Meany’s nsO survival guide NSO atlas Version 3.11 (2015) Based on and containing information from the ROC City Nso manuals and with the approval of gravity kills. They Live on within. By O.N. Meany
[email protected] Head nso of: Chautauqua county roller derby Northern Allegheny Roller Derby Rink assassins derby dolls North East ohio Junior NSO for: North East Ohio Roller Girls This is nOT an Official wfTda dOcuMenT. This is a “besT pracTices” handbOOk and hOw we get it done at CCRD, NARD, RADD and NEO JR.
“Behind every great man there is a great woman.” I don’t think I am a great man, but I am lucky to have a great woman behind me. Thank you #123 for being the reason I do this. This is dedicated to you because the first time I saw you flying around the track, flashing that smile, I knew where I belonged.
O.N. Meany 2014
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Table of Contents
Acknowledgements and Thanks…………….……………..3 Pick a Job…………………………………….…………….5 NSO Conduct…………………………….………………..6 Outside White Board………………………………………8 Line Up Tracker…………………………………………...12 Scorekeeper………………………………………………..18 Score Board Operator……………………………………...24 Inside White Board………………………………………...27 Penalty Tracker…………………………………………….33 Jam Timer………………………………………………….42 Penalty Box Timer…………………………………………48 Penalty Box Manager……………………………………...56 Penalty Wrangler…………………………………………..67 Head NSO………………………………………………….71
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Acknowledgements and Thanks While I will not take credit for any ideas or information in these pages, I have tried to assemble a guide of “best practices” that I borrowed from the many different teams I have worked for/with. I have also borrowed heavily from the Gravity Kills/Grief Erikkson Roc City NSO guides, which I consider to be the NSO Bibles. I bow before the authors, humbled. I am not looking to improve upon these works, just merely trying to add my experience and knowledge to theirs. I would like to thank all of the teams and people that have made me what I am today in the world of roller derby. To name a few: North East Ohio Roller Derby (NEO), Chautauqua County Roller Derby (CCRD), Providence Roller Derby (PRD), Rink Assassins Derby Dolls (RADD) and Northern Allegheny Roller Derby (NARD). The people behind the man: The Mad Flasher, 90 Degree Johnson (not only a Derby God, but a great guy), Roo Lyn Forcer (Gives the best Officials Meeting EVER, and taught me a new Ref Hand Signal), Sex, Doug and Rock & Roll (my best friend and biggest fan) and all the NSOs and Refs that ever had to put up with me. All images of the WFTDA StatsBook (April 2014 version) that appear within this manual are copyrighted and appear with permission and courtesy of The Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).
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Introduction Welcome to the wonderful world of the Non Skating Official (NSO) and the sport of flat track roller derby. If you are reading this, you might be a veteran NSO, or a brand new volunteer, or somewhere in the middle. This was written with all readers in mind. The world of roller derby changes frequently. Depending on when you read this, there may have been rule changes that need to be accounted for when absorbing the information in this guide. The information in this guide is designed to make you a more knowledgeable NSO to better help your team. Make no mistake that the nerve center of roller derby is the NSO. There is a lot of “invisible” work that occurs within each game. It is not “behind the scenes.” It is “on the scene” work that a roller derby game cannot function without.
SPECIAL NOTE: Please note the following rules from the WFTDA Rules dated January 1, 2015. 8.3.7 The Head Referee may designate NSOs to signal and enforce penalties in situations in which said NSOs are able to observe the penalty. This includes, but is not limited to, obscene, profane, or abusive language directed at said NSOs or another Official (see Section 5.16.10); removal of safety equipment while in the Penalty Box (see Section 5.13.11); Penalty Box violations (see Sections 5.13.9, 5.13.10, 5.13.11, and 5.13.20); and Delay of Game penalties (see Section 5.15). 8.3.7.1 The Head Referee may designate which NSOs are empowered to call penalties, as well as which penalties said NSOs are empowered to call, and the manner in which said penalties are enforced. 8.3.7.1.1 NSOs may only be designated to call penalties pursuant to their officiating role, to their person, or to those around them. For example, no NSO may be designated to call penalties that involve blocks or assists. 8.3.7.2 NSOs who are empowered to call penalties in this manner are bound by the same requirements as Referees, per Section 8.3 - Officiating Discretion. Consult your Head Referee about this how pertains to your assigned position.
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Pick a job! How do you know what job you’ll be good at? In each job description, I will list the materials and skills which I feel are needed to successfully and accurately perform each position. There are some positions which require your undivided attention throughout each jam. There are some that require a fair amount of math skills, knowing how to operate a stop watch, being able to be heard above the crowd, etc. I think a few of the underlying qualities that every NSO should develop are: being able to work in loud conditions, being able to focus in less than orderly circumstances and committing your attention to the game for 60 minutes, after which time you can surrender your NSO shirt and cut loose in whatever way is legal in the area you currently occupy. I have placed the NSO positions in order of difficulty and challenge, from easiest to hardest. I have also included a rating system using a 4 star ranking for each of the skill categories: Math Skills, Focus, Accuracy, Risk, Stop Watch Operation, Rule Knowledge, and Multitasking. The more stars you see next to a skill category, the more challenging the position will be in that area. The star ranking refers only to derby level skills. For example, if a position has a math ranking of ****, it doesn’t mean that you need to know Calculus! It just means that of all the NSO positions, it pretty much is constant adding. Here’s a breakdown: I rate the position of Jam Timer as follows: Math Skills 0 Focus **** Accuracy **** Risk * Stop Watch **** Rule Knowledge ** Multitasking *
The 4 stars in the categories of Focus, Accuracy and Stop Watch Operation are because Jam Timers are pretty much glued to their stop watches and are really the official time keepers for the game. Roller derby is a game of seconds. One second can mean the difference between running another jam, or simply ending the game. In a very close game, the impact of this position is immense. A Jam Timer really only needs to be familiar with rules that pertain to timing a jam, team and official time outs, and reviews. The Jam Timer is a fairly safe position. After blowing the jam whistle, the timer can move safely out of the way of skaters by standing beside or behind the Inside White Board. There is nothing to add or subtract in this position.
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Now take a look at Score Keeper: Math Skills **** Focus **** Accuracy **** Risk 0 (depending on where the Score Keeper is) Stop Watch 0 Rule Knowledge * Multitasking **
Note the difference in the two positions. The Score Keeper is responsible for keeping their eyes on the Jam Referee at all times (Focus). This position requires a person to accurately add numbers to end up with a jam total. For example, adding 4+5+5+5+4 to get 23; then add 23 to previous game totals of numbers ranging from 0 to over 400. It is the most math intensive NSO position. Accuracy is mandatory and required as teams use the score to plan game strategies. This is the worst position to make a mistake in. A Score Keeper must communicate with their Jam Referee by using hand signals and with the Scoreboard Operator to keep the score updated. The Score Keeper must also keep a score sheet that reflects the correct score (Multitasking). Scorekeepers really only need a basic working knowledge of rules that pertain to ghost points and scoring. There is no stop watch for this position. So that is how I arrived at my rating system. NSOing is not difficult, but each position requires its own level of demands in each skill category.
Conduct What, we have to behave? Yes. You are a game official, representing the teams that are playing as well as roller derby. More importantly, you are representing yourself. At CCRD, NSOs are not permitted to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol or consume alcoholic beverages during a game. This might seem harsh, but many NSO positions depend on quick thinking, accuracy, and being able to stay safe amidst flying skaters. Anything that impairs these actions should not be used during or prior to a game. NSOs should be impartial. To do this, NSOs do not cheer for their team or show favoritism to either team. We are there to do a job, and yes, it is a fun, exciting and sometimes hectic job, but it is a job that needs to be accomplished neutrally. Roller derby is a family event. NSOs should be aware of their language at all times. Use of profanity does not shed a good light on the trusted individuals that officiate a game.
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Be respectful and respected. Roller derby is a passionate sport played by passionate people, on some rare occasions tempers may boil over. If you feel you have been disrespected by a skater, coach, fan or official, notify the Head Referee or Head NSO ASAP!
General Advice NSOing can be a lot of fun. You get to be a part of something bigger than you. Please remember that you are there to do a job. It will be tempting to want to watch the game. I’ve seen a few NSOs so engrossed in the game that they didn’t write down a score or a penalty, or start a stop watch when it needed to be started. Mistakes like these can alter the outcome of the game. Don’t let this happen on your shift. If you think you made a mistake, PLEASE tell your Head Referee or Head NSO as soon as you realize it. Don’t try to cover it up. Most things in roller derby can be fixed and mistakes will be made even with the most seasoned NSO team. There are no dumb questions in roller derby NSOing.
Safety Although I placed this last in the introduction, safety is always the first thing you should be concerned about. Most NSO positions place you in close proximity to numerous skaters moving at various speeds and directions, mostly fast. You are responsible for your own safety as well as the skaters you are here to work with. You need to be “all eyes and ears” while you’re working and while you are walking in “skating zones”. Be aware of your surroundings, pay attention to objects on the track which a skater can trip over, fluids that a skater could slide on, or fans that encroach on the safety zone. Wear clothing that is comfortable and of neutral color to the two teams playing in the game. You are supposed to be impartial. Most teams will have NSO shirts. Remember to give them back after the game. Do not wear anything that can fall off and become a hazard to skaters. Do not wear open toed shoes or sandals; toes react painfully to getting run over by a skater! Have Fun! It’s not all work. There’s plenty of time for snarking around with officials and skaters! Relax and observe all the things that are happening around you. You are part of a big roller derby machine that can’t run with you!
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Outside White Board - (Now Defunct) Math Skills 0 Focus ** Accuracy ** Risk *** Stop Watch 0 Rule Knowledge * Multitasking * Materials: 1. Large dry erase board (3’ x 2’), divided into two sections, one for each team by color, with marker and eraser or rag. 2. Player roster with penalty letter code list (usually taped to the back of the dry erase board, this form can actually be found in the stats book after your Head NSO fills it out pre-game). Qualification/Abilities Needed: 1. Fair working knowledge of Referee penalty verbal cues and penalty letter codes. Knowledge of ref hand signals are a plus! 2. Good ability to hear in loud environments. 3. Being able to lift a medium sized dry erase board over your head for a minute. Description and responsibilities:
This position is staffed by two NSOs positioned at turn #2 and #4 outside the Referee track. Listen to the Outside Pack Referees (OPRs). If there is a penalty called by one of them, they will skate up to you or closely by you and tell you the call in this order: Color of team, skater number and the penalty committed. Example: Black 7 Cut Track. If you don’t hear the call, ask the Referee to repeat it. You will then write the player number and then underneath that, write the penalty code on the appropriate side of the board using the flat, wide edge of the marker (write large and thick, as it needs to be seen by the NSOs (usually the Penalty Trackers or the Wrangler) stationed in the middle of the track). You can use the roster and penalty list to help you. Get noticed. Hold the board over your head, wave it around, jump up and down, whatever you need to do to get the attention of the NSOs in the middle of the
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track. When they see you and note the penalty, they will give you the “thumbs up” gesture. DO NOT ERASE YOUR BOARD UNTIL YOU GET THE “THUMBS UP”! If you cannot get the attention of the NSOs in the center, after the jam and when it is safe (beware skaters!), you can run your penalty into the center of the track and tell the NSOs there. Get back to your position as soon as possible! You only have 30 seconds between jams! If a Referee has a penalty at the end of the jam, ask them to skate it into the center. Keep your board down by your side if you are not actively writing a penalty or erasing one, otherwise you will appear to be writing a penalty and will distract the NSOs in the center who will be expecting you to hold up that penalty. During a game, one of my NSOs was writing on the board during a jam and then was still writing when the jam ended. I ran over to get the penalty only to find he had been doodling instead! At the end of the game, return all your gear to the Head NSO. Possible complications: o There will be times when both teams will have a skater with the same number. Check with your Head NSO or Penalty Trackers before the first whistle to verify or alert them to this situation. Pay close attention to TEAM COLOR in call if this situation occurs. o Related to this situation is the possibility that many girls on one team or opposing teams will have similar numbers or similar sounding numbers. Examples include “8I” and “81”, or “17” and “70”. If you are in doubt about a call, do not be afraid to ask the Referee for clarification. Use your roster as well. Write down what you hear and after the jam, you can clarify it with the nearest Referee. Do not wait until the next jam to figure it out. Referees are not required to remember penalties forever! o Be aware of skaters getting knocked out of bounds towards you! Jack be nimble, Jack be quick! Get out of the way of the flying chick!
On the following pages are the penalties, verbal cues and penalty letter codes. Tear them out and tape them to the back of the white board, copy them, transfer them to an index card, tattoo them on your forearm, chant them like a mantra, whatever works for you! The more you commit to memory, the faster you will have those penalties ready to “beam” into the center.
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Appendix 1: WFTDA PENALTY CODES AND VERBAL CUES Back Block (B) Bench Staff Violation (I) Blocking With The Head (H) Clockwise Assist (C) Clockwise Block (C) Cutting (Cut Track) (X) Delay Of Game (Z) Destroying The Pack (P) Direction Of Gameplay (C) Elbows (E) Equipment Violation (I) Failure To Re-Enter Failure To Reform (P) Failure To Return (P) Failure To Yield (I) False Start (I) Forearms/Hands (F) Gross Misconduct (G) High Block (A) Illegal Call Off (I) Illegal Positioning (I) Illegal Procedure (I)
Illegal Re-Entry (I) Illegal Return (P) Insubordination (N) Interference (I) Low Block (L) Misconduct (G) Multi Player Block (M) Out Of Bounds Assist (O) Out Of Bounds Block (O) Out Of Play (P) Out Of Play Assist (P) Out Of Play Block (P) Penalty Box Violation (I) Skating Out Of Bounds (S) Stalling (I) Stopped Assist (C) Stopped Block (C) Star Pass Violation (I) Too Many Pivots (I) Too Many Skaters (I) Uniform Violation (I)
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APPENDIX 2: WFTDA’S PENALTY CODES AND VERBAL CUES (OLD STYLE) The penalty codes and primary verbal cues* for the penalty tracking sheets are as follows: B – Back Block I – Illegal Procedure H – Blocking With the Head L – Low Block (“Tripping”) X – Cutting (“Cut Track”) M – Multiple (“Multi”) Player Block C – Direction of Game Play O – Out of Bounds Block E – Elbows P – Out of Play F – Forearms (“Hands”) S – Skating Out of Bounds A – High Block N – Insubordination G – Misconduct/Gross Misconduct Z- Delay of Game *() = Not official WFTDA verbal cues, but often used erroneously or, in the case of Multi-Player Block, for expediency. Misconduct/Gross Misconduct Misconduct is a major penalty. Gross Misconduct is an expulsion. Some penalties can be called by multiple things. Direction of Game Play, Out of Play, and Illegal Procedure are called by the actual type of action taken. See Below.
Direction of Game Play Clockwise Block Stopped Block Clockwise Assist Stopped Assist Out of Play Failure to Re-Enter Failure to Reform Out of Play Block Illegal Return Out of Play Assist Destroying the Pack Failure to Return
False Start Too Many Skaters Too Many Pivots Illegal Call-Off Illegal Re-Entry
Illegal Procedure Penalty Box Violation Uniform Violation Star Pass Violation Bench Staff Violation Equipment Violation
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Stalling Illegal Positioning Interference Failure to Yield
Line Up Tracker – “Body Counter” Math Skills 0 Focus *** Accuracy *** Risk *** Stop Watch 0 Rule Knowledge * Multitasking ** Materials: 1. 2. 3. 4.
Erasable pen or pencil. Team rosters. Line Up Tracking Sheet. Clipboard.
Qualifications/Abilities Needed: 1. Fast, legible writer. 2. Knowledge of player positions. 3. General knowledge of game play, ex: what constitutes a pass, what is a lead jammer, Star Pass and penalties. Description and responsibilities:
Your primary responsibility is to write down the 5 players’ jersey numbers for the team you are tracking just before every jam starts; you will have about 30 seconds to do this. There are three positions: Jammer, Pivot and Blocker. There are boxes on your sheet for each position. Simply write the player number in the appropriate box. Write the number exactly as it appears on the skater’s jersey, including letters and numbers. It is more efficient to write the Blockers’ information first, then the Pivot (they will be wearing the helmet cover with a stripe down the middle). And then the Jammer (they will wear the helmet cover with large stars on it). The Pivot and Jammer will be easier to spot within the pack once the jam starts if you do not get your line up tally completed before the whistle blows and the pack starts moving.
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Be aware of players who get sent to the penalty box. Their penalty may extend into the next jam and it is important that you write their number down as starting the next jam, even if they are in the box. If you can’t get all of the player numbers before the jam whistle starts, you can still get them during the jam. Both Line up Trackers will track Star Passes: The Lineup Tracker for the Star Passing team should move to the next row, write "SP" in the Jam column, and update the Star Passing team's new lineup with the Jammer and Pivot numbers reversed (also mark the no Pivot column) and the same Blockers' numbers. Mark all skater Penalty Box exits/entries which occur after a Star Pass in the row with the new Jammer, using the appropriate Box Column Notations. Be sure to hand your equipment and forms to your HNSO at the end of the game.
Line Up Tracker Form:
This form will be supplied to you by your HNSO. Please write your name on the space marked “Lineup Tracker”. Notice that there will be at least 2 pages, and there will be sheets for period 1 and period 2. Make sure you are using the appropriate form for the period you are tracking. Write “1” in the box under the word “Jam”. DO NOT FILL OUT THE JAM NUMBERS AHEAD OF TIME! Write the next jam number only after the current jam has ended. Below is a sample of the how the form should look (hopefully!) before (or shortly after) the first jam whistle of period 1.
