assess a destroying the pack penalty to (in this order): The offending player who acts to destroy the pack, the player who orders the destruction of the pack, the pivot, the captain/alternate or the closest player to the referee.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Response - By the position
Cruel Whip made a great statement about the ability for skaters not to get locked into just one position on the track.
I'm currently working on posts for the individual positions, so if you know someone who is an awesome player in her position let me know. I'm hoping to post about the No. 1 position within the week.
So important that teams understand the can’t rigidly hang on to the position they’ve been assigned when their teammates fall out for penalties, injuries or what have you. Pack structure may be rigidly defined, but the skaters filling those positions should be dynamic.I couldn't have said it better myself. Thanks to Cruel Whip (as always for the Tumblr shout-out, and for Chasey DC for reposting it on her Fast & Frightening Tumblr.
I'm currently working on posts for the individual positions, so if you know someone who is an awesome player in her position let me know. I'm hoping to post about the No. 1 position within the week.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Running set plays and executing
Running set plays or sets occur on lots of other sports, but the idea mostly comes from basketball, that Western Hemisphere pastime in which coaches call timeout and draw up the play to win the game.
Derby is slightly different. While our sport does draw on a rich history dating back to the Depression era, most of the sport draws its inspiration from the 70s-style bank track where body slamming and elbows to the face won over strategy.
But, since the sports rebirth in the early-2000s, teams and leagues have been making strong headway to legitimize the sport, and thus the introduction of sets.
When I first started, spectators would ask me if we had plays or not. At the time my answer was "no," but only because we hadn't developed as strong as a team yet and trying to get 25-30 players to follow a "play" was nearly impossible. As we improved we started to incorporating different set plays and it started to improve our game.
We worked as a team and recognized the benefits of having goals. From here we can continue to evolve.
This summer we're working on a specific goal to incorporate a new style largely credited to Pitchit Davis, who with some help is credited with helping several teams break the wall to become great.
With any system of sets, I have a few rules of thumb:
1. Don't introduce more sets than your players have the ability to learn. This generally means more than one. The larger the group of players the less likely everyone is going to understand. Keep it simple. Multiple moving parts makes it harder to learn. Learn it, then move on.
2. Practice, practice, practice. It's incredibly hard to introduce a set in the middle of the game. But it does happen. Use practice time to run sets over and over again. Start out playing against imaginary opponents, then move to using players being dumb or playing stupid (simply skating bodies on the track) and finally graduate to full practice.
3. Don't give up on a set just because people don't understand it. Walk them through it. Explain it. Tell your players why it works and why it doesn't. Players will never develop trust in you if you constantly throw away your ideas.
4. In scrimmage and bout situations, if your team fails executing a set. Try to break it down for them when they're done. You're the coach or captain: You should know exactly what happened. Draw it out for them. This may mean not having an eye on the game for a jam, but it can be crucial for your team to know where they went wrong.
5. Likewise, if they execute a set properly reward/praise them immediately. And once they come off the track from that jam. And again on the bench. AND again at the after-party. (Oh, we're not done.) When you have practice again, praise her again. Positive reward/praise builds confidence and ability than negative or none at all.
(My formula is: Immediate positive praise > positive praise > constructive criticism > nothing > negative comments.)
Never (ever) criticize a player in front of everyone unless you immediately follow it with a solution, or if you want to make sure everyone understands the whole situation.
Never be: "WHY DIDN"T YOU CALL THE JAM WHEN I TOLD YOU TO?!" when you can be: "Hey, Why didn't you call the jam?" Then give you're skater time to reply. If she didn't see you, then you need to make sure she's watching for you. If she thought she could score points, then explain to her why it was/wasn't a good idea.
I never get upset if a player chooses to make up her own mind. However, I will ask her the reasoning in her choice and we'll talk about it.
"Well, just execute him!"
Executing a set play in a bout provides one of the best highs a coach can get. Watching it all come together in one moment culminates hours and hours of practice.
In high pressure situations, sets can give your team the edge it needs to accomplish its one goal.
During a bout, don't run a set trying to put your five newest players in the game. If we've learned anything about roller derby it's no matter how many times you practice it when you're in a bout, you're going to forget it.
Make sure everyone on your bench understands the set, but most importantly make sure your next line has it down pat. Get verbal and visual confirmation that they understand. If someone isn't comfortable running the play, get someone it the line that is.
Don't get mad at the players if it simply doesn't work. A coach who takes out self-frustration on their players won't be a coach for long.
On the fly
Just like executing a set play, being able to draw one up on the fly (meaning in-game situations) uplifts you when it happens.
Drawing up plays during a game is one of the few times when everything hinges on your coaching ability. You're at the center of attention and your team is relying on you to formulate a plan.
A situation came up when we were playing a team from Des Moines several months back. Our front wall was dominating the top of the pack for the first half, and we maintained control and the point spread. In the second half, our opponents got wise and instead of trying to break up the front wall, just established a back wall that allowed them to control from behind us. We had very little ability to get behind them to help our jammers through.
I called a timeout, regrouped my skaters and drew up a plan that would help us break their back wall, while maintaining the integrity of our front wall.
It didn't work. That time. The game ended and we lost by 40 points or so. But I didn't let it discourage me.
We took that play to practice and worked on it and worked on it.
Not long after we played Des Moines, both our A team and B team traveled up to Dubuque, Iowa, to play the Eastern Iowa Outlaws. Our B team had established a solid front wall, and just as Des Moines did, EIO learned to just build a wall behind us.
Our front wall hit turn 3, with our jammer hot behind the pack, getting ready to engage the back (and EIO's back wall). I yelled for our play and on turn 4 we executed perfectly, the outside player turned in toward the inside track catching their mid-wall player squarely in the chest with a shoulder block and taking her out of the play opening up a giant hole for our jammer to slide through.
It was like delivering birth to a roller derby baby. We continue to practice these plays over and over so that in the heat of the battle we can execute them (the plays, not the baby).
Being able to draw up plays on the fly takes one of two things (if not both): Imagination or experience.
Being creative can help a lot in drawing up new plays. Chances are someone has already drawn up similar halfway around the country, but you have to be aware of what you're players are capable. Knowing what will work, what should work and what won't work can give you an edge in drawing up plays.
Experience can play just as big of a role. Seen a situation happen years ago? How did that coach resolve the issue. Having the knowledge that you know the play work doesn't always translate to your skaters knowing how to execute. But having the confidence that the play works, is nice. Many basketball coaches have the benefit of growing up in a system in which coaching and plays are heavily involved.
Ever watch the LA Lakers and the commentators are talking about Phil Jackson's Triangle Offense. Well, Jackson was an assistant coach for Tex Winter, who used it. But Winter got it from Sam Barry, who began to formulate the ground work back in the 1940s (guestimate).
We don't quite have the same equivalent in roller derby, but we do have other teams learning at an alarming rate. It's important to watch as much derby as you can, and to break down other plays so that you can learn from them.
Derby is slightly different. While our sport does draw on a rich history dating back to the Depression era, most of the sport draws its inspiration from the 70s-style bank track where body slamming and elbows to the face won over strategy.
But, since the sports rebirth in the early-2000s, teams and leagues have been making strong headway to legitimize the sport, and thus the introduction of sets.
When I first started, spectators would ask me if we had plays or not. At the time my answer was "no," but only because we hadn't developed as strong as a team yet and trying to get 25-30 players to follow a "play" was nearly impossible. As we improved we started to incorporating different set plays and it started to improve our game.
We worked as a team and recognized the benefits of having goals. From here we can continue to evolve.
This summer we're working on a specific goal to incorporate a new style largely credited to Pitchit Davis, who with some help is credited with helping several teams break the wall to become great.
With any system of sets, I have a few rules of thumb:
1. Don't introduce more sets than your players have the ability to learn. This generally means more than one. The larger the group of players the less likely everyone is going to understand. Keep it simple. Multiple moving parts makes it harder to learn. Learn it, then move on.
2. Practice, practice, practice. It's incredibly hard to introduce a set in the middle of the game. But it does happen. Use practice time to run sets over and over again. Start out playing against imaginary opponents, then move to using players being dumb or playing stupid (simply skating bodies on the track) and finally graduate to full practice.
3. Don't give up on a set just because people don't understand it. Walk them through it. Explain it. Tell your players why it works and why it doesn't. Players will never develop trust in you if you constantly throw away your ideas.
4. In scrimmage and bout situations, if your team fails executing a set. Try to break it down for them when they're done. You're the coach or captain: You should know exactly what happened. Draw it out for them. This may mean not having an eye on the game for a jam, but it can be crucial for your team to know where they went wrong.
5. Likewise, if they execute a set properly reward/praise them immediately. And once they come off the track from that jam. And again on the bench. AND again at the after-party. (Oh, we're not done.) When you have practice again, praise her again. Positive reward/praise builds confidence and ability than negative or none at all.
(My formula is: Immediate positive praise > positive praise > constructive criticism > nothing > negative comments.)
Never (ever) criticize a player in front of everyone unless you immediately follow it with a solution, or if you want to make sure everyone understands the whole situation.
Never be: "WHY DIDN"T YOU CALL THE JAM WHEN I TOLD YOU TO?!" when you can be: "Hey, Why didn't you call the jam?" Then give you're skater time to reply. If she didn't see you, then you need to make sure she's watching for you. If she thought she could score points, then explain to her why it was/wasn't a good idea.
I never get upset if a player chooses to make up her own mind. However, I will ask her the reasoning in her choice and we'll talk about it.
"Well, just execute him!"
Executing a set play in a bout provides one of the best highs a coach can get. Watching it all come together in one moment culminates hours and hours of practice.
In high pressure situations, sets can give your team the edge it needs to accomplish its one goal.
During a bout, don't run a set trying to put your five newest players in the game. If we've learned anything about roller derby it's no matter how many times you practice it when you're in a bout, you're going to forget it.
Make sure everyone on your bench understands the set, but most importantly make sure your next line has it down pat. Get verbal and visual confirmation that they understand. If someone isn't comfortable running the play, get someone it the line that is.
Don't get mad at the players if it simply doesn't work. A coach who takes out self-frustration on their players won't be a coach for long.
On the fly
Just like executing a set play, being able to draw one up on the fly (meaning in-game situations) uplifts you when it happens.
Drawing up plays during a game is one of the few times when everything hinges on your coaching ability. You're at the center of attention and your team is relying on you to formulate a plan.
A situation came up when we were playing a team from Des Moines several months back. Our front wall was dominating the top of the pack for the first half, and we maintained control and the point spread. In the second half, our opponents got wise and instead of trying to break up the front wall, just established a back wall that allowed them to control from behind us. We had very little ability to get behind them to help our jammers through.
I called a timeout, regrouped my skaters and drew up a plan that would help us break their back wall, while maintaining the integrity of our front wall.
It didn't work. That time. The game ended and we lost by 40 points or so. But I didn't let it discourage me.
We took that play to practice and worked on it and worked on it.
Not long after we played Des Moines, both our A team and B team traveled up to Dubuque, Iowa, to play the Eastern Iowa Outlaws. Our B team had established a solid front wall, and just as Des Moines did, EIO learned to just build a wall behind us.
Our front wall hit turn 3, with our jammer hot behind the pack, getting ready to engage the back (and EIO's back wall). I yelled for our play and on turn 4 we executed perfectly, the outside player turned in toward the inside track catching their mid-wall player squarely in the chest with a shoulder block and taking her out of the play opening up a giant hole for our jammer to slide through.
It was like delivering birth to a roller derby baby. We continue to practice these plays over and over so that in the heat of the battle we can execute them (the plays, not the baby).
Being able to draw up plays on the fly takes one of two things (if not both): Imagination or experience.
Being creative can help a lot in drawing up new plays. Chances are someone has already drawn up similar halfway around the country, but you have to be aware of what you're players are capable. Knowing what will work, what should work and what won't work can give you an edge in drawing up plays.
Experience can play just as big of a role. Seen a situation happen years ago? How did that coach resolve the issue. Having the knowledge that you know the play work doesn't always translate to your skaters knowing how to execute. But having the confidence that the play works, is nice. Many basketball coaches have the benefit of growing up in a system in which coaching and plays are heavily involved.
Ever watch the LA Lakers and the commentators are talking about Phil Jackson's Triangle Offense. Well, Jackson was an assistant coach for Tex Winter, who used it. But Winter got it from Sam Barry, who began to formulate the ground work back in the 1940s (guestimate).
We don't quite have the same equivalent in roller derby, but we do have other teams learning at an alarming rate. It's important to watch as much derby as you can, and to break down other plays so that you can learn from them.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Coming from behind and good starts
You hear the analogy all the time in other sports. And the equivalent in roller derby holds true.
Every game of hockey starts with a faceoff. Basketball has the tipoff.
A coin flip determines who begins on offense first in football, and in baseball it's whoever is playing at home.
In roller derby getting a good start is two fold. Off the pack whistle your players want to get their position as easily as possible, and sometimes it's a matter of timing.