Team You Are Tracking Jam
1
noPivot
Jamm er
123
Box
O.N. MEANY
Pivot
42
Box
Lineup Tracker Block er Box
SPF 40
2014-03-14
White
Date Bloc ker
QC
13
1
Box
Color Bloc ker
ZY
Box
Team Roster
123
The Mad Flasher
42
1% Milf
SPF 40
Sun Scream
QC
QC Fruit
ZY
Zyzyva
Now, let’s say that the team you are tracking does not put a pivot out on the track for jam 2. You simply mark “X” in the box that reads “No Pivot” and then write the extra blocker’s number (in this case # 123) in the pivot space. Your sheet should look like this:
Team You Are Tracking Jam
noPivot
1 2
X
Jamm er
Box
Pivot
123
42
42
123
Box
O.N. MEANY
2014-03-14
Lineup Tracker Block er Box
Date
SPF 40 SPF 40
Bloc ker
Box
1
White Color
Bloc ker
Box
Team Roster
QC
ZY
123
The Mad Flasher
QC
ZY
42
1% Milf
SPF 40
Sun Scream
QC
QC Fruit
ZY
Zyzyva
Suppose in the 3rd jam your team completes a Star Pass. You will now see why you shouldn’t fill in all the jam numbers ahead of time! The original Jammer, #SPF40 passed the star to #123. What you do in this case is write “SP” (for Star Pass) in the next Jam number box, and then write the 123 in the Jammer box and SPF40 in the pivot box, however since there is no longer a Pivot for this team, you will also check the “No Pivot” box. After this jam you will resume with Jam #4, as shown on the following page.
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Team You Are Tracking Jam
noPivot
1 2
X
3 SP
X
Jamm er
Box
Pivot
123
42
42
123
SPF 40
123
123
SPF 40
Box
O.N. MEANY
2014-03-14
Lineup Tracker Bloc ker Box
Date
SPF 40 SPF 40
Block er
Box
1
White Color
Bloc ker
Box
Team Roster
QC
ZY
123
The Mad Flasher
QC
ZY
42
1% Milf
QC
ZY
42
SPF 40
Sun Scream
QC
ZY
42
QC
QC Fruit
ZY
Zyzyva
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Things can get a little tricky with this next section. You’ll notice there are 3 small boxes labeled “Box” after each space where you’ve entered a player’s number. These are spaces for you to fill in penalty box activity for the player preceding the boxes. The key codes for these boxes are as follows: Box Column Notations
/
Skater entered the box this jam.
X
Skater both entered and exited the box this jam.
S
Skater began this jam from the box.
$
Skater began this jam from the box and then exited the box.
3
Jam was called off due to this skater's injury.
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POP QUIZ!!! What happened here? Take a minute and go jam by jam, the answers are on the next page.
Team You Are Tracking Jam
noPivot
1 2
123 X
3 SP 4
Jamm er
X
Box
X
Pivot
42
Box
O.N. MEANY
2014-03-14
Lineup Tracker Bloc ker Box
Date
SPF 40 SPF 40
Block er
QC
/ $ X
White Color
Bloc ker
ZY
/
Team Roster
123
The Mad Flasher
42
1% Milf
SPF 40
Sun Scream
123
SPF 40
123
QC
ZY
123
SPF 40
QC
ZY
42
QC
QC Fruit
QC
SPF 40
42
ZY
ZY
Zyzyva
3
16
$
ZY
Box
42
123
QC
Box
1
42
S X X
Answers: 1. In jam #1, 123 is sent to the box, serves her time and returns to the track. QC and ZY are sent to the box at different times and do not return to the track during this jam. 2. In jam #2, QC begins the jam from the box, and returns to the track. ZY begins the jam in the box and does not return to the track during this jam. QC is sent to the box again and returns to the track in this jam. 3. In jam #3, ZY begins the jam in the box and returns to the track during this jam. 42 is sent to the box twice and returns to the track twice in this jam. 4. This jam was ended due to 123 getting injured.
PLEASE NOTE: If a skater starts a jam in the box and you mark an “S” in the box next to her name, it is permissible to add a vertical line through the “S” to make “$”. Do not mark an “S” then add a “$” for any one skater per jam. Simply convert the “S” to “$”. **** Some leagues will want the two line up trackers to switch the teams they are tracking for in the second period. If this is the case, make sure you have the correct team paperwork for the second period.
AFTER THE BOUT HAND IN YOUR PAPERWORK AND MATERIALS TO THE HNSO!!!
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Score Keeper - “Jammer Accountant” Math Skills **** Focus **** Accuracy **** Risk 0 (depending on where the Score Keeper is) Stop Watch 0 Rule Knowledge * Multitasking ** Applicable WFTDA Rules: 7.1- 7.2.8.3 Materials: 1. Clipboard. 2. Erasable pens or pencils. 3. Scorekeeping form from stats book (to be supplied to you by HNSO) 4. Calculator. 5. Team color duct tape cloth wristband. Qualifications/Abilities Needed: 1. Good working knowledge of roller derby scoring and star pass rules. 2. Good ability to communicate with Referees and NSOs. 3. Ability to focus and work accurately in loud areas, amid chaos. Description and responsibilities:
Your primary job is to watch your assigned Jam Referee and communicate with him/her through hand signals to relay the number of points scored by your assigned jammer. Write down the points on the score sheet and keep an accurate running tally of total points scored. Communicate with the scoreboard operator so that the scoreboard is accurate.
Tips and Tricks:
When you are assigned to this position, make sure you introduce yourself to your assigned Jam Referee before team introduction and safety checks. The best time is probably immediately after the Official’s Meeting. The purpose of this meeting is
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to verify the hand signals you will be using to designate the number of points that the Jam Referee will be relaying to you. Points scored will be between 0 and 5 (rarely 6, but is possible if the jammer double laps the opposing jammer). I’ve found that each Referee will have his/her own signal preference for these numbers. Most Referees will use their index finger to signify “1”, some Referees might use the index and middle finger (the peace sign) to signify “2” while I have also seen the index finger and little finger (like the heavy metal horns) used for “2.” Take time and go over the signs that are going to be used. In venues where there is low light or the scorekeeper table is far away from the track, I have seen Referees use strips of colored duct tape on their fingers to improve visibility. Be careful if your jammer becomes lead jammer that you don’t mistake the Referee’s “L” hand signal for a point scored. Remember that your jammer will not score points until they have made it through the pack the first time. When your Jam Referee holds up his/her number hand signal, it means your jammer has scored that many points. The first points scored during a jam will always be during the second pass no matter how long it takes that jammer to score, or how many passes the other jammer has made. (This will be mentioned again when the score keeper sheet is explained). When your Jam Referee wants to relay point signals to you, s/he will wait until his/her jammer has made it through the pack and when s/he has a clear visual on you. S/he will have his/her hand raised with the hand signal for the number of points scored. S/he will rotate his/her hand, showing you the palm side and then the back of his/her hand. S/he will repeat this action until you mirror the signal back to him/her and nod your head in an affirmative manner. Keep your hand signal raised until you see the Jam Referee nod back, then lower your hand and write the points in the appropriate box on the score sheet. Stay focused on your Jam Referee during the entire jam, as there may be multiple passes made by jammers. If you have a question about the score or points scored during a jam, get your Jam Referee’s attention and clarify it after the jam. FAILSAFE: Rule 7.2.6.3.2 states : If less than two minutes remain on the Official Period Clock during the second period, points awarded or denied in error must be corrected prior to the start, rather than the conclusion, of the following jam. Officials may take Official Timeouts as necessary to ensure that the score is correct prior to the start of such a jam. Check with your HNSO and Head Ref regarding this opportunity. (Personally, having been HNSO in a bout where a scorekeeper had an addition error which I caught when I double checked the sheet during intermission, I recommend verifying and rechecking your math before the last jam is run.)
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The Rule Of Thumb: Say you are scorekeeping for the white team. During a jam, a black team jammer gets a penalty and reports to the box. during the next pass, your Jam Ref holds up four fingers signifying four points.... but wait... shouldn't white jammer get a point for the skater in the penalty box? Obviously you need to signal back to that ref that you have a question! How do you do that? Here's the Rule of Thumb: When your Jam Ref flashes you four fingers and you have a question about whether he should have held up five fingers, simply return his signal with 5 fingers, but wiggle your thumb to indicate you have a question about points awarded. If you discuss this method with your Jam Ref before the game, he will skate over as soon as the jam ends and you can verify his points. If a Jammer is awarded points during an initial pass, these should be recorded in the "Pass 2" column in this manner: (Initial Pass Points) + (Second Pass Points)
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201 40314
Blue
Team you are scoring
1 Meany
Pinky
Scorekeeper
Jammer Ref
Date
NP
INJ.
CALL
LEAD
J Jammer A 's M Number
LOST
Color Pas s2
Pass 3
Pas s4
Pass 5
Pas s6
Pass 7
Pass 8
Pas s9
Pas s 10
Jam Tota l
Gam e Total
Score Keeper Form OMG!!! Look at all the boxes! Yikes! Don’t worry. I will break down this form and explain each one.
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Starting from the top, if it is not already filled in, write the team name and color of the team you are scoring. Also, fill in your name and the name of your Jam Referee. In the upper right, you will see a large “1.” This means that this sheet is used for the first period. The sheet used for the second period will have a “2” in the same box. Make sure you have the right sheet for the team you are tracking and that you are using the correct sheet for the period you are in. 1. Jam: Along the left side of the form you will find this box. All you need to do is write in the number of the current jam. Ex: if it is the first jam of the game, you would enter a “1”. If it is the second jam, you would write “2” and so on. DO NOT FILL THESE BOXES OUT IN ADVANCE! I will explain later; just write the number of the jam that is going to occur. 2. Jammer Number: Simply write the number of the skater on your assigned team that is wearing the star panty on her helmet. 3. LOST/LEAD/CALL/INJ/NP: USE “X” a. Lost: Mark this box if your team’s jammer was the first to exit the pack but failed to become lead jammer or has lost Lead Jammer status. This could be due to: i. That Jammer removing the helmet cover for any reason. ii. That Jammer being assessed a penalty. iii. That Jammer having their helmet cover removed by a teammate. iv. Getting a penalty. b. Lead: Mark this box if your Jam Referee blows his whistle, points to your team’s jammer, and raises his/her other hand to makes an “L” shape hand sign with his index finger and thumb. c. Call: Mark this box if your jammer is lead jammer and calls off the jam. d. Injury: Mark this box if the jam is stopped due to an injury to a skater on the team you are scoring. e. No Pass: Mark this box if your jammer does not make it through the pack before the end of the jam. If your jammer does make it through the pack but does not score any points, do not “X” this box, but do put a “0” in pass #2 box. 4. Pass #2: Write the first number that you see your Jam Referee signal to you in this box for each jam. 5. Pass #3 through Pass #10: Write down subsequent points you get from your Jam Ref. 6. Jam Total: At the end of the jam, add up all the points scored in that jam by your team’s jammer and write the total in this box. 7. Game Total: Add your jam total to the game total from the previous jam and write the new game total in the box. Repeat this for every jam until the end of the period/game. 8. (Not Shown) At the end of the period write the last period total in the last box at the bottom right of the form under Game Total.
POP QUIZ!!! On the following page is a partially completed score sheet. See if you can deduce what happened. The answers are below the picture.
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1 123
NP
INJ.
X X
2 13 S P 123 3
CALL
LEAD
Jamm er's Numb er
LOST
JA M
Pas s2
5
5
4
4
X
7
Pass 3
Pas s4
Pas s5
Pas s6
Pas s7
Pas s8
P as s 9
Pas s 10
5
4
Gam e Total
15 15
3
X
4 21 X X
Jam Total
4
8
23
7
30
0
30
4
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Answers: 1. During jam #1, 123 makes it through the pack first and is awarded Lead Jammer. On her second, third, and fourth pass, she passes 5 of the opposing team’s skaters and scores 5 points for each of those passes. She calls off the jam after pass #4. 2. During jam #2, 13 does not make it through the pack first and is not awarded Lead Jammer. She does, however, still score 4 points each during her second and third pass. She then passes the star panty to 123 who also scores four points in pass #4 and three in pass #5 before the jam is called dead due to 123 getting injured (Note how the star pass is documented above. “SP” is written below the jam number that it happens in, in this case jam 2. “123” is written in the jammer # box and any points she scores will be documented beginning in the pass #4 box. THIS IS WHY YOU SHOULDN’T FILL IN JAM NUMBERS AHEAD OF TIME!). 3. During jam #3, 7 does not make it through the pack and the “NP” box is marked with an “X.” 4. In jam #4, 21 is awarded lead jammer but loses lead jammer due to reasons stated above.
CHECK, DOUBLE, TRIPLE CHECK YOUR MATH!!!! When the game ends, take your completed score sheet and materials to your HNSO.
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Score Board Operator - “Mission Control”
Math Skills * Focus **** Accuracy **** Risk 0 Stop Watch 0 Rule Knowledge * Multitasking *** Materials: 1. 2. 3. 4.
Laptop computer and game software. Projection screen or remote scoreboard. Proximity to and communication with Score Keepers Visual contact with Jam Timer.
Qualifications/Abilities Needed: 1. Some basic computer skills. 2. Ability to work well in loud areas, amid chaos. 3. Familiarity with game software. Description and responsibilities:
Your location will vary from venue to venue. Most leagues operate in hockey rinks and place the Score Board Operator and the Score Keepers in the original location of the hockey score board operator; usually between the team benches or penalty boxes. The best positions allow the scoreboard operator and scorekeepers to be elevated higher than the track for better visibility. Game software varies from team to team and it is a good idea to check with the AV personnel as to the workings and specifics of the software your team uses. WFTDA uses Carolina Scoreboard for their tournaments. There are a few others out there such as JamTracker, Ultimate Derby Scoreboard, etc. The good news is that most of the software is available for free, or a copy can be borrowed for you to practice on prior to the game from the safety of your own home and PC. Rather than try to run down all the different types of scoring software and explain them all, I will focus on the basics of the job which will prepare you for the job itself.
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Your primary responsibilities are to maintain the visual score of the game as well as the Official Period Clock and Official Jam Clock. Keep your eyes on the Jam timer. His announcement of "5 seconds" will be your cue to be ready to start the jam clock. His whistle will cue you to start the jam clock. You may need to make adjustments during time outs to the period clock as decreed by the Head Referee and Jam Timer. Check with your Jam Timer during timeouts to see if the scoreboard clock is accurate. Report any and all issues with software/hardware to the Head Referee as soon as possible. You will update the scores of both teams during the jam with point information that the Score Keepers will tell you. Most software has a convenient “+4” or “+5” button which adds those specific number of points to the score total. Do not input points into the scoreboard until you are given them from the scorekeepers. Listen and watch carefully for timeout whistles. These will be four short whistle blasts accompanied by timeout hand signals, either from a Referee or an NSO. Do not stop the clock until you hear the whistle and see the signal. After a time out (long wavering whistle), listen for the beginning jam whistle to restart the clock. Verify the accuracy of your score board with the scorekeepers’ score sheets as often as you can. Make sure when you are learning the software that you know how to change the score and the game clock. I’ve never worked a game where some adjustment in these areas didn’t occur. Screenshot of derby software:
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This particular program is called JamTracker, available at www.rollerderbyproductions.com
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Inside White Board – “Hot Board” Math Skills 0 Focus *** Accuracy *** Risk ** Stop Watch 0 Rule Knowledge ** Multitasking * Materials: 1. Large dry erase board that can be seen easily by staff and skaters on their team bench, with easel. 2. A couple of dry erase markers, the thicker the better. 3. List of WFTDA letter codes for penalties. 4. Player rosters. Qualifications/Abilities Needed: 1. Good working knowledge of WFTDA penalty code letters. 2. Ability to work well in loud areas, amid chaos. 3. Ability to “be small” and “stay out of the way”. Description and responsibilities:
Your location will be in the center of the track oval. Your primary responsibility is to write down (track) penalties called on skaters on both teams on the large dry erase board. There are many types of Inside White Boards and they will vary from team to team. Below are some pictures of a few of the white boards I’ve used.
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Make sure that your board has player numbers written on it before the game begins. Sometimes you will have to do this. Other times, it might be filled out before you get there. If you have to do it, arrange it numero-alphabetic for players beginning with numbers, in ascending order from lowest to highest, then alphanumeric for those players beginning with letters.
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o Example of ordering: 01 123 49 8997 A1 A77 B4U SPF40 All that aside, the best way to write the player numbers on the board is exactly in the order they appear on the penalty tracker sheets. This makes it easier to sync the IWB with the penalty trackers.
You will be told what to write down by the Penalty Wrangler or the Penalty Trackers. When you hear a ref blow his whistle, be on alert for a penalty call. When you hear the penalty, for example “Purple 123, Low Block”, you will find the corresponding skater’s number and color on your white board and mark an “L” (L is letter code for Low Block) in the first empty space to the right of their number. *Note*: Some leagues merely require the IWB NSO to mark an “X” for all the penalties instead of using the correct letter code. Check with your HNSO for instructions about this variation. “X” is also the penalty code for “Cut Track” and could lead to confusion. You will monitor the Outside White Boards (if applicable) at turns 2 and 4 for incoming penalties and notify the Penalty Trackers and/or Wrangler. You will monitor the penalty box for their white board. If the penalty box NSO is holding up a white board with a player’s number on it, immediately notify the Wrangler or IPR (Inside Pack Referee). If the penalty box NSOs are holding up such a sign, it means that there is a blocker in queue and the skater with that number must report to the penalty box to begin serving their penalty. Every second counts in roller derby! When you see that a skater has gotten their sixth penalty, immediately notify the Head Referee or Wrangler. At every break in play (time outs, half time, etc), please check your board against the two penalty trackers’ paperwork. In the event there is a discrepancy, the penalty trackers are always right, and you should change your board to match their documentation. Do not stand in front of the white board unless you are writing on it. Please stand to the side and out of the way of the Referees and wrangler. Coaches, Referees, NSOs and players need to be able to reference the board at any time.
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You will indicate that a skater has served their penalty by writing a small dot or tick under the letter code of a penalized skater when that skater sits in the Penalty Box to serve their penalty. When a wrangler or penalty tracker tells you a penalty, repeat the penalty back to them in this manner: o Wrangler: “Purple 123, Cut Track” o You: “Purple 123, Cut Track, Got it!” Immediately write the penalty on the board. The reason for the echo is so that the penalty trackers and the wrangler know you heard them, and also maybe you heard a penalty that the trackers didn’t and by repeating it, you give them another chance to get the call. Possible Complications: o Watch out for similar sounding player numbers, for example “80” and “18”. o Several penalties may come in at once. Just repeat what you hear and try to write everything down as quickly as possible. o You are in a high traffic area. Be aware of your environment. It’s full of skaters, Referees and NSOs! o It is perfectly fine for you to ask for a penalty to be repeated if you didn’t hear it the first time.
On the following pages are the penalties, verbal cues and penalty letter codes. Tear them out and tape them to the back of the white board, copy them, transfer them to an index card, tattoo them on your forearm, chant them like a mantra, whatever works for you! The more you commit to memory, the faster you will get those penalties on the board.
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Appendix 1: WFTDA PENALTY CODES AND VERBAL CUES Back Block (B) Bench Staff Violation (I) Blocking With The Head (H) Clockwise Assist (C) Clockwise Block (C) Cutting (Cut Track) (X) Delay Of Game (Z) Destroying The Pack (P) Direction Of Gameplay (C) Elbows (E) Equipment Violation (I) Failure To Re-Enter Failure To Reform (P) Failure To Return (P) Failure To Yield (I) False Start (I) Forearms/Hands (F) Gross Misconduct (G) High Block (A) Illegal Call Off (I) Illegal Positioning (I) Illegal Procedure (I)
Illegal Re-Entry (I) Illegal Return (P) Insubordination (N) Interference (I) Low Block (L) Misconduct (G) Multi Player Block (M) Out Of Bounds Assist (O) Out Of Bounds Block (O) Out Of Play (P) Out Of Play Assist (P) Out Of Play Block (P) Penalty Box Violation (I) Skating Out Of Bounds (S) Stalling (I) Stopped Assist (C) Stopped Block (C) Star Pass Violation (I) Too Many Pivots (I) Too Many Skaters (I) Uniform Violation (I)
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APPENDIX 2: WFTDA’S PENALTY CODES AND VERBAL CUES (OLD STYLE) The penalty codes and primary verbal cues* for the penalty tracking sheets are as follows: B – Back Block I – Illegal Procedure H – Blocking With the Head L – Low Block (“Tripping”) X – Cutting (“Cut Track”) M – Multiple (“Multi”) Player Block C – Direction of Game Play O – Out of Bounds Block E – Elbows P – Out of Play F – Forearms (“Hands”) S – Skating Out of Bounds A – High Block N – Insubordination G – Misconduct/Gross Misconduct Z- Delay of Game *() = Not official WFTDA verbal cues, but often used erroneously or, in the case of Multi-Player Block, for expediency. Misconduct/Gross Misconduct Misconduct is a major penalty. Gross Misconduct is an expulsion. Some penalties can be called by multiple things. Direction of Game Play, Out of Play, and Illegal Procedure are called by the actual type of action taken. See Below.
Direction of Game Play Clockwise Block Stopped Block Clockwise Assist Stopped Assist Out of Play Failure to Re-Enter Failure to Reform Out of Play Block Illegal Return Out of Play Assist Destroying the Pack Failure to Return
False Start Too Many Skaters Too Many Pivots Illegal Call-Off Illegal Re-Entry
Illegal Procedure Penalty Box Violation Uniform Violation Star Pass Violation Bench Staff Violation Equipment Violation
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Stalling Illegal Positioning Interference Failure to Yield
Penalty Tracker - “Sin Tracker” Math Skills 0 Focus **** Accuracy **** Risk ** Stop Watch 0 Rule Knowledge ** Multitasking **** Materials: 1. Clipboard. 2. Erasable pen or pencil. 3. Penalty tracking form from stats book (to be supplied to you by HNSO) 4. Penalty code sheet. Qualifications/Abilities Needed: 1. Good working knowledge of penalty codes and Referee hand signals. 2. Good ability to communicate with Referees and NSOs. 3. Ability to work well in loud areas, amid chaos. Description and responsibilities:
Your primary job is to document each penalty incurred by each skater. You will be told this information by the Penalty Wrangler, the other Penalty Tracker, the NSO posted on the Inside White Board, and/or a Referee. Your secondary job is to echo and verify each penalty you hear for your assigned team. For example, say you are tracking the blue team. A Referee will call and the Penalty Wrangler will relay a penalty on a skater. This may happen right in front of you or it may happen far away from you. You need to watch and listen to the Referees (inside and outside the track) and the Penalty Wrangler. The Referee or Penalty Wrangler will tell you the penalty call in this order: COLOR/NUMBER/PENALTY. Ex: “BLUE 123 CUT TRACK!” When you hear this, you repeat “BLUE 123 CUT TRACK, GOT IT!” Immediately write the penalty code and jam number on the line of the appropriate skater, and relay the penalty to the Inside White Board. Your form should look like this:
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Home Team
BLUE Color
# 123
PENALTY / JAM #
FO/EXP
2014-03-14
ON MEANY
Date
Penalty Tracker
TOTAL
NOTES
X
1
1
2
#
3
427
4 5
SPF40
6 7
QC
8 9
ZYZ
10
Notice next to the skater number “123” there is an “X” which is the letter code for Cut Track and under that a “1” meaning that the penalty happened in the first jam. ** The jam in which the penalty occurred should be recorded on the Penalties sheet, regardless of when the penalty is served. *** "If a skater commits a penalty between two jams, then the jam number of the jam in which the Skater was participating should be used. For example, a late hit would be recorded in the previous jam, whereas an Illegal Engagement while lining up for a jam would be reported for the upcoming jam." (WFTDA Officials Standard Practices January 2015) **** "Any Delay of Game penalties should be recorded for the upcoming jam; that is, the jam that is being delayed to issue the penalty. If the officials fail to issue a Delay of Game penalty at the start of a jam, then the penalty will be recorded for the subsequent jam." (WFTDA Official Standard Practices January 2015)
Your tertiary job is to keep an eye on the Outside White Boards (if used) and the Penalty Box White Board. If you see the NSO assigned to Outside White Board holding up his board with a penalty written on it, immediately document the penalty if it is on the team you are tracking and repeat the penalty for the IWB NSO. If it is not on the team you are tracking, notify the other Penalty Tracker and the IWB. In both cases, you should also notify the Head Referee and Penalty Wrangler. This ensures the penalized skater reports to the penalty box. If the Penalty Box NSO is holding up their white board, it means that they need a skater
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to report to the box. The two circumstances that this will occur are if a blocker was in queue and was waved off by the Penalty Box NSOs, or a skater has left the box prematurely. Immediately notify the Head Referee or Wrangler if you see this. Also if you notice a skater reports to the box and no penalty has been reported, check with the PW, HR or IWB in between jams. Fourthly, it is your responsibility to notify the Head Referee and the Penalty Wrangler when a skater receives their 6th penalty, or when a skater enters the track with 6 penalties. If you want to score brownie points with your Jam Referees, you can tell them how many penalties their assigned jammer has while the jammers are lining up before a jam. Only do this when the jammer in question has 5 or more penalties. Always tell the Jam Referees when their Jammer has 6 penalties. When you see that a skater has reached 7 penalties, notify the Head Referee and Wrangler immediately. It helps to be aware when a player with 6 penalties lines up for a jam at all times. During equipment check, verify your tracking sheet with your assigned team. It’s easier to do this while the skaters are all lined up. Check for players who are not on your sheet and check for skaters whose number is on your sheet but not in the line up. Verify with the coach if there are any discrepancies. If there were changes, scratch any players who are on your sheet but not playing in the game, and add any players to your sheet if they were a last minute add and skating in the game. Notify the Line Up Trackers, Inside White Board, Head Ref, and Wrangler of any changes. Depending on the NSO staffing of your team, you may be asked to track both teams. In this case, you will be given a sheet with both team rosters side by side on one side so that you don’t have to flip pages. This situation requires extra vigilance especially in penalty heavy games. You need to keep track of what the current jam number is. You need this information to accurately complete the tracking form. An easy way to do this is to use the numbers on your form under the heading “NOTES”.
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Home Team
BLUE Color
#
PENALTY / JAM #
123
FO/EXP
2014-03-14
ON MEANY
Date
Penalty Tracker
TOTAL
NOTES
X
1
1
2
#
3
427
4 5
SPF40
6 7
QC
8 9
ZYZ
10
Notice that the numbers run down the sheet starting at 1. These are for you to keep track of the jam numbers. If you are tracking one team, you will have one sheet; one half for each period. The form will have the exact same roster on the right half for the second period as it does on the left half used for the first period. In this case, if you circle the jam number that you are currently in it will help you keep track. When the second period starts you can color in the circle you made around the number for the current jam you are in. You can also put one slash through the numbers for the first period and then add a second slash for the second period, to make an “X” over the number. I’ve also seen people put a check mark to the left of the number for the first period and then a check mark to the right of it for the second period. The choice is yours. When in doubt check with the score keepers or line up trackers between jams. There is a picture at the end of this manual with a correctly filled out penalty tracking form, you can see an example of how that tracker kept track of jams.
When you look at the penalty tracking sheet, you will notice that it is used in “landscape” or lengthwise position. There is a left half (first period) and right half (second period). You will either have the same team and skaters on each half, or you will have the two different teams and skaters on each half. If you have the same team on both halves, you might be tracking that team the entire bout, or you might have to switch clipboards at the end of the first period (check with your Head NSO!). If your paper looks like this, at the end of the first period, you need to transfer all of the skaters’ penalties over to the other half of the sheet which is used for the second period. You can do this one of two ways: you can write the
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penalty codes and jam numbers on the corresponding skater’s boxes, or you can simply shade in the boxes that those letters and numbers would have occupied. So, if a skater received 3 penalties in the first period, you would shade or darken in the first three boxes of her line for the second period. This way, you can still keep the correct number of penalties carried over from the first period. If a skater receives a penalty in the second period, simply resume writing the letter code and jam number in the first empty box to the right of the player’s number. If you have both teams on your sheet, allow the other tracker to use your form to shade in their boxes, and you should shade in the boxes for the team you will track in the second period. With the latest WFTDA stats book (4/2014), the number of penalty boxes on the “Dual Tracker’ sheet has been increased to 9. Why? Sometimes a captain will have to serve a penalty that was called on her coach, etc. In those cases, the penalty did not count against her foul out total, so the extra spaces in this stats book are to used for those penalties These extra slots are useful also if a skater has 6 penalties and gets a double penalty. A skater may be assessed a double penalty. A Referee will designate a double penalty by putting his index and middle finger of his right hand (signifying “two”) on his left wrist (where a person might wear a wrist watch.). If you see a Referee make this sign, it means that the skater will serve 60 seconds (30 X 2). Mark two boxes on that skater’s line if this occurs. Notify the Penalty Wrangler/IWB if you notice this. Make sure the Penalty Box NSOs are aware of this if you are in proximity to them. Foul Outs and Expulsions: When a skater accumulates 7 penalties, she must leave the track and bench area. You will mark the box labeled “FO/EXP” with “FO”. If a skater is expelled from the game, you will write the penalty code in this box. Tips and tricks: o I like my Penalty Trackers to be a little mobile. By this, I don’t mean following the Wrangler around the track, as you need to stay near the IWB. Simply moving a few feet in the direction of the action can improve your vision and hearing. o I think you can improve your penalty tracking efficiency tenfold if you learn the penalty hand signals. That way you just need to focus on hearing the number and color of the skater. o Your Wrangler will be following the pack as most penalties occur within the pack. While he/she is manning that, you can keep half an eye on your jam refs and white boards. o If you see your Wrangler leaving his/her position to relay a penalty to the other tracker, try to take a few steps toward the pack to listen for any calls that might occur until the Wrangler can return to the pack.
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o
o Incorrect or nonexistent player numbers called for a penalty must be verified with the calling official or HR between jams. o At the end of the first period, note if there are any skaters in the Penalty Box. Those skaters have to return to the box by the start of the second period. I instruct my Penalty Trackers to circle the skater’s number on the tracking sheet if they are in the box at the end of the period. If that skater is not in the box when the first jam whistle or the second period sounds, notify the Head Referee and a penalty will be given to that team. It is not your responsibility to, nor should you, alert the skater or the team prior to the second period that they have to report or have a skater report to the Penalty Box. You are not a coach. o Echo the calls back to the Referees and Wrangler and add “Got it!” I can’t stress enough the importance of this! Make a mental note if there are similar sounding numbers on the same team, or if both teams have a skater with the same number.
An example of a correctly filled out tracking sheet. The next two pages contain penalty information. The first appendix has all of the current penalties in alphabetical order for ease of finding penalties by the verbal cues that you will hear from the Referees. The second is the older version that includes what I call “penalty families;” mainly the breakdown of penalties under the broader headings of Direction of Game Play, Illegal Procedure, and Out of Play. Appendix 1 contains all
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those penalties as well, but I think is a little easier to use. I included it on a page all to itself in case you wanted to tear it out and tape it your clipboard.
NOTES
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Appendix 1: WFTDA PENALTY CODES AND VERBAL CUES Back Block (B) Bench Staff Violation (I) Blocking With The Head (H) Clockwise Assist (C) Clockwise Block (C) Cutting (Cut Track) (X) Delay Of Game (Z) Destroying The Pack (P) Direction Of Gameplay (C) Elbows (E) Equipment Violation (I) Failure To Re-Enter Failure To Reform (P) Failure To Return (P) Failure To Yield (I) False Start (I) Forearms/Hands (F) Gross Misconduct (G) High Block (A) Illegal Call Off (I) Illegal Positioning (I) Illegal Procedure (I)
Illegal Re-Entry (I) Illegal Return (P) Insubordination (N) Interference (I) Low Block (L) Misconduct (G) Multi Player Block (M) Out Of Bounds Assist (O) Out Of Bounds Block (O) Out Of Play (P) Out Of Play Assist (P) Out Of Play Block (P) Penalty Box Violation (I) Skating Out Of Bounds (S) Stalling (I) Stopped Assist (C) Stopped Block (C) Star Pass Violation (I) Too Many Pivots (I) Too Many Skaters (I) Uniform Violation (I)
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APPENDIX 2: WFTDA’S PENALTY CODES AND VERBAL CUES (OLD STYLE) The penalty codes and primary verbal cues* for the penalty tracking sheets are as follows: B – Back Block I – Illegal Procedure H – Blocking With the Head L – Low Block (“Tripping”) X – Cutting (“Cut Track”) M – Multiple (“Multi”) Player Block C – Direction of Game Play O – Out of Bounds Block E – Elbows P – Out of Play F – Forearms (“Hands”) S – Skating Out of Bounds A – High Block N – Insubordination G – Misconduct/Gross Misconduct Z- Delay of Game *() = Not official WFTDA verbal cues, but often used erroneously or, in the case of Multi-Player Block, for expediency. Misconduct/Gross Misconduct Misconduct is a major penalty. Gross Misconduct is an expulsion. Some penalties can be called by multiple things. Direction of Game Play, Out of Play, and Illegal Procedure are called by the actual type of action taken. See Below.
Direction of Game Play Clockwise Block Stopped Block Clockwise Assist Stopped Assist Out of Play Failure to Re-Enter Failure to Reform Out of Play Block Illegal Return Out of Play Assist Destroying the Pack Failure to Return
False Start Too Many Skaters Too Many Pivots Illegal Call-Off Illegal Re-Entry
Illegal Procedure Penalty Box Violation Uniform Violation Star Pass Violation Bench Staff Violation Equipment Violation
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Stalling Illegal Positioning Interference Failure to Yield
Jam Timer - “Father Time” Math Skills 0 Focus *** Accuracy **** Risk ** Stop Watch **** Rule Knowledge ** Multitasking ** Applicable WFTDA Rules: 1.10, 1.4 - 1.7, Materials: 1. Stop watches, two minimum. 2. Smart Phone application (check with your league to see if they allow the use of these). 3. Whistle (Fox 40 preferred, see below for type). Qualifications/Abilities Needed: 1. Good working knowledge of WFTDA rules pertaining to time outs, official reviews and game structure. 2. Ability to work well in loud areas, amid chaos. 3. Ability to “be small” and “stay out of the way.” Description and responsibilities:
Your location will be in the center of the track oval. While signaling the start of the jam, you should be positioned where you can be seen and heard by the pack, jammers, and out of the way of Referees. You will be starting and timing each jam. Each jam lasts 2 minutes unless it is called by the lead jammer or a Referee. If neither one of these events happen, and the jam lasts the entire two minutes, it is your responsibility to officially end the jam at the 2 minute mark by blowing your whistle in 4 short blasts. (Put some time into practicing your whistle skills. I find that using your tongue to block the whistle mouthpiece works best). Important times that you must know: o Each jam lasts two minutes unless it is whistled dead by a Referee or Jam Timer blowing 4 short blasts on his whistle.