By the same token, just as tipoffs and faceoffs are important in their respective sports, establishing your position in derby can dictate the entire jam if not the game.
No matter what your team strategy is, you want to reach the end goal with as little obstruction as possible. Sometimes a player must get to their position and hold it. Sometimes he or she may wait before hitting their position.
Philosophically, getting a good start puts your team in a better position to win the game. Looking at sports psychology, it's often easier to win when a team is in a dominate position, i.e. in the lead. Teams who are behind in points have the added hurdle of eating into the deficit, but also putting points on the board -- effectively working twice as hard to get into a leading position.
Would you rather be ahead by 50 points or behind by 50 points. Being ahead is easier, because as long as your team maintains some distance from the opposing score for the rest of the game, you will win. When your behind you have to score those 50 points just to get back to even points.
The opposing team is likely to add to the difficulty because as you're scoring points to eat into the deficit, they are also scoring points, slowing how effective your team can be just to get back to even.
An analogy can be made directly to track play. If your jammer scores five points and the opposing jammer scores none, the jam ends in a 5-0 swing. You've just made a positive point differential. If you score 5 points and the opposing jammer scores 5 points, there is zero point differential and should be looked at as being the same as a 0-0 jam. If a jam goes 2 minutes and ends 15-15, your team has essentially skated two minutes for zero points.
Let's imagine the game starts. If the first jam ends 0-5 in favor of the opposing team. Your team is now minus 5 points in the whole. Even if you score a 5-0 swing in the second jam, the game is essentially tied after two jams. You've used two different lines, two different jammers (in theory) to make the score 0-0. Start thinking about time, your bench and scoring as commodities.
If you pay $25 dollars for a pair of shoes and I pay $500 for the same pair of shoes, I'm getting the exact same thing but paying more for them.
When you're in a deficit, you "pay more" to get the same thing that you essentially have at the beginning of a game -- a 0-0 tie.
By getting an early lead and maintaining it, your team is in a better position to win. If your in the other seat, you're behind, there are two options available:
1. With lots of time on the clock, your team can incrementally play for small positive point swings to eat into the lead. The downside to this is the longer you play for small point gains, you could essentially be in the lead and doing the same thing. When you're behind, the clock is not your friend. You need to score points while the clock is running down. If you're behind with 55 minutes left in the game, it's more reasonable that you can recover from behing behind. IF there are 5 minutes left in the game, there is a sense of urgency. When you're behind you have to "pay more" whether it's your bench, time, or timeouts to get back to a position that's even.
2. Develop a style in which you're going to optimize the points you can manage to score in a jam. It's easiest to score a positive point when the opposing jammer is in the box. Force a major penalty (or a fourth minor) on the opposing jammer and put your jammer in the position to score maximum points possible. When your behind, sometimes its better to score 15 points in one jam opposed to 5 points in the next three jams depending on how your team plays and how much time is left.
WIth all the work of coming back from a deficit, playing with a lead must be cake, right? Not really.
Again, how you play with a lead depends greatly on your team's overall goal for the bout and where you stand as far as points and clock.
When your team has a lead, it's easier in that your focus becomes different. When you're in a tournament or playing for rankings, the point spread at the end of a game can have a huge impact in placing you in future brackets/rankings. However, if you're not playing for such things, focusing on your team's play is more important.
Remember: Rankings/Tournaments - point spreads are good; otherwise - teamwork and strategy.
This isn't the be all, end all philosophy but it's important to rembember the distinction. If you learn nothing by playing in a blowout, what was the point of the bout.
When you're in the lead ask yourself these two questions:
1. How much time is left in the game?
2. How big of a point spread do we have?
Subquestion: How many points are the opposing jammers able to score?
With a lead in hand, the clock is your friend. The longer the clock is able to roll down the less time your opponent has to score. If there's a lot of time, then you still need to focus on either scoring as many points as they do. If there's just a little time, you generally just have to keep them from scoring.
Likewise, the point spread adds a layer to playing with a lead. If you're up by 100 points and there are five minutes less, it's not likely that the other team can come back. Read: Not likely. I did not say impossible. It takes a good jammer 10 seconds to complete a lap around the track, 10 seconds equals 4 points (if not 5) X 6 (for one minute) X 5 (for five minutes) = 4 X 6 = 24 X 5 = 100-plus points. A 10 point lead with 30 minutes left in the game will be harder to maintain.
Even going into the last jam, you cannot become complacent in thinking a 20 point lead is safe. CANNOT. I can't stress that enough. One bad jammer penalty and you hand the opposing team 5 points for each scoring pass.
Being clutch
My last piece of advice is Key to a team being decent to awesome: A close point spread against either a high caliber team or dwindling clock closes the margin of error greatly. Meaning: a few points difference against a good team or small clock means your team's chances of erring or that an error will dramatically affect the outcome is greater. You have less of a margin for error, and the effects of an error are magnified. They're magnified against a high caliber team because the opponents will take advantage of the error. With little time on the clock when your team commits an error, you have less time to correct it. It's a high pressure situation and you have to count on your team doing the best they can in these key situations.
Turning a corner
Are you a team that manages an early lead, only to give it up and end up losing? Are you a team that often falls to an early deficit, only to come back but come up short against another team?
These are both situations that can easily happen to even the best of teams. The important thing is to not give up and keep trying (standard derby advice). The other thing is to practice different situations so that you're team knows what they need to do in key instances.
Try these examples during scrimmages (this helps to have someone keep track of game, jam and break time and also someone to record points:
1. Down but not out: With 30 minutes remaining in the game, you're behind by 50 points. Your team focuses on getting lead jammer and getting positve point swings.
My advice is to practice getting lead jammer and getting a few 4-0 jams back to back, and repeat as often as possible. This may mean that you put in your best jammers in serial jams. Make sure to practice what to do with lead jammer: get points and call it; prevent the other team from scoring points by calling it before her score pass.
2. Down and out but not done: You're team is down by 15 points with only five minutes left on the clock. You want to have one or two big jams with positive point swings. Your goal is to have the point lead when the five minutes runs out, whether it's by getting a lead and holding it or eking out a win at the last second. Practice this with 3, 2, 1 and zero timeouts remaining. Remember that a timeout stops the game clock, but you don't want to call a timeout if you have the lead and the game would end.
My advice: You want your best lineup rested, but definitely your jammers. Jammers should be prepared to skate back-to-back jams if not being able to skate the last five minutes by themselves. Practicing with your timeouts is key because you may need to stop the clock with a timeout. The fewer timeouts you have adds to the amount of pressure on your players to know what to do.
3. Close, go for the cigar: Your in a 0-0 tie with the opposing team and only 2:35 on the game clock.There's enough time on the clock to get at least two full jams in. In two jams, you need to win the game. Once you practice this a few times, practice with just 1 minute on the game clock and you only have one timeout. Your goal is to win, not a tie.
My advice: Earning lead jammer is super important as is playing penalty free. Do not put in a penalty prone jammer in the pack as you risk her sitting in the box. Remember the object is to get points as fast as possible. Playing 0-0 it puts the emphasis on earning points, and less what the score actually is. a 300-300 game going into the last jam is essentially the same as a 0-0 game.
Teams looking to practice holding a lead, can use the same examples above, but they're goal is the opposite, instead of coming from behind, they want to maintain their lead.
They are also less likely to Call a timeout (because they want the clock to keep rolling). Also they want to make sure the score as many points as the team coming from behind, or keep them from scoring. Again this decision of offense or defense (or both) is a team decision and should be clearly communicated.
Every game of hockey starts with a faceoff. Basketball has the tipoff.
A coin flip determines who begins on offense first in football, and in baseball it's whoever is playing at home.
In roller derby getting a good start is two fold. Off the pack whistle your players want to get their position as easily as possible, and sometimes it's a matter of timing.
By the same token, just as tipoffs and faceoffs are important in their respective sports, establishing your position in derby can dictate the entire jam if not the game.
No matter what your team strategy is, you want to reach the end goal with as little obstruction as possible. Sometimes a player must get to their position and hold it. Sometimes he or she may wait before hitting their position.
Philosophically, getting a good start puts your team in a better position to win the game. Looking at sports psychology, it's often easier to win when a team is in a dominate position, i.e. in the lead. Teams who are behind in points have the added hurdle of eating into the deficit, but also putting points on the board -- effectively working twice as hard to get into a leading position.
Would you rather be ahead by 50 points or behind by 50 points. Being ahead is easier, because as long as your team maintains some distance from the opposing score for the rest of the game, you will win. When your behind you have to score those 50 points just to get back to even points.
The opposing team is likely to add to the difficulty because as you're scoring points to eat into the deficit, they are also scoring points, slowing how effective your team can be just to get back to even.
An analogy can be made directly to track play. If your jammer scores five points and the opposing jammer scores none, the jam ends in a 5-0 swing. You've just made a positive point differential. If you score 5 points and the opposing jammer scores 5 points, there is zero point differential and should be looked at as being the same as a 0-0 jam. If a jam goes 2 minutes and ends 15-15, your team has essentially skated two minutes for zero points.
Let's imagine the game starts. If the first jam ends 0-5 in favor of the opposing team. Your team is now minus 5 points in the whole. Even if you score a 5-0 swing in the second jam, the game is essentially tied after two jams. You've used two different lines, two different jammers (in theory) to make the score 0-0. Start thinking about time, your bench and scoring as commodities.
If you pay $25 dollars for a pair of shoes and I pay $500 for the same pair of shoes, I'm getting the exact same thing but paying more for them.
When you're in a deficit, you "pay more" to get the same thing that you essentially have at the beginning of a game -- a 0-0 tie.
By getting an early lead and maintaining it, your team is in a better position to win. If your in the other seat, you're behind, there are two options available:
1. With lots of time on the clock, your team can incrementally play for small positive point swings to eat into the lead. The downside to this is the longer you play for small point gains, you could essentially be in the lead and doing the same thing. When you're behind, the clock is not your friend. You need to score points while the clock is running down. If you're behind with 55 minutes left in the game, it's more reasonable that you can recover from behing behind. IF there are 5 minutes left in the game, there is a sense of urgency. When you're behind you have to "pay more" whether it's your bench, time, or timeouts to get back to a position that's even.
2. Develop a style in which you're going to optimize the points you can manage to score in a jam. It's easiest to score a positive point when the opposing jammer is in the box. Force a major penalty (or a fourth minor) on the opposing jammer and put your jammer in the position to score maximum points possible. When your behind, sometimes its better to score 15 points in one jam opposed to 5 points in the next three jams depending on how your team plays and how much time is left.
WIth all the work of coming back from a deficit, playing with a lead must be cake, right? Not really.
Again, how you play with a lead depends greatly on your team's overall goal for the bout and where you stand as far as points and clock.
When your team has a lead, it's easier in that your focus becomes different. When you're in a tournament or playing for rankings, the point spread at the end of a game can have a huge impact in placing you in future brackets/rankings. However, if you're not playing for such things, focusing on your team's play is more important.
Remember: Rankings/Tournaments - point spreads are good; otherwise - teamwork and strategy.
This isn't the be all, end all philosophy but it's important to rembember the distinction. If you learn nothing by playing in a blowout, what was the point of the bout.
When you're in the lead ask yourself these two questions:
1. How much time is left in the game?
2. How big of a point spread do we have?
Subquestion: How many points are the opposing jammers able to score?
With a lead in hand, the clock is your friend. The longer the clock is able to roll down the less time your opponent has to score. If there's a lot of time, then you still need to focus on either scoring as many points as they do. If there's just a little time, you generally just have to keep them from scoring.
Likewise, the point spread adds a layer to playing with a lead. If you're up by 100 points and there are five minutes less, it's not likely that the other team can come back. Read: Not likely. I did not say impossible. It takes a good jammer 10 seconds to complete a lap around the track, 10 seconds equals 4 points (if not 5) X 6 (for one minute) X 5 (for five minutes) = 4 X 6 = 24 X 5 = 100-plus points. A 10 point lead with 30 minutes left in the game will be harder to maintain.
Even going into the last jam, you cannot become complacent in thinking a 20 point lead is safe. CANNOT. I can't stress that enough. One bad jammer penalty and you hand the opposing team 5 points for each scoring pass.
Being clutch
My last piece of advice is Key to a team being decent to awesome: A close point spread against either a high caliber team or dwindling clock closes the margin of error greatly. Meaning: a few points difference against a good team or small clock means your team's chances of erring or that an error will dramatically affect the outcome is greater. You have less of a margin for error, and the effects of an error are magnified. They're magnified against a high caliber team because the opponents will take advantage of the error. With little time on the clock when your team commits an error, you have less time to correct it. It's a high pressure situation and you have to count on your team doing the best they can in these key situations.
Turning a corner
Are you a team that manages an early lead, only to give it up and end up losing? Are you a team that often falls to an early deficit, only to come back but come up short against another team?