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o There are two periods in a WFTDA game; each lasts 30 minutes. o Team timeouts last one minute. o There is no time limit for official time outs or Official Reviews o Players have 30 seconds between jams to line up. The Period or Game Clock: o This is the clock visible to the audience, skaters and officials. It is kept and run by the scoreboard operator. o This clock runs continuously unless an official or team time out is called or in the case of an emergency, such as a downed skater or Referee, or safety issue. o The Head Referee is your point of contact for stopping and restarting or adjusting the clock. o If the period clock is stopped, it restarts on the whistle of the very next jam. o In some leagues, the backup Official Game Clock is kept by the jam timer and may be used to adjust the Official Game Clock. This is up to the Head Referee. Starting the game. o The Head Referee will give you the signal to start the first jam. You should be standing near the pivot line, behind the inside track line, and in the center oval, not on the track! After you get the signal to start the jam, raise your hand and yell “5 seconds!” Put the whistle in your mouth and count off in your head “one Mississippi, two Mississippi… up to 5 Mississippi. When you hit the 5 second mark, bring your hand down in a swift, single chopping motion, and blow a single short blast on your whistle, and start your timer. You will point to the Pivot Line in the same motion as your hand chop reaches the bottom of its swing. Starting subsequent jams: o After the first and following jams end, there will be 30 seconds for skaters to get into position. o At the leagues I work for, if I notice the Referees are in a huddle and not in position when there are ten seconds remaining in that 30 seconds, I will make a special “10 seconds!” notification. This gives them time to either wrap up their huddle, or call an official time out. o If at the 5 second mark the Referees are still in a huddle or not in position, call an official time out. Blow four short whistle blasts and give the hand signal for official time out. (You should stand in the center of the track near the pivot line and repeat this signal until the time out is over.) More on this later! o Be in the position as stated earlier.
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o When there are only 5 seconds remaining out of the 30 seconds, raise your hand and yell “5 seconds!” o When the 5 seconds has passed, bring your arm down in a single chopping motion, blow one short blast on the whistle, and start your stopwatch or timer. A jam ends when the following occurs: o Two minutes has elapsed. If this occurs, blow your whistle in 4 short blasts (Begin timing 30 seconds immediately). o A downed skater that is unable to clear the track. o The Lead Jammer calls off the jam. The Jam Referee or Head Referee will blow their whistle in 4 short blasts. You will notice that all the other Referees will also echo that whistle to signify the end of the jam. You will also blow your whistle in 4 short blasts, but ONLY AFTER YOU HEAR THE 4th BLAST FROM THE FIRST WHISTLE SET!!!!! Stop your timer on the first Referee’s fourth whistle blast. The jam is not over until that fourth whistle blast. o Safety issue occurs. Time outs: o Official Time Outs: Can be called by Referees or NSOs for various reasons such as a safety concern, to discuss a penalty call, etc. When a Referee signals for an Official Timeout, the JT should immediately sound four short whistle blasts, stop the Official Period Clock, and get in position in front of the Pivot Line. The JT must also use the corresponding hand signal for an Official Timeout. Signaled by a Referee or NSO (The signal for Official Timeout is fingertips of right and left hands touching the corresponding shoulder, then raising both hands to form a “Y” (like the YMCA song), then back to the shoulders, repeat). Stops the period clock. Signal the Scoreboard Operator that there is a TO. Make sure the period clock is stopped and make any adjustments that are needed. Stand in the center of the track and repeat the official time out signal. No time limit. The Head Referee will signal to you to begin the next jam. Warn the skaters that the next whistle ends the time out and does not start the jam, blow another long wavering blast and return to your position inside the center of the track. Begin the pre-jam 30 second timer.
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Announce loudly, “Next whistle starts the jam!” The Period clock will resume running on the jam start whistle. o Team Time Outs: Once seeing the Team Captain or Designated alternate signal for the time out the official will check to see if that teams has time outs remaining. The Referee or JT (whoever saw the signal first will blow four short blasts beginning the timeout. Stops the period clock. Signal the Scoreboard Operator that there is a TO. Make sure the period clock is stopped and make any adjustments that are needed. Lasts for one minute. Called by Team Captain or Designated Alternate. Can be taken only between jams. The official signal is the hands coming together and forming a “T” in front of the body. Start the timer for one minute, and step into the center of the track and make the team time out signal then point with both arms to the team's bench that called the time out. At the end of the 60 second time out, warn the skaters that the next whistle ends the time out, blow a long wavering blast on your whistle and step off the track. Begin the pre-jam 30 second timer. Announce loudly that the next whistle starts the jam. The period clock will resume on the jam start whistle. o Official Reviews: Once seeing the Team Captain or Designated alternate signal for the Official Review the official will check to see if that teams has an Official Review remaining. The Referee or JT (whoever saw the signal first will blow four short blasts beginning the timeout. Stops the period clock, Signal the Scoreboard Operator that there is a TO. Make sure the period clock is stopped and make any adjustments that are needed. No time limit. Can be taken only between jams. The official signal is the hands coming together, finger tips to finger tips and thumbs to thumbs and forming an “O” in front of the body or over your head. Step into the center of the track and repeat the Official Review signal. then point with both arms to the team's bench that called the
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time out, Repeat until you are notified by the HR to end the Official Review. Warn the skaters that the next whistle ends the time out, blow a long wavering blast on your whistle and step off the track. Begin the pre-jam 30 second timer. Announce loudly that the next whistle starts the jam. The period clock will resume on the jam start whistle.
o Tips and tricks: o Once two minutes have elapsed in a jam, the JT should sound four short whistle blasts and use the corresponding hand signal (same as a Jammer calling off a jam- repeated putting hands on hips) for the end of the jam. If the jam is called off for any other reason, the JT should still echo the Referee whistles, but no hand signal will be used. o Know your timing device. Practice as much as you can before the game. There are a lot of good smart phone apps out there that can time jams, time outs, and also run the game clock. Just remember to check with your Head NSO to see if you can use this option. Also, if you do use your smart phone for this purpose, please put it in “airplane mode” so that incoming calls, texts, and emails don’t interfere with the app. o If using stop watches, use one for jam timing and one for the 30 seconds between jam timer and the official timeout timer. o After blowing the jam whistle, try to get out of the way of Referees and NSOs. I recommend getting to the white board area as soon as possible. The center of the track is busy and full of NSOs, Referees and the occasional blocked skater. Keep one eye on the stop watch and one eye for your safety. o Make sure the scoreboard clock starts and stops as dictated by timeouts. o Clarify with your Head Referee if he wants you to get an “all clear” signal from him before starting each jam, or the first jam after a time out. o Position yourself and speak loudly enough to be heard by skaters and Referees, but not in the way. Once you blow that jam whistle, there will be skater movement in front of you, and Referee and NSO movement behind and around you. o When choosing a whistle, you will find there are two types: One with a lanyard, to be hung around your neck, and one that has an attachment that slips over your index and middle finger so you wear it like a ring. As you will have one hand in the air to signal the beginning of a jam, and the other hand will be holding your smart phone or stop watch, I recommend the lanyard type as it frees up one hand. Advice: if you go with the lanyard
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type, keep the whistle in your mouth or in the your hand during the jam so you don’t have to hunt around your chest to find it as the jam nears two minutes or a jammer calls off the jam. I usually Jam Time and Wrangle at the same time, and it is easier for me to hold my smart phone in my left or signaling hand, (I can still see my timer over my head) and a ring whistle in my mouth on my right hand. When I switch immediately into Wrangler mode, I have a free hand so I can mimic the Referee signals for my penalty trackers and I know exactly where that whistle is in case I need it. Most jam timer apps have an option to vibrate the phone when there are ten seconds left in the jam, I would suggest you choose one that has that option. "If the Head Referee has given the JT authorization to call Delay of Game penalties, they should check the Penalty Box during the 30 seconds between jams to see if a Skater is in queue. If that Skater is not on the track at the 29.9-second mark, the JT should blow four whistles, timed so the fourth whistle ends at the 30-second mark, and make the Official Timeout hand signal. They then should make the penalty call with the proper verbal cues and hand signals." (WFTDA Officiating Standard Procedures) An example of a Jam Timer app:
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Penalty Box Timer - “Doing Hard Time” or “Sin Bin” Math Skills * Focus **** Accuracy **** Risk ** (depending on where the penalty box is) Stop Watch **** Rule Knowledge **** Multitasking ** Applicable WFTDA Rules: 1.8, 6.1 – 6.4.5.1.3, 8.3.7 Materials: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Clipboard. Erasable pen or pencil. Penalty Box Paperwork. Three Stop watches for timers, two for manager or viable app. Medium sized dry erase board and dry erase marker with rag or eraser, AKA Penalty Box White Board (PBWB), divided into two sections, one for each team with the color of each team written on their respective half.
Qualifications/Abilities Needed: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Excellent working knowledge of penalty box rules. Good ability to communicate with skaters, Referees and NSOs. Ability to focus and work accurately in loud areas, amid chaos. Stop watch/App practice (know how to start, stop, and reset them). Knowledge of Referee Hand Signals and Officiating Verbal Cues (http://wftda.com/officiating).
Description and responsibilities:
You will be timing skaters’ penalties. You will instruct skaters where to sit and when to stand and when their penalty time has expired. "When a Skater comes into the Penalty Box, a Penalty Box Official must signal the appropriate side and/or seat as the Skater skates into the Penalty Box." (WFTDA Officiating Standard Practices, January 2015) If you are the Penalty Box Manager, you will be timing the jammers.
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Penalty boxes differ from team to team. I’ve seen penalty boxes that are mid way between the team benches. I’ve seen them outside the Referee track between turns 3 and 4. I’ve seen penalty boxes that contain folding chairs for skaters to sit on and even saw one that had couches! All those boxes had 3 places per team for penalized skaters to sit and serve their time. The penalty box must have two seats marked with a “B” for blockers and one seat marked with a “J” for a jammer (per team, so the order of the seats should look like this: B-B-J ---J-B-B. I’ve seen seats marked with a piece of paper taped to the back of the chair. I’ve also seen pillow cases with embroidered letters that fit over the chair backs. The designated areas or sides for each team should be opposite their team bench. Areas or sides should be switched at the half.
A penalty is 30 seconds long and doesn’t begin until the penalized skater enters the penalty box legally and is seated in a seat in her correct side of the penalty box. Blockers and Jammers have different rules that apply to them which will be explained later. Point of No Return: this is a line, maybe painted, maybe a strip of duct tape that is on the far right of the penalty box area. If a skater comes into the penalty box area and entirely passes that line, the skater must skate another lap around the track in a counterclockwise direction and re-enter the penalty box. The PBT or PBM must use the Referee hand signal for "Return To The Track" and say "(COLOR), (NUMBER), SKATE AROUND)." "As long as the skater is touching the floor or a chair within the boundaries of the furthest forward edge of the Penalty Box (the “Point of No Return”), they should still be considered to be in the Penalty Box and need not skate around to enter the Penalty Box. The boundary line is to be considered “in.” The Point of No Return line is considered to extend through the track, and a Skater who passes that line on the track and skates clockwise to enter the penalty box must be instructed to skate around." (WFTDA Officiating Standard Practices, January 2015)
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A skater may be assessed a double penalty. A Referee will designate a double penalty by putting his index and middle finger of his right hand (signifying “two”) on his left wrist (where a person might wear a wrist watch.). If you see a Referee make this sign, it means that the skater will serve 60 seconds (30 times 2). Notify the Penalty Box Manager. If a skater enters the penalty box area but does not sit down, do not begin timing the penalty until the skater sits. Notify the skater that her penalty timing will not start until she is seated. If a skater stands before being instructed to, you will stop timing her penalty until she is seated again. You will notify her as such: "TIMING STOPPED FOR (COLOR), (NUMBER)." If a skater does not stand when instructed to by the penalty box NSO, stop timing her penalty until she stands. You will notify the skater that her time will not resume until she is standing, as well as announce: "TIMING STOPPED FOR (COLOR), (NUMBER)." If a skater leaves the penalty box before you tell her to, stop her timer and notify the Penalty Box Supervisor/or closest Referee. "For any penalty occurring in the Penalty Box, the PBM should write the Skater’s number on the PBWB with the correct penalty code underneath that number. The PBM should circle the code to show that the Penalty Box Official is making the call. If the Penalty Box Officials are not authorized to make penalty calls or not authorized to make certain calls, the Penalty Box Officials should write the Skater’s number, but not circle the penalty code, to signal that a Referee is needed to issue the penalty." (WFTDA Officiating Standard Practices January 2015) Skaters are only allowed to remove their mouth guard while in the box. No other piece of uniform or safety equipment can be removed. If you notice this, notify a Referee via the procedure outlined above. Penalized skaters cannot leave the penalty box, nor can their coach or teammates enter the box area to communicate with them. It is allowed for a teammate to pass a skater a water bottle. It is to be passed and not thrown or tossed. If a skater enters the penalty box area and purposefully makes contact with and moves seats, or breaks seats, or causes a seat to make contact with an opposing skater, they will be issued a penalty. Notify the Head Referee if you witness this. The Skater must also realign the chairs and sit prior to her original penalty starting. Proper timing procedure: 1. You will start your stop watch or app when a skater who has entered the box legally and sits in her correct seat/chair. 2. You will identify the skater you are timing in this order: “(COLOR), (NUMBER) STAND.” (EX: “BLUE 123
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STAND”). You will say the word “STAND” as your timer indicates they have ten (10) seconds remaining on their penalty time. 3. You will identify the skater you are timing in this order: “(COLOR), (NUMBER) DONE.” Time it so that you say “DONE” on the exact second your timer hits 00 or 30 depending on whether you have a countdown or count up timer. 4. Reset your timer/stop watch and prepare for the next skater. 5. You will stop your penalty timer/app whenever a jam ends, [when you hear 4 short blasts of the Jam Timer’s whistle (stop your timer when you hear the fourth blast of that whistle)], during timeouts, and restart it on the first whistle of the following jam. 6. Remember that a jam can continue to run after the period clock has expired. Keep your timer running until the jam ends. 7. When you have to stop timing a skater, for example at the end of a jam, you will say "TIMING STOPPED FOR (COLOR), (NUMBER)." A skater or bench staff is allowed to ask you how much time is remaining on a penalty. You will supply this information as long as it does not interfere with your primary responsibilities in the penalty box. Blocker/Pivot Timing: A team must have at least one blocker on the track at all times to form a pack. And although there are only two blocker seats per team in the penalty box, it is possible to have three blockers in the box for one team. This is easily explained, so sit tight. Imagine you are penalty timing the Blue team, and both blocker seats are occupied. One of the blockers has ten seconds remaining on her penalty time and you instruct her to stand “(COLOR NUMBER STAND).” This leaves an empty chair. Now, say that right after you tell that blocker to stand, another Blue blocker gets a penalty and skates to the box while the other blocker is standing. You can motion her to sit in the vacant blocker chair. You can start her penalty time when she is seated with the third stop watch. When the standing blocker’s time is up, using the proper directive, inform her that she is “(COLOR) (NUMBER) DONE.” Now, what if both your blocker seats are occupied and another blocker from the same team gets a penalty and skates towards the bench? A penalized skater is required to report to the penalty box if they get a penalty, so when that blocker reports to the box, you or the penalty box manager will wave the skater back to the track using the proper referee hand signal for "Return To The Track" and the verbal cue: "(COLOR), (NUMBER),
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YOU"RE IN THE QUEUE." Write that skater’s color and number down on the white board. When a seated blocker stands, the penalty box supervisor will hold the white board up so a Referee can tell that skater that they should report to the penalty box. Start that skater’s time when they are seated. When the skaters line up before the jam starts, make sure the teams have accounted for players who are serving penalties in the box. If the team you are assigned to time for has a skater in the box and is fielding a full line up on the track, something is rotten in Denmark! Notify the Penalty Box Manager right away. If there is no Supervisor, wait until after the jam whistle is blown and notify the closest ref. It is not your responsibility to notify teams to account for players they may have in the box. We do not coach. Foul Outs: If you are able to see the IWB or if you are using a form that tracks the number of penalties that each skater has, try to keep an eye on skaters that are approaching the 5 or 6 penalty mark. The Penalty Trackers will also signal you that a skater has reached 7 penalties. When a skater skates to the box after receiving their 7th penalty, that skater must immediately leave the playing area after sitting down, follow the normal procedure for timing a penalty and begin timing when she sits down and the PBM tells the skater to leave the playing area. At the end of the current jam there may be an official time out during which her penalties will be reviewed by the HR and the penalty tracker unless the HR has already approved of the foul out. That skater can sit or stand in the audience area and watch the game or return to her locker room. In the event that the skater does not complete the 30 seconds of her time before the end of the jam, the Team Captain will serve the remainder of her time in the following jam as the position she was serving when she got the penalty (Jammer/Pivot or Blocker), then be released back into play in the following jam after the time is completely served. SPECIAL NOTE: Treat the empty seat in which the skater would have been sitting in as if it were occupied by a penalized skater. The seat should be marked in a way that it is clear to other Officials that the chair is being timed. A clipboard on the seat should be sufficient, discuss this method with your HNSO and HR at the Official's Meeting. That seat will not be available for another skater (Blocker or Pivot) to sit in until after 20 seconds- when you would have told that skater to stand- and not be considered empty until after 30 seconds or when the penalty is completed (in the case of a Jammer). If the teams swap benches at halftime, the colors on the PBWB will also be swapped at halftime. Make note of skaters who are in the penalty box at the end of the first period and write their color, number and time remaining on their penalty on the PBWB before releasing the skaters. Before the beginning of the second period, the HR and the Penalty Box Officials will identify any Skaters who still have time to
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serve who are not seated in the Penalty Box in the correct position. . If they still have time to serve and do not return to the box at the start of the 2nd period, after the first jam whistle is sounded, notify the nearest Referee and explain the problem. Be “All Eyes and Ears!” Listen for whistles that mean a penalty has been called and always be ready with your stop watch! Assist the Penalty Box Manager in getting a Referees attention. Occasionally, the NSOs in the middle of the track will try to communicate with the Penalty Box Manager; keep an eye and ear open for that. Be aware of your surroundings. Skaters are in a hurry to get into the box to serve their time and enter at high rates of speed. Tips and tricks: If you notice a penalty being called or see a skater exit the track and start skating toward the penalty box, call out “Incoming (COLOR) (POSITION)!” Ex: “Incoming Blue Jammer!” That puts the penalty box staff on alert and gives a few extra seconds to prepare. If you are using an app, please remember to put your phone into airplane mode so that an incoming text or call doesn’t interfere with the timing of a skater. In the event that short staffing requires you to time a team’s Blockers and Jammers, make sure you have good communication with the other penalty box timer to communicate jammer times! WTFDA Rules, January 1, 2015 , allows for the following under the mentioned rule number: 8.3.7 The Head Referee may designate NSOs to signal and enforce penalties in situations in which said NSOs are able to observe the penalty. This includes, but is not limited to, obscene, profane, or abusive language directed at said NSOs or another Official (see Section 5.16.10); removal of safety equipment while in the Penalty Box (see Section 5.13.11); Penalty Box violations (see Sections 5.13.9, 5.13.10, 5.13.11, and 5.13.20); and Delay of Game penalties (see Section 5.15). ..8.3.7.1 The Head Referee may designate which NSOs are empowered to call penalties, as well as which penalties said NSOs are empowered to call, and the manner in which said penalties are enforced. ...8.3.7.1.1 NSOs may only be designated to call penalties pursuant to their officiating role, to their person, or to those around them. For example, no NSO may be designated to call penalties that involve blocks or assists... 8.3.7.2 NSOs who are empowered to call penalties in this manner are bound by the same requirements as Referees, per Section 8.3 - Officiating Discretion. Please check with your HNSO and Head Referee as to how this applies to you in this position and how the calling and communication of the penalty is to be carried out. The HR may authorize the Penalty Box NSOs to call penalties. For example, being allowed to "address early departures from the Penalty Box or illegal entry to
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the Penalty Box. These are examples and not an exhaustive listing." (WFTDA Officiating Standard Practices, January 2015) When authorized and calling a penalty, the NSO should use the proper verbal cue and hand signal, but omit the use of a whistle. (WFTDA Officiating Standard Practices, January 2015) Item of interest: While the current WFTDA rules do not dictate on which seat a skater has to sit for the PB NSO to start her timer, neither do those rules state that the skater can sit in any seat she chooses. The only official WFTDA document that states anything related to this is the most recent Officials Standard Procedures of January 2015 which states: "When a Skater comes into the Penalty Box, a Penalty Box Official must signal the appropriate side and/or seat as the Skater skates into the Penalty Box." Rather than speculate on what is the correct procedure for starting your timer, either the skater being seated in a seat anywhere or in her assigned team and position seat (Jammer or Blocker), I suggest you check with your HR and HNSO during the Official's Meeting. A current practice among leagues is that the skater still needs to sit in the correct team penalty box but does not have to sit in the chair designated to their position for her penalty time to start. A skater can be asked to slide over to her appropriate seat after they sit. Check with your HR to see if an insubordination penalty should be given if a skater fails to sit in her team's penalty box against the directions of the PB NSO.