These are both situations that can easily happen to even the best of teams. The important thing is to not give up and keep trying (standard derby advice). The other thing is to practice different situations so that you're team knows what they need to do in key instances.
Try these examples during scrimmages (this helps to have someone keep track of game, jam and break time and also someone to record points:
1. Down but not out: With 30 minutes remaining in the game, you're behind by 50 points. Your team focuses on getting lead jammer and getting positve point swings.
My advice is to practice getting lead jammer and getting a few 4-0 jams back to back, and repeat as often as possible. This may mean that you put in your best jammers in serial jams. Make sure to practice what to do with lead jammer: get points and call it; prevent the other team from scoring points by calling it before her score pass.
2. Down and out but not done: You're team is down by 15 points with only five minutes left on the clock. You want to have one or two big jams with positive point swings. Your goal is to have the point lead when the five minutes runs out, whether it's by getting a lead and holding it or eking out a win at the last second. Practice this with 3, 2, 1 and zero timeouts remaining. Remember that a timeout stops the game clock, but you don't want to call a timeout if you have the lead and the game would end.
My advice: You want your best lineup rested, but definitely your jammers. Jammers should be prepared to skate back-to-back jams if not being able to skate the last five minutes by themselves. Practicing with your timeouts is key because you may need to stop the clock with a timeout. The fewer timeouts you have adds to the amount of pressure on your players to know what to do.
3. Close, go for the cigar: Your in a 0-0 tie with the opposing team and only 2:35 on the game clock.There's enough time on the clock to get at least two full jams in. In two jams, you need to win the game. Once you practice this a few times, practice with just 1 minute on the game clock and you only have one timeout. Your goal is to win, not a tie.
My advice: Earning lead jammer is super important as is playing penalty free. Do not put in a penalty prone jammer in the pack as you risk her sitting in the box. Remember the object is to get points as fast as possible. Playing 0-0 it puts the emphasis on earning points, and less what the score actually is. a 300-300 game going into the last jam is essentially the same as a 0-0 game.
Teams looking to practice holding a lead, can use the same examples above, but they're goal is the opposite, instead of coming from behind, they want to maintain their lead.
They are also less likely to Call a timeout (because they want the clock to keep rolling). Also they want to make sure the score as many points as the team coming from behind, or keep them from scoring. Again this decision of offense or defense (or both) is a team decision and should be clearly communicated.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Let's think global
So every once in awhile I stroll through my Blogger stats.
Blogger stats can show you:
- Where people are browsing your blog from
- Which posts are getting the most hits
- What search words people are using to find your site
- Who's linking out to your site.
I've been noticing several different hits outside of the continental U.S., something that intrigues me.
One of those linkouts is from http://aotearoller.co.nz/.
Yeah, the NZ on the end, means it's from New Zealand (Hi, Goregasm! *waves emphatically*)
I want to trade a team T-shirt if you're up for it.
I'm super-stoked.
Blogger stats can show you:
- Where people are browsing your blog from
- Which posts are getting the most hits
- What search words people are using to find your site
- Who's linking out to your site.
I've been noticing several different hits outside of the continental U.S., something that intrigues me.
One of those linkouts is from http://aotearoller.co.nz/.
Yeah, the NZ on the end, means it's from New Zealand (Hi, Goregasm! *waves emphatically*)
I want to trade a team T-shirt if you're up for it.
I'm super-stoked.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
The psychology of losing, or You're down but not out
Losing isn't a goal that we all set out to accomplish. It's hardwired into our nature to win -- survival, last person standing, kill or be killed.
But the laws of nature, even though they govern a large part of our psychological and physiological makeup, aren't the "be all, end all" on the roller derby track.
We all want to win. But in any given sport, there can only be one winner.
That "Highlander"-like thought process has to stand at the forefront when you play any game.
Whether you were beat by 1 point or 200 points, it's important to congratulate the other person/team with sincerity and professionalism, as you would expect the same from your opponent.
I hate excuses. I hate them on the track, and I hate them after the game.
If a player is making excuses on the track or bench, it creates negative energy, and negative energy -- just as positive energy is -- is infectious. One player behaving poorly will spoil the whole bench if someone doesn't control the situation efficiently and quickly. Let the negative energy go and it will consume you're whole team. It's much easier to control one bad attitude than 14 bad attitudes.
"Nip it in the bud," as Barney Fife would say.
The problem with negative attitudes is that they're incredibly easy to give into. Staying positive takes work and when an opponent is constantly taking swings at your players it's harder to manage. The negative energy also casts a dense fog over the entire game, making it incredibly difficult to focus on the game at hand, which is what you and your players should be focusing on.
I've instituted a "quiet bench" philosophy, in which in our lineup the only five players "up to bat" -- or set to go into the next jam -- are the players who are talking are talking to each other. No one else should be chit-chatting, complaining or making any other verbal comment. None. They should be focusing on the game at hand. The five players "up to bat" should be communicating with each other on how they should play their position and what they need to do to improve the team's in-game standing.
A quiet bench goes above and beyond great measure to controlling bad attitudes. A player who willingly violates the "quiet bench" philosophy is in danger of voluntarily giving up her spot on the roster. No exceptions. Does it suck to lose a player willingly? Yes, but if you allow them to stay bench side you are essentially condoning their behavior. You will have to manage the attitudes of your bench less and focus on the game more.
The quiet bench extends all the way through game time, up until the end of the last jam. This becomes very difficult if it's a close game, but important if you are to set an example.
We were at a game in which we were already winning and the announcers encouraged everyone to stand up and get loud for the last jam of the game. As my girls started standing and cheering I asked them to sit down and be quiet. "But they told us to stand up?" one of my players said/asked. "Who's your coach and what does your coach want you to do?" I replied. They politely took their seat and waited anxiously for the end of the jam. Was it a cold response? Yes, but necessary. The quiet bench should be an institution from the time the game starts until it officially ends, win or lose.
(If you are a coach who does not wear the A for the designated captain of your team, seat your captains as close to you as physically possible so that you can talk to them without having to yell across the bench. Yelling even if it's important isn't the best way to communicate as people's personal defenses immediately go up. Plus, you don't want to give away too much information to the other team. Bring your captains closer to you, and use your inside voice.)
After a jam, the heat can come pouring in -- as players complain about calls or a missed hit, etc. Control the issues at hand as quickly as possible and move on. If a player has to vent, let her vent, give her verbal and visual confirmation that you understand and move on. Sometimes all a person needs is an outlet to vent, otherwise it gets bottled up. But you can't get carried away and listen to five girls coming off the track all wanting to vent or you will never be able to focus on the next jam, so make it an exception for only a short few.
After the game is over, it's easy to start making excuses for a loss. Instead of negative reinforcement I try to cultivate positive, critical thinking. Instead of the things we did wrong, or what the other team did illegally, or missed calls -- I try to focus on the things we need to work on, how we can improve and what we can do to control future outcomes a little better.
It's incredibly hard to play a game when there are various events in which you have no control, i.e. bad calls, missed calls, what the other team does. As a coach/captain/player you have to focus on the things you can control and minimize the things you can't control. Things you can control in a game: Game clock (via timeouts, official reviews, injury stoppage), Intentional fourth minors (so you don't inadvertently jam a player with three minors), getting the right pack lineup at the right time, etc.
(As a rule I try not to use our official review on made calls or missed calls. A made call will stand nine times out of tend. A referee makes a call based on what he or she sees and it's pretty hard to argue the logic. Besides the referee may have seen something you didn't -- and you've successfully wasted a review. Likewise a missed call is hard to argue for because if three referees are watching the play and they all miss a call -- you aren't going to get the call made after the fact. Only ask for a official review on a made or missed call if you are absolutely, positively you can get the outcome changed and it drastically affects the game.)
There are plenty of things that one can control in a derby game, and maybe one day I'll actually make a list. But it's important to factor in as much as you do have control over, so that you get most advantages when playing a derby bout.
Are you a player that gets called on elbows a lot? There's not much you can do during a game, but at practice you can certainly work on giving hits without following through with the elbow. After a game, you can certainly ask a ref who called you on an elbow what he/she saw. Don't argue. Zebras often are the best source of information when it comes to changing our mental and physical gameplan for future games. They will usually tell you that you "followed through" or that you "swung your elbow" warranting the call.
As a coach, I try to take notes if I see something happen that I know we can fix. In the first intermission this can be crucial. Jot down two or three things at the most -- more than that and you will confuse everyone. I will usually give my few pieces of advice and then let every player know where they stand with minors and majors. And then we set up the first line for the second half.
(I try to take notes for the second half to address at the next practice if possible, but if the game is incredibly tight, it can be more difficult to remember to write things down.)
I'm hoping with a few improvements I can continue to hone how I coach in crucial games. I know that by managing my bench and focusing on the positive, we, as a team, have a better chance to improve on prepare for the next game even if we lost the last game.
But the laws of nature, even though they govern a large part of our psychological and physiological makeup, aren't the "be all, end all" on the roller derby track.
We all want to win. But in any given sport, there can only be one winner.
That "Highlander"-like thought process has to stand at the forefront when you play any game.
Whether you were beat by 1 point or 200 points, it's important to congratulate the other person/team with sincerity and professionalism, as you would expect the same from your opponent.
I hate excuses. I hate them on the track, and I hate them after the game.
If a player is making excuses on the track or bench, it creates negative energy, and negative energy -- just as positive energy is -- is infectious. One player behaving poorly will spoil the whole bench if someone doesn't control the situation efficiently and quickly. Let the negative energy go and it will consume you're whole team. It's much easier to control one bad attitude than 14 bad attitudes.
"Nip it in the bud," as Barney Fife would say.
The problem with negative attitudes is that they're incredibly easy to give into. Staying positive takes work and when an opponent is constantly taking swings at your players it's harder to manage. The negative energy also casts a dense fog over the entire game, making it incredibly difficult to focus on the game at hand, which is what you and your players should be focusing on.
I've instituted a "quiet bench" philosophy, in which in our lineup the only five players "up to bat" -- or set to go into the next jam -- are the players who are talking are talking to each other. No one else should be chit-chatting, complaining or making any other verbal comment. None. They should be focusing on the game at hand. The five players "up to bat" should be communicating with each other on how they should play their position and what they need to do to improve the team's in-game standing.
A quiet bench goes above and beyond great measure to controlling bad attitudes. A player who willingly violates the "quiet bench" philosophy is in danger of voluntarily giving up her spot on the roster. No exceptions. Does it suck to lose a player willingly? Yes, but if you allow them to stay bench side you are essentially condoning their behavior. You will have to manage the attitudes of your bench less and focus on the game more.
The quiet bench extends all the way through game time, up until the end of the last jam. This becomes very difficult if it's a close game, but important if you are to set an example.
We were at a game in which we were already winning and the announcers encouraged everyone to stand up and get loud for the last jam of the game. As my girls started standing and cheering I asked them to sit down and be quiet. "But they told us to stand up?" one of my players said/asked. "Who's your coach and what does your coach want you to do?" I replied. They politely took their seat and waited anxiously for the end of the jam. Was it a cold response? Yes, but necessary. The quiet bench should be an institution from the time the game starts until it officially ends, win or lose.
(If you are a coach who does not wear the A for the designated captain of your team, seat your captains as close to you as physically possible so that you can talk to them without having to yell across the bench. Yelling even if it's important isn't the best way to communicate as people's personal defenses immediately go up. Plus, you don't want to give away too much information to the other team. Bring your captains closer to you, and use your inside voice.)
After a jam, the heat can come pouring in -- as players complain about calls or a missed hit, etc. Control the issues at hand as quickly as possible and move on. If a player has to vent, let her vent, give her verbal and visual confirmation that you understand and move on. Sometimes all a person needs is an outlet to vent, otherwise it gets bottled up. But you can't get carried away and listen to five girls coming off the track all wanting to vent or you will never be able to focus on the next jam, so make it an exception for only a short few.
After the game is over, it's easy to start making excuses for a loss. Instead of negative reinforcement I try to cultivate positive, critical thinking. Instead of the things we did wrong, or what the other team did illegally, or missed calls -- I try to focus on the things we need to work on, how we can improve and what we can do to control future outcomes a little better.
It's incredibly hard to play a game when there are various events in which you have no control, i.e. bad calls, missed calls, what the other team does. As a coach/captain/player you have to focus on the things you can control and minimize the things you can't control. Things you can control in a game: Game clock (via timeouts, official reviews, injury stoppage), Intentional fourth minors (so you don't inadvertently jam a player with three minors), getting the right pack lineup at the right time, etc.
(As a rule I try not to use our official review on made calls or missed calls. A made call will stand nine times out of tend. A referee makes a call based on what he or she sees and it's pretty hard to argue the logic. Besides the referee may have seen something you didn't -- and you've successfully wasted a review. Likewise a missed call is hard to argue for because if three referees are watching the play and they all miss a call -- you aren't going to get the call made after the fact. Only ask for a official review on a made or missed call if you are absolutely, positively you can get the outcome changed and it drastically affects the game.)