Now the moment you’ve been waiting for!!!! Penalty Box Paper work! YAY!
Blue
Home Team
Color Period
Jam #
Team
Skater #
Pos
In
Stand
Done
2014-03-14
MEANY
Date Penalty Box Timer Stopwatch at End of Jam # Jam 1
1
2
2
3
3
4
4
Box Trips 123
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The Penalty Box Form. ****This is only one half (left side) of the form. There is an identical right side which is to be used for the second period. Don’t Panic! 1. The first 5 boxes are pretty self explanatory. When a skater enters the box, fill in the period (either 1 or 2), the number of the jam [you will notice toward the right side of the
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2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
form there is a box titled “Jam #” and two columns of numbers under it, one side for the first period (left column) and the other side for the second period (right column). You can keep an accurate jam count if you circle the number of the jam that is about to begin and then color in that circle when the jam is complete. Repeat this for the duration of the period. When the second period begins, use the numbers on the right side and do the same thing]. In the Team box, you want to write the team color of the team you are tracking. Under skater #, enter the penalized skater’s number. In the boxes under “Pos,” enter either a “P,” “B,” or “J” for Pivot, Blocker, or Jammer. Now here’s where it gets tricky. In the Box under “In,” you will write the time that you began timing her penalty on your timer or stop watch, not the period clock. So, if your stop watch starts timing at “00” and counts up to “30” seconds, you will enter “0” in this box. If your timer runs in a countdown fashion, then you will enter “30.” In the box under “Stand,” you will enter the time on your stop watch or timer at which you instructed the skater to stand. So, if your stop watch starts timing at “00” and counts up to “30” seconds, you will enter “20” in this box. If your timer runs in a countdown fashion, then you will enter “10.” Under the box marked “Done,” you will enter the time on your stop watch at which you instructed the skater that her penalty time was “Done.” If your stop watch starts timing at “00” and counts up to “30” seconds, you will enter “30” in this box. If your timer runs in a countdown fashion, then you will enter “0.” a. Keep in mind that these numbers will vary if your skater is issued a double penalty. If a jam ends with a skater in the box, stop your timer at the fourth whistle and write the time on your stop watch or timer in the first box marked “Stop watch at end of Jam.” This time will always vary, and will either be the time a skater has remaining on her time, or the time she has already served depending on your timer (count up or countdown.) Resume your timer when the next jam whistle sounds. The last box is labeled “Box Trips.” This is for you to keep track of each skater’s penalties by entering a tally mark in this box each time a skater reports to the penalty box. You might not be in a position to see the Inside White Board to see that a skater has amassed 7 penalties, and if a skater has reached 7 penalties, they are not to report to the penalty box, but immediately leave the track area. You may need to wave a skater off and inform them of this if they report to the box on their seventh penalty.
Be familiar with the WFTDA rules that govern penalties and the penalty box! Be familiar with the duties of the Penalty Box Manager and the timing of Jammers! HAND IN YOUR PAPERWORK AND EQUIPMENT TO THE HEAD NSO AFTER THE BOUT!!! 55
Penalty Box Manager – “Sin Bin Warden” Math Skills * Focus **** Accuracy **** Risk ** (depending on where the penalty box is) Stop Watch **** Rule Knowledge **** Multitasking *** Applicable WFTDA Rules: 1.8, 6.1 – 6.4.5.1.3, 8.3.7 Materials: 1. 2. 3. 4.
Clipboard. Erasable pen or pencil. Penalty Box Paperwork. Six or more stop watches, two or three each for penalty timer, two for manager or viable app. 5. Medium sized dry erase board and dry erase marker with rag or eraser, AKA Penalty Box White Board (PBWB), divided into two sections, one for each team with the color of each team written on their respective half. Qualifications/Abilities Needed: 1. Excellent working knowledge of penalty box rules/Referee Hand Signals and Officiating Verbal Cues. (http://wftda.com/officiating) 2. Good ability to communicate with skaters, Referees and NSOs. 3. Ability to focus and work accurately in loud areas, amid chaos. 4. Stop watch/App practice (know how to start, stop, and reset them). Description and responsibilities:
You are the Penalty Box Manager. You will be timing the jammers. You may be timing Blocker and Pivot penalties depending on bout staffing. You will instruct skaters where to sit and when to stand and when their penalty time has expired. "When a Skater comes into the Penalty Box, a Penalty Box Official must signal the appropriate side and/or seat as the Skater skates into the Penalty Box." (WFTDA Officiating Standard Practices, January 2015) As Penalty Box Manager, you are responsible for setting up (positioning and marking chairs, and taping the Point of No Return) and running the Penalty Box.
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Penalty boxes differ from team to team. I’ve seen penalty boxes that are mid way between the team benches. I’ve seen them outside the Referee track between turns 3 and 4. I have seen penalty boxes that contain folding chairs for skaters to sit on and even saw one that had couches! All those boxes had 3 places per team for penalized skaters to sit and serve their time. The penalty box must have two seats marked with a “B” for blockers and one seat marked with a “J” for a jammer (per team), so the order of the seats should look like this: B-B-J ---J-B-B. I’ve seen seats marked with a piece of paper taped to the back of the chair. I’ve also seen pillow cases with embroidered letters that fit over the chair backs. The designated areas or sides for each team should be opposite their team bench. Areas or sides should be switched at the half.
A penalty is 30 seconds long and doesn’t begin until the penalized skater enters the penalty box legally and is seated in a seat in her correct side of the penalty box. Blockers and Jammers have different rules that apply to them, which will be explained later. Point of No Return: this is a line, maybe painted, maybe a strip of duct tape that is on the far right of the penalty box area. If a skater comes into the penalty box area and entirely passes that line, the skater must skate another lap around the track in a counterclockwise direction and re-enter the penalty box. The PBT or PBM must use the Referee hand signal for "Return To The Track" and say "(COLOR), (NUMBER), SKATE AROUND)." "As long as the skater is touching the floor or a chair within the boundaries of the furthest forward edge of the Penalty Box (the “Point of No Return”), they should still be considered to be in the Penalty Box and need not skate around to enter the Penalty Box. The boundary line is to be considered “in.” The Point of No Return line is considered to extend through the track, and a Skater who passes that line on the track and skates clockwise to enter the penalty box must be instructed to skate around." (WFTDA Officiating Standard Practices, January 2015)
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A skater may be assessed a double penalty. A Referee will designate a double penalty by putting his index and middle finger of his right hand (signifying “two”) on his left wrist (where a person might wear a wrist watch). If you see a Referee make this sign, it means that the skater will serve 60 seconds (30 times 2). Notify the Penalty Box Timer if you notice this. If a skater enters the penalty box area, but does not sit down, do not begin timing her penalty until the skater sits. Notify the skater that her penalty timing will not start until she is seated. If a skater stands before being instructed to, you will stop timing her penalty until she is seated again. You will notify her as such: "TIMING STOPPED FOR (COLOR), (NUMBER)." If a skater does not stand when instructed to by the penalty box NSO, stop timing her penalty until she stands. You will notify the skater that her time will not resume until she is standing, as well as announce: "TIMING STOPPED FOR (COLOR), (NUMBER)." If a skater leaves the penalty box before you tell her to, stop her timer and notify the Penalty Box Supervisor/or closest Referee. . "For any penalty occurring in the Penalty Box, the PBM should write the Skater’s number on the PBWB with the correct penalty code underneath that number. The PBM should circle the code to show that the Penalty Box Official is making the call. If the Penalty Box Officials are not authorized to make penalty calls or not authorized to make certain calls, the Penalty Box Officials should write the Skater’s number, but not circle the penalty code, to signal that a Referee is needed to issue the penalty." (WFTDA Officiating Standard Practices January 2015) Skaters are only allowed to remove their mouth guard while in the box. No other piece of uniform or safety equipment can be removed. If you notice this, notify a Referee via the procedure outlined above. Penalized skaters cannot leave the penalty box, nor can their coach or teammates enter the box area to communicate with them. It is allowed for a teammate to pass a skater a water bottle. It is to be passed and not thrown or tossed. If a skater enters the penalty box area and purposefully makes contact with and moves seats, or breaks seats, or causes a seat to make contact with an opposing skater, they will be issued a penalty. Notify the Head Referee if you witness this. The skater must also realign the chairs and sit prior to her original penalty starting. Proper timing procedure: 1. You will start your stop watch or app when a skater that has entered the box legally and sits in her correct seat/chair.
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2. You will identify the skater you are timing in this order: “(COLOR), (NUMBER) STAND.” (EX: “BLUE 123 STAND”). You will say the word “STAND” as your timer indicates they have ten (10) seconds remaining on their penalty time. 3. You will identify the skater you are timing in this order: “(COLOR), (NUMBER), DONE.” Timing it so that you say “DONE” on the exact second your timer hits 00 or 30 depending on whether you have a countdown or count up timer. 4. Reset your timer/stop watch and prepare for the next skater. 5. You will stop your penalty timer/app whenever a jam ends, [when you hear 4 short blasts of the Jam Timer’s whistle (stop your timer when you hear the fourth blast of that whistle)], during timeouts, and restart it on the first whistle of the following jam. 6. Remember that a jam can continue to run after the period clock has expired. Keep your timer running until the jam ends. 7. When you have to stop timing a skater, for example at the end of a jam, you will say "TIMING STOPPED FOR (COLOR), (NUMBER)."