There are plenty of things that one can control in a derby game, and maybe one day I'll actually make a list. But it's important to factor in as much as you do have control over, so that you get most advantages when playing a derby bout.
Are you a player that gets called on elbows a lot? There's not much you can do during a game, but at practice you can certainly work on giving hits without following through with the elbow. After a game, you can certainly ask a ref who called you on an elbow what he/she saw. Don't argue. Zebras often are the best source of information when it comes to changing our mental and physical gameplan for future games. They will usually tell you that you "followed through" or that you "swung your elbow" warranting the call.
As a coach, I try to take notes if I see something happen that I know we can fix. In the first intermission this can be crucial. Jot down two or three things at the most -- more than that and you will confuse everyone. I will usually give my few pieces of advice and then let every player know where they stand with minors and majors. And then we set up the first line for the second half.
(I try to take notes for the second half to address at the next practice if possible, but if the game is incredibly tight, it can be more difficult to remember to write things down.)
I'm hoping with a few improvements I can continue to hone how I coach in crucial games. I know that by managing my bench and focusing on the positive, we, as a team, have a better chance to improve on prepare for the next game even if we lost the last game.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Quick hits: Derby's Black Widow
I bumped into the Texecutioners' coach Kelli "Black Widow" Page during the halftime of the Rocky Mountain-Charm City bout on Saturday, Nov. 6, 2010, at the Women's Flat Track Derby Association's championship tournament called Uproar on the Lakeshore in Chicago, Illinois.
(I'll probably work some of these quotes into a future blog, so don't be surprised if you see them again.)
****
On the Rocky-Charm matchup ...
"I think (Rocky-Charm) it's an interesting matchup. Even though their styles are different, they're both very physical teams. Rocky relies a lot on their speed and taking advantage of power jam situations. I think that's also true of Charm City. I think they're both looking for those opportunities to really put a hurt on you, and that's where the point swings heavily come into play."
"They're both headsy teams and they don't let the other team change their style of play. They really stick to it. "
"It's obvious that Rocky is very comfortable working together. You'll see a lot of their recycling and they play in really close proximity of each other. They're always looking for that pair matchup out there. "
"When Dolly is out there, or Joy, they (Charm) are dictating and telling the rest of the pack what that play is and they respond to wherever they're directing them to go."
About avoiding penalties and skating clean ...
"At this level it's huge. If you give a team an opportunity the way the style of play is now where they have the back wall and they stop and they trap one of your players, thats it, it's over. You really have to make sure that you're as clean as possible and don't give them as many opportunities to do that because it will hurt you."
(I'll probably work some of these quotes into a future blog, so don't be surprised if you see them again.)
****
On the Rocky-Charm matchup ...
"I think (Rocky-Charm) it's an interesting matchup. Even though their styles are different, they're both very physical teams. Rocky relies a lot on their speed and taking advantage of power jam situations. I think that's also true of Charm City. I think they're both looking for those opportunities to really put a hurt on you, and that's where the point swings heavily come into play."
"They're both headsy teams and they don't let the other team change their style of play. They really stick to it. "
"It's obvious that Rocky is very comfortable working together. You'll see a lot of their recycling and they play in really close proximity of each other. They're always looking for that pair matchup out there. "
"When Dolly is out there, or Joy, they (Charm) are dictating and telling the rest of the pack what that play is and they respond to wherever they're directing them to go."
About avoiding penalties and skating clean ...
"At this level it's huge. If you give a team an opportunity the way the style of play is now where they have the back wall and they stop and they trap one of your players, thats it, it's over. You really have to make sure that you're as clean as possible and don't give them as many opportunities to do that because it will hurt you."
Monday, November 1, 2010
Uproar on the Lakeshore: Championship Week
We're down to the wire for those of us in the roller derby community awaiting the culmination of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association's season.This weekend 12 teams will play for the Hydra Trophy, awarded to the WFTDA's top team each year.
Fivepointgrandlslam.com will be in Chicago live-Tweeting and covering the tournament, as will numerous other journalists and roller derby enthusiasts.
In preparation, I'll have a blog for each day of the week until the opening day's game (Monday-Friday).
Tuesday: By the numbers
Wednesday: What's in a name?
Thursday: The post-regional power rankings
We've been in contact with a few skaters and coaches about some things to watch for at the tournament, and hope you'll enjoy each new entry. And stay tuned. We're hoping to have our Wi-Fi connection up and going to stay connected with everyone.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
The championship invitations are punched
Kansas City, Mo., reigns supreme in the South Central, upsetting Austin, Texas, in the regional finals. Nashville surprised almost everyone taking third place over Atlanta, the South Central's third seed, to take the SC's third seed heading to Chicago for Uproar on the Lakeshore.
The Texas-Kansas City was the bout to watch, capping off the three-day tournament with seasonally experienced roller derby.
The contest between the Kansas City Roller Warriors and the Texacutioners was intense from the beginning to the very end with a major lead changes. Texas started out on top 41-40 with 10 minutes left in the first half, with Kansas overtaking the lead 64-49 at the half. Texas and KC would tie 98-98 with 15 minutes left in the bout, making it anyone's game.
Both halves had plenty of action, but in the second half Texas struggled to adapt to two events that radically changed the course of the bout. Texas had already burned their challenge early in the game (I believe for a point dispute) when Curvette, No. 76, was called on a major low block, which was later upgraded to a gross misconduct and an ejection, when she attempted to step around the Kansas City jammer.
Chasing the jammer, Curvette was behind a half-step and tried to work her away around the inside of her opponent. Curvette inadvertently kicked the jammer and as she brought her leg around the jammer's front she used her upper right thigh to block the Kansas City skater, causing the KC jammer.
Having seen the "inadvertent kick" and after the jammer falling her jam ref called Curvette on a major low block, and upon the completion of the jam, the referees conferred and expelled Curvette for the illegal low block.
Their challenge expired, Texas had to sit by and watch Curvette as she skated back to the tournament's staging area.
Texas would also have problems with Kansas City's up tempo and frustrating defensive/offensive onslaught, with KC at one point with a four-wall in the rear of the pack holding back the Texas jammer.
Texas faced a choice of trying to slow down and pick off the Kansas City blockers hoping their jammer could get through or speeding up and forcing out-of-play calls on the KC defense and possibly "destroying the pack calls" on Texas.
TXRG chose to try and pick off the blockers, clogging up the track with plenty of bodies and making an impenetrable wall that their jammer couldn't navigate.
Later in the second half, each jammer from their respective teams was called on almost simultaneous cutting majors. Both jammers reported to the box sat at the same time.
The jammers seem confused as when they were to be released, and Kansas City Coach Ice screamed for his jammer to return to the track.
The crowd audibly upset, the referees took an official timeout at jam's end to discuss the previous events. It would be one of a couple official timeouts the zebra herd would take, with the action happening fast and the stakes at hand extremely high for both teams.
What had transpired was Dementia mistakenly thought the major track cut that was called on Texas jammer Oliva Shootin' John was directed at the KC jammer. When both jammers did return to the track and the jam ended upon Dementia's successfully calling off the jam, OSJ was instructed to return to the penalty box to serve her time, but the referees still awarded her the points she earned on her scoring passes.
However if both players had been called for major penalties and they indeed sit at the same time they would be instructed to stand, and both jammers would serve 10 seconds and be released back to the track.
As per WFTDA rules as of May 26, 2010, Section 7.4.2, if both jammers are seated in the box at the same exact moment, both Jammers will serve 10 seconds before they are simultaneously released back into play by the penalty box official.
The debacle illustrates a key point for both jammers and their respective jam ref. Upon sitting in the box, the jammer should look to her jam ref and ask what the call was, but the jam ref should also communicate what the skater was sent off for. If the jammer mistakenly went to the box, that would be the proper time for the jam ref to instruct her to return to the track.
KC's Kelley Young, formerly Snot Rocket, managed a huge 29 point jam with a minute left to play to put Kansas City on top 153-123.
KC, Texas and Nashville will join the ranks of Gotham, Philly, Charm City, Windy City, Minnesota, Madison, Bay Area Derby, Rocky Mountain and Oly to play for the coveted Hydra Trophy, the WFTDA championship.
Hometown favorites No Coast leaped three regional spots, from South Central No. 8 to No.5 beating two Derby News Network nationally ranked Top 25 teams (as of September 2010), Dallas (SC4, DNN25) and Tampa (SC6, DNN 24), their only loss to the South Central No. 1 seed Texas. No Coast also got some redemption for some losses earlier in the season against Tampa. No Coast jammer Flash Gloria won the tournament MVP, working incredibly hard in No Coast's jammer rotation.Amber Waves of Pain, the South Central Region tournament, is over, determining the final spots in the Women's Flat Track Derby Association's championship tournament.
Kansas City, Mo., reigns supreme in the South Central, upsetting Austin, Texas, in the regional finals. Nashville surprised almost everyone taking third place over Atlanta, the South Central's third seed, to take the SC's third seed heading to Chicago for Uproar on the Lakeshore.
The Texas-Kansas City was the bout to watch, capping off the three-day tournament with seasonally experienced roller derby.
The contest between the Kansas City Roller Warriors and the Texacutioners was intense from the beginning to the very end with a major lead changes. Texas started out on top 41-40 with 10 minutes left in the first half, with Kansas overtaking the lead 64-49 at the half. Texas and KC would tie 98-98 with 15 minutes left in the bout, making it anyone's game.
Both halves had plenty of action, but in the second half Texas struggled to adapt to two events that radically changed the course of the bout. Texas had already burned their challenge early in the game (I believe for a point dispute) when Curvette, No. 76, was called on a major low block, which was later upgraded to a gross misconduct and an ejection, when she attempted to step around the Kansas City jammer.
Chasing the jammer, Curvette was behind a half-step and tried to work her away around the inside of her opponent. Curvette inadvertently kicked the jammer and as she brought her leg around the jammer's front she used her upper right thigh to block the Kansas City skater, causing the KC jammer.
Having seen the "inadvertent kick" and after the jammer falling her jam ref called Curvette on a major low block, and upon the completion of the jam, the referees conferred and expelled Curvette for the illegal low block.
Their challenge expired, Texas had to sit by and watch Curvette as she skated back to the tournament's staging area.
Texas would also have problems with Kansas City's up tempo and frustrating defensive/offensive onslaught, with KC at one point with a four-wall in the rear of the pack holding back the Texas jammer.
Texas faced a choice of trying to slow down and pick off the Kansas City blockers hoping their jammer could get through or speeding up and forcing out-of-play calls on the KC defense and possibly "destroying the pack calls" on Texas.
TXRG chose to try and pick off the blockers, clogging up the track with plenty of bodies and making an impenetrable wall that their jammer couldn't navigate.
Later in the second half, each jammer from their respective teams was called on almost simultaneous cutting majors. Both jammers reported to the box sat at the same time.
The jammers seem confused as when they were to be released, and Kansas City Coach Ice screamed for his jammer to return to the track.
The crowd audibly upset, the referees took an official timeout at jam's end to discuss the previous events. It would be one of a couple official timeouts the zebra herd would take, with the action happening fast and the stakes at hand extremely high for both teams.
What had transpired was Dementia mistakenly thought the major track cut that was called on Texas jammer Oliva Shootin' John was directed at the KC jammer. When both jammers did return to the track and the jam ended upon Dementia's successfully calling off the jam, OSJ was instructed to return to the penalty box to serve her time, but the referees still awarded her the points she earned on her scoring passes.
However if both players had been called for major penalties and they indeed sit at the same time they would be instructed to stand, and both jammers would serve 10 seconds and be released back to the track.
As per WFTDA rules as of May 26, 2010, Section 7.4.2, if both jammers are seated in the box at the same exact moment, both Jammers will serve 10 seconds before they are simultaneously released back into play by the penalty box official.
The debacle illustrates a key point for both jammers and their respective jam ref. Upon sitting in the box, the jammer should look to her jam ref and ask what the call was, but the jam ref should also communicate what the skater was sent off for. If the jammer mistakenly went to the box, that would be the proper time for the jam ref to instruct her to return to the track.
KC's Kelley Young, formerly Snot Rocket, managed a huge 29 point jam with a minute left to play to put Kansas City on top 153-123.
KC, Texas and Nashville will join the ranks of Gotham, Philly, Charm City, Windy City, Minnesota, Madison, Bay Area Derby, Rocky Mountain and Oly to play for the coveted Hydra Trophy, the WFTDA championship.
Hometown favorites No Coast leaped three regional spots, from South Central No. 8 to No.5 beating two Derby News Network nationally ranked Top 25 teams (as of September 2010), Dallas (SC4, DNN25) and Tampa (SC6, DNN 24), their only loss to the South Central No. 1 seed Texas. No Coast also got some redemption for some losses earlier in the season against Tampa. No Coast jammer Flash Gloria won the tournament MVP, working incredibly hard in No Coast's jammer rotation.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)