A skater or bench staff is allowed to ask you how much time is remaining on a penalty. You will supply this information as long as it does not interfere with your primary responsibilities in the penalty box. Blocker/Pivot Timing: A team must have at least one blocker on the track at all times to form a pack. And although there are only two blocker seats per team in the penalty box, it is possible to have three blockers in the box for one team. This is easily explained, so sit tight. Imagine you are penalty timing the Blue team, and you have both blocker seats occupied. One of the blockers has ten seconds remaining on her penalty time and you instruct her to stand “(COLOR NUMBER STAND)”. This leaves an empty chair. Now, say that right after you tell that blocker to stand, another Blue blocker gets a penalty and skates to the box while the other blocker is standing. You can motion her to sit in the vacant blocker chair. You can start her penalty time when she is seated with the third stop watch. When the standing blocker’s time is up, using the proper directive, inform her that she is “(COLOR) (NUMBER) DONE.” Now, what if both your blocker seats are occupied and another blocker from the same team gets a penalty and
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skates towards the bench? A penalized skater is required to report to the penalty box if they get a penalty, so when that blocker reports to the box, you or the penalty box manager will wave the skater back to the track using the proper referee hand signal for "Return To The Track" and the verbal cue: "(COLOR), (NUMBER), YOU"RE IN THE QUEUE." Write that skater’s color and number down on the white board. When a seated blocker stands, the penalty box supervisor will hold the white board up so a Referee can tell that skater that they should report to the penalty box. Start that skater’s time when they are seated. Jammer Timing: Special rules exist governing the timing of Jammers. It is best to familiarize yourself with section 6.3 of the current WFTDA rules dated 1/1/2015. I will attempt to put these rules into a few scenarios that apply to your position. a. Ex #1: During a jam, a jammer is assessed a penalty for cutting the track. The jammer enters the box and you begin timing her penalty. You will handle jammer penalties in much the same way you do pivot and blocker penalties, see Proper Timing section above. Jammers also serve 30 seconds, so following the procedure, you will release her after she serves the 30 seconds. b. Ex #2: Team colors for the purpose of this exercise are black and white. During a jam, White Jammer is assessed a penalty and skates properly to the penalty box. When she sits down, you begin timing. While White Jammer is serving her penalty, Black Jammer also gets a penalty and also reports correctly to the penalty box. This is where the special Jammer timing rule kicks in. For simplicity, let’s call this situation where a Jammer enters the penalty box when there is not another Jammer already seated (or as we will find out later in EX #4, there is jammer serving a penalty of less than 30 seconds due to completing a previous “SET) as beginning a “SET”. When the opposing Jammer sits while a Jammer is in the box serving a 30 second penalty time, it completes the “SET” and actions occur. Namely, Rule 6.3. WFTDA rules state that opposing Jammers will serve the same amount of time. In this situation, when the Black Jammer sits in her assigned seat, you will immediately stop the White Jammer’s timer, start the Black Jammer’s timer and say “White (NUMBER), DONE!” (identify the White Jammer, there is no “STAND” command) . Note the amount of time that the White
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Jammer served. This is the time that you will apply to the Black Jammer. If the White Jammer’s timer shows that she served 17 seconds when you stopped her timer, then the Black Jammer will also only serve 17 seconds. When the Black Jammer has 10 seconds remaining, you will give the “STAND” command and then the “DONE” command when her time expires. c. Ex #3: During another jam, with a few seconds remaining in the jam, Black Jammer gets a penalty and reports to the box and sits. You start her timer and stop it when the jam ends. The timer reads that she has served 5 seconds of her 30 second penalty. The whistle for the next jam sounds and you resume her timer. White Jammer is called on a penalty, reports to the box and sits while Black Jammer is still sitting in the box. Black Jammer’s timer reveals that she has served 20 seconds. This also completes a “SET” even though it extends through a new jam. You should: immediately stop the Black Jammer’s timer, start the White Jammer’s timer and say “Black, (NUMBER), DONE!” (identify the Black Jammer, there is no “STAND” command). Note the amount of time that the Black Jammer served. This is the time that you will apply to the White Jammer. In this case, the Black Jammer’s timer shows that she served 20 seconds when you stopped her timer. The White Jammer will also only serve 20 seconds. When the White Jammer has 10 seconds remaining, you will give the “STAND” command and then the “DONE” command when her time expires. d. EX #4: During another jam, near the end of the jam, Black Jammer gets a penalty and reports to the box and sits. You start her timer. Soon after, White Jammer also receives a penalty and reports to the box and sits. You stop Black Jammer’s timer and release her while starting White Jammer’s timer. Black Jammer’s timer shows that she served 25 seconds of her penalty, which means that White Jammer must also serve 25 seconds. However, the jam is whistled dead and you stop her timer, and note that she has 20 seconds left to serve once the new jam begins. This will complete a “SET” once she serves that time. A jammer starting a “SET” and a jammer completing a “SET” will
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always serve the same amount of time. Now to complicate matters further, the new jam starts (you resume White Jammer’s timer) and Black Jammer gets a penalty and reports to the box and sits while White Jammer is still serving her penalty from the last set (the 25 second one). You should: continue timing White Jammer’s original penalty (giving the “STAND” and DONE command when appropriate- there is no completion of a “SET” in this case as White Jammer was not serving 30 seconds; she was serving 25 and there will be a jammer-less jam for a period of time), and begin Black Jammer’s timer as soon as she sits. Black Jammer’s arrival has started a new set and she will serve 30 seconds unless White Jammer returns to the box after being released and Black Jammer is still serving the 30 seconds and completes the “SET”. If the White Jammer does not return to the box, you will follow the usual release procedure for the Black Jammer as she is now just serving a 30 second penalty. e. If both Jammers report to the box and sit at the exact same time, you will immediately start their timers and give the command for both Jammers to “STAND”. When ten seconds has elapsed, you will give the “DONE” command and release the Jammers. f. If the second Jammer arrives in the Penalty Box between jams while the first Jammer is still penalized, the PBM will instruct the first Jammer to stand but not leave the Penalty Box. The first Jammer must start the jam from within the Penalty Box. When the skaters line up before the jam starts, make sure the teams have accounted for players who are serving penalties in the box. If either team is fielding a full line up on the track when they have a skater in the penalty box, something is rotten in Denmark! Wait until after the jam whistle is blown and notify the closest Referee. It is not your responsibility to notify teams to account for players they may have in the box. We do not coach. Foul Outs: If you are able to see the IWB or if you are using a form that tracks the number of penalties that each skater has, try to keep an eye on skaters that are approaching the 5 or 6 penalty mark. The Penalty Trackers will also signal you that a skater has reached 7 penalties. When a skater skates to the box after receiving their 7th penalty, that skater must immediately leave the playing area after sitting down, follow the normal procedure for timing a penalty and begin
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timing when she sits down and the PBM tells the skater to leave the playing area. At the end of the current jam there may be an official time out during which her penalties will be reviewed by the HR and the penalty tracker unless the HR has already approved of the foul out. That skater can sit or stand in the audience area and watch the game or return to her locker room. In the event that the skater does not complete the 30 seconds of her time before the end of the jam, the Team Captain will serve the remainder of her time in the following jam as the position she was serving when she got the penalty (Jammer/Pivot or Blocker), then be released back into play in the following jam after the time is completely served. SPECIAL NOTE: Treat the empty seat in which the skater would have been sitting in as if it were occupied by a penalized skater. That seat will not be available for another skater (Blocker or Pivot) to sit in until after 20 secondswhen you would have told that skater to stand- and not be considered empty until after 30 seconds or when the penalty is completed (in the case of a Jammer). Make note of skaters who are in the penalty box at the end of the first period. If they still have time to serve and do not return to the box at the start of the 2nd period, after the first jam whistle is sounded, notify the nearest Referee and explain the problem. Once again, we are not coaches. Be “All Eyes and Ears!” Listen for whistles that mean a penalty has been called and always be ready with your stop watch! Occasionally, the NSOs in the middle of the track will try to communicate with you. Keep an eye and ear open for that. Be aware of your surroundings. Skaters are in a hurry to get into the box to serve their time and enter at high rates of speed. Tips and tricks: If you notice a penalty being called or see a skater exit the track and start skating toward the penalty box, call out “Incoming (COLOR) (POSITION)!” Ex: “Incoming Blue Jammer!” That puts the penalty box staff on alert and gives a few extra seconds to prepare. If you are using an app, please remember to put your phone into airplane mode so that an incoming text or call doesn’t interfere with the timing of a skater. In the event that short staffing requires you to time a team’s Blockers and Jammer, make sure you have good communication with the other penalty box timer to communicate jammer times! WTFDA Rules, January 1, 2015 , allows for the following under the mentioned rule number: 8.3.7 The Head Referee may designate NSOs to signal and enforce penalties in situations in which said NSOs are able to observe the penalty. This includes, but is not limited to, obscene, profane, or abusive language directed at said NSOs or another Official (see Section 5.16.10); removal of safety equipment while in the Penalty Box (see Section 5.13.11); Penalty Box violations (see Sections 5.13.9, 5.13.10, 5.13.11, and 5.13.20); and Delay of Game penalties (see
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Section 5.15). ..8.3.7.1 The Head Referee may designate which NSOs are empowered to call penalties, as well as which penalties said NSOs are empowered to call, and the manner in which said penalties are enforced. ...8.3.7.1.1 NSOs may only be designated to call penalties pursuant to their officiating role, to their person, or to those around them. For example, no NSO may be designated to call penalties that involve blocks or assists... 8.3.7.2 NSOs who are empowered to call penalties in this manner are bound by the same requirements as Referees, per Section 8.3 - Officiating Discretion. Please check with your HNSO and Head Referee as to how this applies to you in this position and how the calling and communication of the penalty is to be carried out. The HR may authorize the Penalty Box NSOs to call penalties. For example, being allowed to "address early departures from the Penalty Box or illegal entry to the Penalty Box. These are examples and not an exhaustive listing." (WFTDA Officiating Standard Practices, January 2015) When authorized and calling a penalty, the NSO should use the proper verbal cue and hand signal, but omit the use of a whistle. (WFTDA Officiating Standard Practices, January 2015) Item of interest: While the current WFTDA rules do not dictate on which seat a skater has to sit for the PB NSO to start her timer, neither do those rules state that the skater can sit in any seat she chooses. The only official WFTDA document that states anything related to this is the most recent Officials Standard Procedures of January 2015 which states: "When a Skater comes into the Penalty Box, a Penalty Box Official must signal the appropriate side and/or seat as the Skater skates into the Penalty Box." Rather than speculate on what is the correct procedure for starting your timer, either the skater being seated in a seat anywhere or in her assigned team and position seat (Jammer or Blocker), I suggest you check with your HR and HNSO during the Official's Meeting. A current practice among leagues is that the skater still needs to sit in the correct team penalty box but does not have to sit in the chair designated to their position for her penalty time to start. A skater can be asked to slide over to her appropriate seat after they sit. Check with your HR to see if an insubordination penalty should be given if a skater fails to sit in her team's penalty box against the directions of the PB NSO. Now the moment you’ve been waiting for!!!! Penalty Box Paper work! YAY!
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Blue
Home Team
Color Period
Jam #
Team
Skater #
Pos
In
Stand
Done
2014-03-14
MEANY
Date Penalty Box Timer Stopwatch at End of Jam # Jam 1
1
2
2
3
3
4
4
Box Trips 123
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The Penalty Box Form. ****This is only one half (left side) of the form. There is an identical right side which is to be used for the second period. Don’t Panic! 1. The first 5 boxes are pretty self explanatory. When a skater enters the box, fill in the period (either 1 or 2), the number of the jam [you will notice toward the right side of the form there is a box titled “Jam #” and two columns of numbers under it, one side for the first period (left column) and the other side for the second period (right column). You can keep an accurate jam count if you circle the number of the jam that is about to begin and then color in that circle when the jam is complete. Repeat this for the duration of the period. When the second period begins, use the numbers on the right side and do the same thing]. In the Team box, you want to write the team color of the team you are tracking. Under skater #, enter the penalized skater’s number. In the boxes under “Pos,” enter either a “P”, “B,” or “J” for Pivot, Blocker or Jammer. 2. Now, here’s where it gets tricky. In the Box under “In,” you will write the time that you began timing her penalty on your timer or stop watch, not the period clock. So, if your stop watch starts timing at “00” and counts up to “30” seconds, you will enter “0” in this box. If your timer runs in a countdown fashion, then you will enter “30”. 3. In the box under “Stand,” you will enter the time on your stop watch or timer at which you instructed the skater to stand. So, if your stop watch starts timing at “00” and counts up to “30” seconds, you will enter “20” in this box. If your timer runs in a countdown fashion, then you will enter “10.” 4. Under the box marked “Done,” you will enter the time on your stop watch in which you instructed the skater that her penalty time was “Done.” If your stop
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watch starts timing at “00” and counts up to “30” seconds, you will enter “30” in this box. If your timer runs in a countdown fashion, then you will enter “0.” a. Keep in mind that these numbers will vary if your skater is issued a double penalty. 5. If a jam ends with a skater in the box, stop your timer at the fourth whistle and write the time on your stop watch or timer in the first box marked “Stop watch at end of Jam.” This time will always vary and will either be the time a skater has remaining on her time, or the time she has already served, depending on your timer (count up or countdown). Resume your timer when the next jam whistle sounds. 6. The last box is labeled “Box Trips.” This is for you to keep track of each skater’s penalties by entering a tally mark in this box each time a skater reports to the penalty box. You might not be in a position to see the Inside White Board to see that a skater has amassed 7 penalties. If a skater has reached 7 penalties, they are not to report to the penalty box, but immediately leave the track area. You may need to wave a skater off and inform them of this if they report to the box on their seventh penalty.
Be familiar with the WFTDA rules that govern penalties and the penalty box! Be familiar with the duties of the Penalty Box Manager and the timing of Jammers! HAND IN YOUR PAPERWORK AND EQUIPMENT TO THE HEAD NSO AFTER THE BOUT!!!
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Penalty Wrangler - “The Gunslinger” Math Skills * Focus **** Accuracy **** Risk **** Stop Watch 0 Rule Knowledge **** Multitasking **** Applicable WFTDA Rules: ALL! Materials: 1. Small Dry Erase Board or clip board. 2. Dry Erase Marker, pen or pencil. 3. Large Sharpie (used to re-mark numbers on skaters’ arms). Qualifications/Abilities Needed: 1. Excellent working knowledge of WFTDA rules 2. Good working knowledge of all NSO positions. 3. Good ability to communicate with skaters, Referees and NSOs. 4. Ability to focus and work accurately in loud areas, amid chaos. 5. Excellent knowledge of Referee penalty signals, penalty codes. 6. Big mouth, good ears. 7. Fleet of foot. 8. Track awareness. 9. Thick skin. 10. MULTITASK, MULTITASK, MULTITASK!!!. Did I mention “Multitask?” 11. Keep a cool head when it “gets real.” Description and responsibilities:
The position of Penalty Wrangler is much coveted and sought after. It is a position of choice among derby veterans. You are more likely to hear of a good Wrangler before you hear about a good Penalty Tracker, not that the position of Penalty Tracker isn’t important; it’s just that Wranglers are more noticeable. The position of Wrangler lets you show off a little, show your personality. Usually the person serving as HNSO will take this position as it allows him/her the opportunity to address situations as HNSO due to the mobility and freedom of
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movement it provides. I will keep HNSO responsibilities separate from Wrangler duties. Please see the HNSO manual for more information. When you hear a Referee call a penalty, echo it back to him in this way: “(COLOR), (NUMBER), (PENALTY), GOT IT.” Your main duty as Penalty Wrangler is to relay penalties called by Referees to the Penalty Trackers. You will relay penalties in this manner: “(COLOR), (NUMBER), (PENALTY).” Ensure your Penalty Trackers repeat that penalty back to you in this manner: “(COLOR), (NUMBER), (PENALTY), GOT IT.” To help streamline this process I always include the letter code of the penalty as well: “(COLOR), (NUMBER), (PENALTY), (LETTER CODE)." You will also need to relay any penalties from the Outside White Boards to the Penalty Trackers. These are penalties called by the OPR and passed on to NSOs holding large dry erase boards. Keep an eye open for these if they are being utilized. You will also watch for the Penalty Box White board. If the Penalty Box NSO is holding it up with a skater’s number on it, they are telling you they need a queued skater to return to the box to begin serving their penalty. If they are holding up the white board with a skater’s number on it and it is circled, it means that a skater has left the box early and needs to return to the box to finish serving her time; as well as be assessed an Illegal Procedure penalty. Notify the Head Referee if you see this. Introduce yourself to the Referees before the start of the bout. Clarify any similarities with skater numbers, positioning, etc. Do a “sound check” with the OPRs while the announcer plays music at the level he plans to play it during the game. That way they will know what volume they need to produce in order for you to hear them. Keep track of skaters that are approaching their 7th penalty. Make sure your Penalty Trackers know to inform you when any skater reaches 5 penalties; also anytime a skater with 6 penalties lines up to skate. Immediately notify the Head Referee when a skater reaches 7 penalties. It is also a good idea to notify the Penalty Box NSOs of any skater reaching 6 penalties. Jam Referees may or may not call a penalty in the traditional way. They may simply whistle point to their jammer and say “(PENALTY).” Try to make note of the jammer numbers before the jam whistle sounds; you could save yourself a few seconds trying to see the jammer’s number on her jersey while she’s skating to the box. Keep an eye on the penalty box. If there is a skater in the box and you didn’t hear her penalty, check with the Penalty Trackers and Referees to determine why she is in there! Sometimes a skater thinks a Referee called a penalty on her, when it may have been on another skater, or been just an Out of Play warning.
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WTFDA Rules, January 1, 2015 , section 8.3.7 states: The Head Referee may designate NSOs to signal and enforce penalties in situations in which said NSOs are able to observe the penalty. This includes, but is not limited to, obscene, profane, or abusive language directed at said NSOs or another Official (see Section 5.16.10); removal of safety equipment while in the Penalty Box (see Section 5.13.11); Penalty Box violations (see Sections 5.13.9, 5.13.10, 5.13.11, and 5.13.20); and Delay of Game penalties (see Section 5.15). 8.3.7.1 The Head Referee may designate which NSOs are empowered to call penalties, as well as which penalties said NSOs are empowered to call, and the manner in which said penalties are enforced. 8.3.7.1.1 NSOs may only be designated to call penalties pursuant to their officiating role, to their person, or to those around them. For example, no NSO may be designated to call penalties that involve blocks or assists. 8.3.7.2 NSOs who are empowered to call penalties in this manner are bound by the same requirements as Referees, per Section 8.3 - Officiating Discretion. Please check with your HNSO and Head Referee as to how this applies to you in this position and how the calling and communication of the penalty is to be carried out. Tips and Tricks: o The key to good Wrangling is positioning. I like to position myself in between the Head Referee and the Inside Pack referee; closer to the Referee in front. That way, I’m closer to the Referee that is turned away from me, and if the rear Referee calls a penalty, I simply stop walking and catch the penalty while s/he is skating toward me. Remember that games can get very loud; fans yelling, players yelling, music played by the announcing booth, the announcer, and the sound of skates will interfere with your hearing. You can also ask the announcer to decrease the volume of the music if needed. o There are a few ways to keep the environmental interference to a minimum, and that is to use your eyes more. Make it a habit to make eye contact with your OPRs, OWBs and Penalty Box once every few steps. o Know the Referee hand signals. This is the best studying investment you will make. If you know the signals, it’s one less thing that you need to hear. o Know the penalty codes. It will save your Penalty Trackers precious seconds referring to their code list if when you echo the penalties to them you can say “(COLOR), (NUMBER), (PENALTY), (LETTER CODE).” o Keep an eye on all the Referees. There will be times when the Jam Referees are at the other end of the track from you. Watch them for penalty signals. Listen for the long penalty whistle signifying a penalty
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o
o o
o
o o
was called. You have to “see the big picture” not just what is in front of you. Remind your Penalty Trackers to tell you if a skater has 5 and 6 penalties and have them notify the Jam Referees if a jammer has 5 or 6 penalties as well when they are lined to jam. Don’t be afraid to ask a Referee to repeat a penalty if you don’t hear it. If you can’t hear an OPR trying to call in a penalty to you, point to the OWB to “beam” it in if you have them. If you don’t have OWBs, have the Referee skate it in to you after the jam, or hang back from the pack in order to hear it better. At the end of period 1, check to see if there are any skaters in the penalty box. Notify the Head Referee if there are so he can watch to make sure they return there at the beginning of the 2nd period. During Official Timeouts check on all the NSO positions. Assist HNSO as needed to complete bout paperwork
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Head NSO - “The Buck Stops Here” So… You want to be a Head NSO? Are you good at organizing events? Have good people skills? Work well under pressure? Thick skinned? Have hours of free time? Good at networking? Resourceful? Have you worked each NSO position? If you answered yes to most of these questions, you might have a great future as a HNSO. Everyone wants to be in charge of something; their own life, the country, the world… Let’s focus on what it takes to put together a crew of top notch NSOs, or at least a solid crew that will work the bout accurately. However you got to this position, whether you volunteered or whether you were asked, please consider it carefully. There are positives and negatives, just like everything else in life. The secret to keeping your sanity is to be very good at planning from the first day you take over this job. Good NSOs don’t grow on trees. If you are lucky enough to step into a HNSO gig with a team that has a solid core of experienced NSOs, consider yourself lucky. Usually the norm is that you’ll have to build your NSO crew from scratch or around a couple NSOs that have a few season’s experience. You may, however, be starting from scratch with a brand new team or a team that had some major turnover. You will have cancellations at the last minute. This is normal. People have lives outside of derby and things happen to people; car problems, family illnesses, child care issues, the possibilities are endless. Read everything you can. Go to Zebrahuddle.com and download every form and manual you can. Many team’s Head NSOs have posted their training manuals there. Read them. Gravity Kills from Roc City was and still is the definitive source for NSO training material. As I acknowledged in the introduction/orientation, much of the information in these manuals was built on the knowledge that I gleaned from those manuals and my own personal experience. One of your many roles will be as teacher, which means that you need to know every position like the back of your hand. This knowledge base will instill confidence in your NSO crew. Be the person that knows it all but isn’t so full of knowledge that you can’t learn from or listen to your crew or take advice from another official who has been doing it longer or has more experience. If you think that being HNSO will get you out of NSOing, think again. I’ve never just been HNSO. I’ve been HNSO and Penalty Wrangler, HNSO and Penalty Wrangler AND Jam Timer. Get that idea out of your head right away! Most
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of all: Be a leader, not a boss. I’m going to begin as if you, the reader, are starting from scratch, then move on to how to HNSO an established crew. Recruitment Everything begins here. This is where networking comes into play. Most teams have a Board of Directors, and most have Department Heads or Chairpersons of things like Training, Event Planning, Sponsorship… and RECRUITING! Make friends with the Head of Recruiting. Talk to them about what you will need to staff a bout. The next person to befriend is Head of Training. This person is linked directly to “Fresh Meat” or new, injured or otherwise un-rostered skaters. This should be your first pool of recruits. You’re going to have to sell yourself and what you’re doing. NSOing is a great way for new skaters to learn the sport and a great way for injured skaters to continue to have ties to the team. Don’t be above mentioning that NSOs get into the bout for free! The second pool of volunteers to pursue is families and friends of skaters. Anyone over 18 can NSO. Some of my best NSOs are significant others or family members of skaters. Your third pool of recruits should be from neighboring teams. There are even Facebook groups such as the Tri State Roller Derby NSO/REF Page which serves Ohio, NY and PA. Post your need there in a “Call for Officials” letter (more on this later). Any team within an hour or two is fair game. I have a personal limit of 2.5 hours of driving away, more if it’s a double header. Most teams have a website or a Facebook page that you can post on or at least get contact info for. Email or message the team and get contact info for their HNSO. Contact that person and ask them for help in filling some positions. A lot of NSOs are willing to travel! My advice is if you get an NSO willing to travel to help out, give them their first or second choice of position. Don’t let them travel to fill a position that you could do without if need be, especially if they have experience in a position in which you have a first time NSO. The next place to look for recruits is your friends. There is nothing better than being surrounded by friends when you are in a position of stress or challenge. My oldest friend, Sex, Doug & Rock & Roll, has been by my side since my first gig as HNSO (which was my third bout NSOing ever!). Last but not least is to make small fliers and hang them up in the community. That is actually how I got hooked. The things I look for in an NSO are punctuality, commitment, enthusiasm, work ethic, a heartbeat... just kidding. NSOs come in all shapes and sizes. Work with what you have.
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Training So now, say you sold your soul to the devil, sweet talked, coerced, threatened, or just plain begged enough people to volunteer to NSO for you. YAY! The hard part is over! Now, you just need to get them all together to “learn them something”. Coordinate with your training person and set up an inner team scrimmage, or a “Black and White Scrimmage.” In other words, your team splits into two teams and plays each other. Most teams do this before a bout anyway, so it becomes a very opportune time to train some NSOs. Pick a day when you can get the most volunteers to show up. If you have a bout coming up, you will have to pass out training material to the missing NSOs by email, answer questions by email or smoke signal, or maybe even do a quick training the day of the bout! Be ready, allow yourself time to train people pre-bout. To make training go smoothly, be organized. Know the material. Hand out an agenda. Hand out training material. Have a small test with the basics of each position- reassure people that score doesn’t matter- it’s just for learning purposes. Try to get some money from your Board of Directors and get some food for the volunteers. You’d be surprised how a couple bags of miniature candy bars or a few pizzas can put people at ease. People’s time is important to them, make sure your volunteers are not standing around with nothing to do. Get there early and have everything ready to be passed out, penalty boxes set up, clip boards with paperwork ready to go, etc. Have several copies of whatever training material you are using. Ideally, you want each of your NSOs to be trained on all the positions. This makes it easy for you to staff a bout and will cut down on last minute training. Introduce yourself, tell your derby story. Encourage questions. The old saying, “The only stupid question is one you don’t ask” applies here. Use humor. Roller derby is fun. People like to laugh. You will keep their attention with humor. Don’t be afraid to admit your mistakes. This makes you human and makes them less anxious about making mistakes too. Tell them about each position. Briefly go over the paperwork of that position. Let them choose which ones they are interested in, then work with smaller groups according to position: penalty box, penalty tracking/white board, etc. Let them NSO in that position for a few jams until they get the hang of it; then switch them to their second choice. If there is a position that nobody volunteered for, challenge one or two of them to try it. Some people are “hands on” learners. You can talk to them all day but until they have that clipboard or stop watch in their hands they won’t click with the position. Make sure that during the scrimmage you “manufacture” situations: too many blockers, jammer penalty box situations, etc. Better to face
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these in practice than to have them happen during a game and not know what to do. If somebody asks you a question that you don’t know the answer to, don’t guess or make something up, write the question down and find the answer. Like everything else in life we become proficient at things by repetition. Retention Sometimes it will seem like you will spend most of your free time trying to fill NSO positions for the next bout. In order to avoid this monthly ritual, it is important to try to keep as many NSOs coming back for the next bout. This saves you headaches and cuts down on pre-game training sessions. So how do you keep them coming back? 1.
Say “Please and Thank You.” Appreciation is huge. Nothing sucks more than driving a
half hour or more, devoting 2 hours of your free time and then walking out of the arena without a single thanks. Tell your NSOs to meet in the center of the track immediately after the game to check/hand in their paperwork, snag a group picture (email it to all of them later!). Instruct your team to stop and take a few seconds to thank the officials, NSOs and Refs after the game before the celebration starts. 2.
Acknowledgement. When I print out the stats book forms I make an extra copy of the
IGRF and give it to the announcers and ask them to read the NSO names and positions before the bout before the skater intros. My NSOs are not nameless, faceless drones in pink WFTDA shirts. If you get your NSO roster filled early enough you may be able to get your NSOs listed in the game program- coordinate this with the person in charge of Promotions or Events. 3.
Courtesy. I really try hard to fill all my NSO positions at least a week before the bout. As
soon as they are filled I send out a pregame letter to all those NSOs, explaining what time to be there, what NSO position they will have, etc. A sample letter is included in this manual, feel free to steal it and use it for your own purposes. I find that people are more at ease when they know what position they will be in, and also it gives them a few extra days to look over any training material to hone their skills. It also gives them a chance to ask you any questions about their position. 4.
Kindness. You will make mistakes. Your NSOs will make mistakes. It happens. Roller
Derby is not brain surgery so a mistake will not cost a life. Don’t yell at an NSO… EVER. If an NSO makes a mistake, handle it professionally. Mistakes are training opportunities. Take that
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person aside in private and explain nicely and without passion what the mistake was and how to avoid it next time. Remember the mistake might be something YOU didn’t cover in a training session! Share a mistake that you made to ease the tension and establish that you are both human. An NSO that makes a mistake is NOT a bad NSO. Your NSOs are volunteers, not employees. You have to cater to their needs and preferences because if you don’t they won’t come back. 5.
Bribery. Most teams have an “after party” in which there is free food or at least a time to
hang out with the team. Make sure all your NSOs are invited. Most teams will either buy food for officials before the bout or at half time. Make sure your NSOs know where this food will be. Some teams give food vouchers and or gas/toll money for traveling NSOs. Know where your NSOs are traveling from ahead of time and coordinate with your team’s Board of Directors or Bout Coordinator to secure vouchers and/or travel money. I found that baking cookies for your NSOs is an excellent bribe. Email me for my Mexican Hot Crinkle cookie recipe. It’s bound to help you keep a few NSOs! The Golden Rule of NSOs: Treat them nicely and they will come back. 6.
Emphasize safety first. You can’t talk enough about safety. Go over with each NSO the
safety concerns that come along with whatever position they are working. NSOs who are pregnant or have some physical challenge should be placed in a safe position or loaned to other game support positions. 7.
Respect: Stand up for your NSOs. Tell them to come to you if they were disrespected by
a fan, skater or bench staff.
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STAFFING TIPS AND REQUIREMENTS OPTIMAL (bout): o 2 Penalty Trackers o 1 Inside White Board o 2 Penalty Box Timers (in penalty heavy games be prepared to convert a position to assist the penalty box staff, I suggest one Lineup Tracker). o 1 Penalty Box Manager o 2 Scorekeepers o 1 Jam Timer o 2 Lineup Trackers o 1 Penalty Wrangler o Optional 2 Outside White Boards, don’t staff if no OPRs. TOTAL: 12 people Order of job merging: 1. HNSO takes a job. 2. Forego Lineup Trackers or go to a single Line Up Tracker. (Line up tracking isn’t a game necessity, it’s a statistic position). 3. Pull IWB, have Penalty Trackers use dot system. 4. Forego Penalty Wrangler (Or go New York Style and have Wrangler jam time as well – thanks MC Derby Nerd!) 5. Pull one penalty box attendant (Be advised the new 30 second penalty time is brutal on your box NSOs in penalty heavy games. 6. Grab people from the audience or from ticket booth, merch, etc. BARE MINIMUM (Bout): o o o o
1 penalty tracker 2 scorekeepers 1 jam timer/penalty wrangler 1 penalty box ( if you must use the App)
TOTAL: 5 people (NOT advised. Ever. Pull people out of the stands before you try this at a real bout). SCRIMMAGE BARE MINIMUM: o 1 penalty tracker o 1 jam timer/penalty wrangler o 1 penalty box TOTAL: 3 people.
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The Role of Technology in NSOing This is not a talk about Rinkster. This is a small section about how you can use technology to make your NSO life a little easier. I suggest one of the first items you buy is a small flash or thumb drive. I prefer one that goes on your keychain. Buy the most durable one you can find. I have a PNY stainless steel 16 gig drive. It has more space than you’ll ever need. The things you want to keep on there: training material, bout forms, stats books, NSO contact info. Personally, I fill out the stats book (IGRF) and take it to Staples to have it printed. If you want, keep your receipt and submit it to your team to get reimbursed. This job is also a lot easier if you have a smart phone. Keep all your NSOs’ numbers in it! The ability to send group text messages and group email from your hand is huge. Most phones and email providers allow you to make “groups” so that you don’t even have to scroll through your contacts and select them individually. Handcent is a text app that allows you to schedule delivery of texts ahead of time and even repeat send the message every day or every few days. If you have a Gmail account, you may already know about Google drive. If you don’t have a Gmail account, get one, because using Google drive is a huge time saver and it’s free. Now, here’s the coolest thing: You can upload all your derby paperwork onto that drive so you can access it from any computer AND… you can create NSO sign-up sheets that you can link to your NSO volunteers so that they can fill it out themselves! Here’s a sample of one I use, feel free to save a copy to use: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Aqvg_p4Wd73LdElLUEJ5aEVWRlFqZGp4eUh OTVdvc3c&usp=sharing Please pay attention to the sharing options for these documents. You have to email or text everyone the link. To do this, press the share button on the top right of the page. From there you will see the link you need to send and drop down menus where you can adjust how public and what permissions you want to grant viewers. I make all mine public and everyone can edit. That way everyone can sign up, leave their name and contact info without involving me. Social networking is invaluable. If you don’t have a Facebook account, break down and get one. With the rare exception of tormenting my friends, I use Facebook only for derby now.
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Once again, the ability to reach several hundred people with a few mouse clicks or swipes on your cell phone is a huge time saver. What I do is create a “secret page” for each team I HNSO for. I name them as such: “(TEAM ACRONYM) Secret NSO Group.” I then invite all of my volunteers to join either by email or befriending them on Facebook. Once you have everyone on that page, it’s a simple matter to upload any training material to it so that the members can access it. You can also make “Call for Officials” posts on there and reach your specific population. Also, you can update rosters, post training topics, and general NSO trends that you noticed during a game. It’s also a nice place to post a personal thanks from you and recognize the time and effort made by your NSO crew. I’ve never had a problem with “drama” on these groups, but it’s best to squash any drama as soon as it starts. Drama ruins morale and turns people away. There are a lot of good smart phone apps out there. If you allow your NSOs to use them please check the app to make sure it follows the current rule set- the one of most concern is any penalty box timing app, and the sticking point is jammer penalty timing. Read the current WFTDA rule set governing this circumstance. As of the writing of these manuals, the procedure explained in the Meany Penalty Box manuals is viable with the current WFTDA rules. Smart phone apps make our jobs a lot easier, just make sure the apps being used are good ones. Make sure that your NSOs using these apps remember to put their phones into “Airplane Mode” so that a random text or phone call does not interfere with any running game apps.
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SAMPLE COMMUNICATIONS:
Call For Officials Send to volunteers first, then open up for public sign ups on Facebook Roller Derby groups. Items in red are subject to change! Meaning you change them to your game’s agenda.
Refs and NSOs Needed! (When, Date and Time) (Venue Name and Address) (Home Team Name) Vs (Visiting Team Name)
The (Home Team Name) are now accepting NSO and Ref signups for this game. Please click on the link below, then double click in the box next to the position you want, and type in your name. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Aqvg_p4Wd73LdElLUEJ5aEVWRlFqZGp4eUh OTVdvc3c&usp=sharing
If you have any questions please contact me at (Your contact info)
Thank you! Your Name Here, HNSO
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Pre-Bout Email to NSO volunteers Send to NSOs who have signed up at least a week before the bout, not a bad idea to saturate the NSOs by emailing this and posting in your secret group as well as the team secret group. Thanks again to Roc City for the bread and butter of this letter. Items in red are subject to change! Meaning you change them to your game’s agenda. Greetings! You are receiving this email because you have volunteered to be a non-skating official for the: (HOME TEAM NAME) vs (VISITING TEAM NAME)! (DATE AND TIME) (ADDRESS AND VENUE NAME) Here’s the NSO line up: (I like to have fun with position names) (NSO NAME) Head NSO/Wrangler (NSO NAME) Jam Chronographer (NSO NAME) Board of Wrath (NSO NAME) Sin Tracker 1 (NSO NAME) Sin Tracker 2 (NSO NAME) Sin Bin 1 (NSO NAME) Sin Bin 2 (NSO NAME) Sin Bin Warden (NSO NAME) Jammer Accountant 1 (NSO NAME) Jammer Accountant 2 (NSO NAME) Body Counter 1 (NSO NAME) Body Counter 2 (NSO NAME) Master Control Board Before we get down to business, I just want to thank you for volunteering for The (HOME TEAM NAME) and being part of the team. Now, let’s roll! --I believe in showing up early. I will be there at (TIME)! If you have any questions about your position that I am unable to answer through email between now and game day, please get there super early and I will help you (if you have questions and are showing up early to talk with me, please let me know you are coming and your approximate arrival time). I’ll be wearing a black tshirt that has my name on the back, and “I’m going to NSO the crap out of this bout.” on the front. If I’m not in the middle of the track organizing things, I’m probably curled up like a fetus and crying in one of the corners of the building. Bout-day NSO meeting is at (TIME), flock to me at (LOCATION) at this time. Please try to be there a few minutes earlier so we can get started on time. Please check in with me when you arrive so that I know you are there.
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--Do not wear (TEAM or LEAGUE) colors or merch. (HOME TEAM NAME) will be wearing (COLOR) jerseys and (VISITING TEAM NAME) will be wearing (COLOR). We're supposed to be impartial. (HOME TEAM NAME) provides WFTDA uniform shirts which we wash at least once per season for those of you without them to throw on over your clothes or what have you. (We actually wash them after each bout.) --Shoes: Comfortable (but no open toed) shoes are recommended. NO skates (unless you’re reffing). Wear something that you can juke flying referees and skaters in. --Dress comfortably, especially if your position involves running around all crazy. As we get deeper into the summer months, the building becomes not unlike a tropical rain forest, or maybe even the 2nd Circle of Hell... Remember to stay hydrated. There is usually bottled water by the IWB, but please bring your own water bottle or drink just in case. --Please, no cheering!!!! I know it sounds harsh, but we're supposed to be impartial, and we're doing a job. Please do not consume alcohol during the bout. --Pay attention to the job first. It is easy to get distracted by watching the bout. Please only watch the part of the bout that pertains to your job. --No texting during the course of the bout. (At the half is fine. If the game is running, the cell phone is silenced and in the pocket unless you’re using it for the game.) IF YOU ARE USING A DERBY APP ON YOUR CELL PHONE, PLEASE PUT YOUR PHONE INTO AIRPLANE MODE SO THAT AN INCOMING TEXT OR CALL DOESN’T INTERFERE WITH SAID APP. --A couple jobs require some extra work before the game starts, half time and after it ends: -Penalty Trackers: Confirm your rosters with the bench managers/captains of their assigned team, double check players and numbers during equipment check and put the appropriate numbers and/or changes up on the Inside Whiteboard. Shade in your first half penalties on your second half sheet. At the end of the bout please count all the penalties and write and circle the total on the top right corner of the sheet. - Scorekeepers can switch their teams/sheets or jam refs with each other at the half and check each other's math, and make sure you coordinate the switch with the jam refs, if applicable. -Penalty box attendants need to help set up (and break down) the penalty box. (PENALTY BOX SUPERVISOR, NSO NAME) will let you know when to be there.) CHAIR COVERS ARE WITH THE NSO SHIRTS IN THE NSO BOX. --Double-check your sheets to make sure you have the right period and team! -After the bout, all paperwork positions need to get their paperwork to me.
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--If you aren't in a position that involves extra work, there's always something going on that I could use help with. Please lend a hand if you can. --BE IN YOUR ASSIGNED AREA BY (TIME)!!! I will be busy making last minute adjustments and plans so I have to ask you to self manage your time. --At the half, please be back in position preferably 10 minutes before we restart, 5 minutes dead minimum. The concession stand is lethal at halftime, time slips away quickly while you are in line to get food. I usually pack a candy bar to eat at the half, then get the real food after the bout. I highly recommend the (Your favorite item on the menu). If there is any reason that you cannot attend this bout please let me know as soon as possible so that a replacement can be found for your position. Call, text or email me @ (Your contact info).
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The Head NSO Clipboard I prefer one of those clipboards that can open up and have a compartment in which to stash things like: the IGRF forms and extra NSO forms , pens, pencils, Staples Rewards Card, flash drive (if not on your key ring), paper clips, etc. I’ve seen two types, an aluminum one that is kind of bulky, and a plastic one that is light and manageable and comes in bright colors that can be seen from great distances… well at least across a roller derby track. Write your team’s name on it, your name, your cat’s name, whatever you need to identify it as your own. The main team I work for is called Chautauqua County Roller Derby: Babes of Wrath, so I named and labeled with Sharpie the important NSO gear things like The Board of Wrath (Inside White Board), The Box of Wrath (NSO equipment box), The Clipboard of Wrath (HNSO clipboard) , etc. Make it fun!
The NSO Equipment Box I can fit everything I need into a 2’x 3’ x 2’plastic container. Try to be as organized as you can with this box. Have smaller containers inside for your writing utensils, stop watches, and whistles. In addition to the listed NSO gear you may want to consider adding a few extra things: scissors or a pocket knife (no need to get all Crocodile Dundee here!), extra pens/pencils/dry erase markers, scotch tape, Magnum Sharpies (remarking player’s numbers on their arms), rubber bands, current WFTDA rulebook, a three ring binder with whatever training manuals you use inside, and extra manuals to hand out in case you have to train at the last minute, assortment of colored duct tape, extra blank paperwork, an old working smart phone if you have one, with some viable derby apps on it (for jam timer, penalty box mainly, make sure they are kept updated and follow the current rule set, charge it the night before!), hard copies of NSO contact information, calculator, and whatever else you think you might need. The Stats Book As far as I know there is no documentation existing to help a HNSO out with this, so I’ll take some time and explain the basics. First of all this tutorial will pertain to the WFTDA Stats Book released April 2014, downloadable here: http://wftda.com/stats , download a copy and
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open it up. The first thing you’ll see is a “read me” page. I hate the phrase “self explanatory”, so I’ll briefly break the instructions down into plain English. That being said, skip to the next tab on the bottom of the page that reads “Star Passes”. This page explains how to handle a Star Pass on the Scorekeeper and Lineup Tracker forms. Read this and know it so you can explain it to your NSOs. When it comes time to print forms off this Stats Book, make two copies of this page, then cut out the Score and Lineup sections and tape them to the corresponding clipboards so the NSOs in those positions can refer to them if needed. The next tab, IGRF (Interleague Game Reporting Form) is the page where you begin your data entry. Fill in location and venue name, dates and times etc (please notice that if you park your mouse cursor over a box that secret messages pop up that will help you! For example if you pause your cursor over the box next to “Date” it will tell you what format to enter the date as: yyyy-mm-dd). The Start and End times are next. Enter the start time and approximate the end time, maybe 2 hours after the start time, or be a teacher’s pet and hand write it in after the bout actually ends, just remember to enter that time when you complete the Stats Book later after the bout. League/Team boxes: Many leagues have more than one team, ex: my league is “Chautauqua County Roller Derby” but the team name is “Babes of Wrath”. The next section is the player roster, (Get this info from the bout coordinator) “Skater #” and “Skater Name”. In this section you should enter skater’s numbers, arrange it numero-alphabetic for players beginning with numbers, in ascending order from lowest to highest, then alpha-numeric for those players beginning with letters. My advice to you is to write all the numbers on a piece of paper and arrange them in order before you type them in. There is a secret pop up message in the first skater number box to help you. The really cool thing about doing this is that when you print out the forms for your NSOs, they will already have the rosters filled in. Example of ordering: 01 49 123 8997 AAA A77 B4U SPF40
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The next few boxes are where you fill in the Referees and their positions. Get this info from the Head Referee. Leave section #2 blank for now. You will complete this right after the game by hand writing the information in. Most of section #3 can be filled out beforehand. Enter both captain’s names (if known), the Head Referee’s derby and legal names, and your derby and legal name. If you scroll down a little further, you will see places to enter your NSO’s names and positions. Derby names are fine. After filling out the IGRF, click on the following tabs to see if the program populated the forms correctly: “Score”, “Penalties” and “Lineups”. If all is copacetic, save it and close it, or print it. When printing forms from the Stats Book, you don’t need to print the whole book. You need only print the following tabs, and each tab will end up having multiple pages: “Star Passes” 2 pages (if you have not already done so and affixed to the appropriate clipboards). “IGRF” 2 pages (Two copies, one color-official, one black and white-announcer). “Score” 4 pages. “Penalties” 2 pages. “ Lineups” 4 pages. “Expulsion/Suspension” 1 page “Official Review” 2 pages “Penalty Box” 2 pages “Dual (Penalty)Trackers” 2 pages
I try to keep a few blanks of all the forms listed above in the NSO box. So, that’s the Stats Book before the bout. What happens to it during the bout? First, verify the roster. Tell your Penalty Trackers to verify their forms with the coaches and also during equipment check, have them notify you so you make adjustments on the IGRF printed form and
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make changes on their forms and the IWB if there any changes. Keep the NSO and Referee roster accurate. There are always last minute cancellations and position changes. Try to get the Captain’s names, including legal names if you don’t already have them. Keep this in a secure location. At this point, if you are a male, you might want to consider enlisting the help of a female NSO to act as an assistant. I will explain why soon. After the bout: Gather all your NSO paperwork. MAKE SURE YOUR SCORE MATH AND PENALTY COUNTS ARE CORRECT!!! Don’t assume that the NSO who completed the form double checked their math. After you are satisfied that the information is accurate, find both team captains and have them sign it. This is where having a female assistant can help. By the time you verified your score and penalty count there is a good chance that both team captains have retreated to the locker rooms. If you are a male, you cannot go in there without risking bodily harm and should you survive that, legal consequences! Send your female assistant into the “girls only” areas! After both captains sign, go find your Head Referee and have him or her sign it. After that, you can sign it. Put it into the HNSO clipboard and guard it with your life. You will enter the score and penalty information into the boxes on your computer form later. Now, after the bout it’s you and some quality time with the Stats Book. Find a trusted friend who has nothing to do for the next hour. Two people can complete the Stats Book in half the time of one. First off, organize all your bout paperwork in the following order: Scorekeepers, Penalty Trackers, and Lineup Trackers. You will be entering this data into the Stats Book in this order. Basically you fill in the sheets as the NSOs who manned the positions filled them in, since the forms are identical. For example, in the score section, you enter the jam #, Jammer #, check boxes as needed, and enter the points for each pass. The form has a calculator built in. On the Penalty section you fill in penalty codes and jam numbers, when you fill out the second period on this form, simply skip any shaded boxes on the NSO form and begin in the next box for periods earned in the second period. Ex: if a skater had 2 penalties in the first period, you would document any second period penalties beginning with the third box on her line. The line up section follows the same routine, just copy what the handwritten form has on it, remembering to enter the penalty box codes if they were used. You’ll notice that the Jammer #s are already filled in which will help you verify you are documenting the correct jam. You are bound to get some “FM” or “Frigging Magic” when filling this out, maybe one Lineup Tracker has one more jam filled out than the other Lineup Tracker, or the Jammers are off by one jam when the Lineups are
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being added. Try your best to figure it out. There is a lot of redundant paperwork and you might be able to recreate what happened and fix it. I always encourage my NSOs to write notes on the forms they have to explain any “FM” or “Derby Weirdness”. Notes on forms = Goodness. After everything is filled out and double checked, go ahead and release it to the masses. Use your social networking, post it on your team’s Facebook page, upload it to Google Drive and your NSO group, get a copy to the visiting team too. If you NSO sanctioned bouts you need to send the score to WFTDA within 24 hours, have two weeks to get the Stats Book into WFTDA, and you also need to scan the IGRF and send that in as well (it’s a good idea to have this scanned even if you are not NSOing a sanctioned bout). More detailed instructions are on the “Read Me” tab in the Stats Book. I hand in the hard copies of the Stats Books to the League Secretary.
Let’s Get Into Character! Ok, let’s get down to brass tacks. You have a bunch of trained NSOs and you have a bout in a few days. How in the world do you manage to pull it off? Well, there exists a HNSO checklist made by the good folks at Roc City. Some things are timeless and all they need are some tweaks to adjust to changing times and venues. What follows is that check list with some Meany tweaks thrown in. Until you get used to the routine, and maybe even after that, you should refer to this checklist, print it out, and take it to each bout. Depending on your league affiliation, you may not be responsible for everything on this list, or you may be responsible for more. I will leave some blank spaces for you to write in whatever extra duties you might have.
SPECIAL NOTE: WFTDA Rules Jan 1 2015 state: 8.3.7 The Head Referee may designate NSOs to signal and enforce penalties in situations in which said NSOs are able to observe the penalty. This includes, but is not limited to, obscene, profane, or abusive language directed at said NSOs or another Official (see Section 5.16.10); removal of safety equipment while in the Penalty Box (see Section 5.13.11); Penalty Box violations (see Sections 5.13.9, 5.13.10, 5.13.11, and 5.13.20); and Delay of Game penalties (see Section 5.15).
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8.3.7.1 The Head Referee may designate which NSOs are empowered to call penalties, as well as which penalties said NSOs are empowered to call, and the manner in which said penalties are enforced. 8.3.7.1.1 NSOs may only be designated to call penalties pursuant to their officiating role, to their person, or to those around them. For example, no NSO may be designated to call penalties that involve blocks or assists. 8.3.7.2 NSOs who are empowered to call penalties in this manner are bound by the same requirements as Referees, per Section 8.3 - Officiating Discretion. Please check with your Head Referee as to how this applies to you in this position and how the calling and communication of the penalty is to be carried out.
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HEAD NSO CHECKLIST Pre-pre-game:
o Paperwork: Complete the IGRF. Get team rosters/colors from the Bout Coordinator. Find out if the visiting team will be bringing any NSOs or Referees. Find out Referee names and positions from Head Referee, complete your NSO roster on page 2 (don’t forget to make a black and white copy of the IGRF for the announcer). Stats Book can be found here: http://wftda.com/stats. Equipment: HAVE THESE MATERIALS FOR THE TRAINING SCRIMMAGE TOO! o 8 clipboards, minimum (2 each for Line Up Trackers, Penalty Trackers, Scorekeepers and penalty box) Make sure instructions or other information is taped to the clipboards. ie: penalty code list for Penalty Trackers, code list for Line Up Trackers, sample score sheet and star pass instructions from Stats Book for Scorekeepers. o 2 small whiteboards (3'x2' for Outside White Boards if needed) o Large dry erase board (Inside White Board) o At least 20 erasable pens, mechanical pencils or pencils with erasers, & a sharpener. I believe in giving each NSO who uses a writing utensil two of those utensils. o Dry erase markers, several (test to make sure they work, and make sure each position using them has 2 each!) o Cloth gloves to be used as erasers for the dry erase boards. (You can get a bag of them at the dollar store!) I prefer gloves because an NSO can wear one on their non-writing hand instead of either holding an eraser or trying to look for it if they make a mistake. o 6 wristbands in each of the teams' colors (penalty trackers, scorekeepers, Jam Refs). I have seen thicker hair ties used or wrist bands made of duct tape. o Clear packaging tape to facilitate repairs to the track. o Duct tape to make wristbands. Investigate the teams that will be visiting your team this season and buy those colors. o Copies each of the following, preferably from Stats Book: o Lineup sheets (4 pages) o Penalty Tracking sheets (either 4 or 2 pages total depending on your NSO staffing) o Score Keeping sheets (4 pages total) o Penalty box equipment o 6 Stopwatches minimum, 8 preferred. (some NSOs will be using smart phone apps. MAKE SURE THE APP HANDLES THE CURRENT PENALTY RULES CORRECTLY!!) o 6 chairs o Differentiate seat colors and jammer seat. Duct tape works fine (BBJ/JBB) o Small White Board with dry erase markers and glove. o Stopwatch, Countdown timer & whistle for Jam Timer
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NSO MANAGEMENT o Make sure everyone is present and accounted for at least a half-hour before the game. o Train NSOs who need training. Arrange ahead of time for those people to show up early. o Make sure they know where their station and equipment is o NSOs in the middle should not to stand in front of the Inside White Board, as the coaches/captains/bench managers need to see it o Scoreboard Operator and Jam Timer need to work out how to adjust the period clock if needed. o Scorekeepers need to know who their jammer refs are, and who their scoreboard operator is. Work out communication with both (like how the Jam ref signals points) o Penalty tracker needs to know o How to communicate with the penalty box in case a skater gets multiple minutes in the box o To grab an inside pack ref or the head ref in case of need for official time out o If they have a Wrangler o Who the head Referee is in the event a skater has 6 trips to the box o WFTDA Hand signals o Jam timer o Has a stopwatch o Has a countdown timer o Has a smart phone app in Airplane Mode o Has a whistle o Knows how to use the stopwatch & countdown timer o Knows the appropriate whistles to start the jam, Call the Jam off, and signal a time out o Knows when to start and stop the Period clock (countdown watch) in the event of timeouts o Knows the proper hand signals to use during a team timeout, Official Review and Official Timeout. o Penalty box Manager o Has all needed equipment and staff (bench/chairs, signage, timers) o Knows all applicable rules (jammer, multiple penalties, when/how to send skaters out, when/how to wave a skater off and how to communicate it to a ref, etc.) o If empowered by the HR, knows the proper penalty call procedure. o Penalty timers are aware of their duties. o Lineup trackers are in a good position to see skater numbers and the penalty box o Make sure Jam Refs get their wristbands o Make sure there are beverages available for the staff during the bout. o Make sure NSOs know where to stow their stuff (usually the ref's locker room)
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HNSO GAME DAY NOTES MEETING TIMES:
NSO MEETING: ______________________________ (30 minutes before bout)
REFEREE MEETING: _________________________
NSO REPORT TO CENTER: ____________________ (5 minutes before bout)
INTRODUCTIONS: ___________________________
BOUT START: ________________________________
DURATION OF HALFTIME: ____________________
Official’s Meeting
Introductions (each other, head NSO, head referee) Discuss which NSO are empowered to call penalties and what those penalties can be. Pair up Jam Refs and their Scorekeepers. Grab a ref if you need an official time out (Specify who to grab if needed. If you only allow the head ref to call official time-outs, let them know that.) Correct problems ASAP, between jams at the absolute latest Check in with me at halftime and let me know if there are any problems I need to address.
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SKATE NUMBER SIMILARITIES/HOMONYMS:
NSO POSITIONS Head NSO Penalty Wrangler Penalty Trackers Inside Whiteboard Penalty Box Manager/Timers Scorekeepers Score Board Operator Jam Timer Lineup Trackers Outside White Board
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Pre-Whistle Role call:
o PT 1
________________________
o PT 2
________________________
o PW
________________________
o PB 1
________________________
o PB 2
________________________
o PBM
________________________
o IWB
________________________
o SK 1
________________________
o SK 2
________________________
o SBO
________________________
o JT
________________________
o LT 1
________________________
o LT 2
________________________
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BOUT DAY Pre-Game:
o Prep clipboards: o Lineup, each team, new sheet for periods 1 and 2 plus spare for overflow o Team name, lineup tracker name, period number at top, pens provided o Penalty Code Sheet from Stats book taped to clipboard. o Scorekeeping sheet, each team, new sheet for periods 1 and 2 plus spare for overflow o Team name, scorekeeper name, period number at top, pens provided o Wristband in appropriate team color o Penalty tracking sheet, each team, new sheet for periods 1 and 2 o Team name, penalty tracker name, period number on top, pens provided o Penalty Code Sheet taped to clipboard. o Confirm rosters with the team bench managers, note any changes o Skater names and numbers, organized numerically on forms o Organize by number, ignoring letters and words o Note duplicate numbers and call attention to them during the pre-bout meeting, stressing that they need to cite color AND number (see bottom) o Note confusing numbers and call attention to them during the pre-bout meeting, and sort out what they will be called by the refs o Prep whiteboards o Inside Whiteboard (if being used) Write team names and color at top, on the side their bench is located (left or right, most teams switch benches at the start of the second period, you do not have to redo this) Write skater’s numbers in the order they appear on the penalty tracking sheets, neatly and clearly Have whiteboard markers and erasers at the ready o Score board o Set up the Projector o Set up the laptop and get program running o Familiarize operator with program o Penalty box o In appropriate location o 6 seating positions, appropriately marked (colors, jammer seats) o Line of No Return marked. o Currently there is no rule that requires a skater to sit in seats that are designated for her team, unless there are two separate penalty boxes, one for each team. This can easily be accomplished by dividing the box into two halves by simply using duct tape on the floor. If there are two separate boxes instruct your Penalty Box Timers not to start a skater’s timer until she is seated in the proper box.
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Halftime o Check sheets: o Score o Verify running total (or have them verify each other), make sure it gets transferred to the second period sheets o Make sure they know they'll be following the jam ref to the other team and trade armbands accordingly o PenaltyTrackers o Make sure penalty minutes are shaded in on the second period's sheet o Penalty Box o See if there are skaters who need to return to the box before the second period starts, notify Head Referee if there are. Miscellaneous: o o o o o o
Talk to penalty box supervisor, make sure there are no special situations or problems Talk to head ref, make sure there are no problems Talk to all staff, make sure there are no problems Correct any problems Make sure there are still beverages in the middle for staff consumption CHECK THE TRACK TAPE, REPAIR WITH CLEAR PACKING TAPE!
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Post-Bout
o Gather sheets from all NSOs, make sure you have all of them ( 2 penalty sheets, 4 lineup sheets , 4 score sheets) o Verify score total o Grovel and thank staff profusely. They deserve it. o Get a group NSO picture! o Make sure any visiting NSOs get gas money (coordinate with Bout Coordinator) o Complete IGRF and get signed by captains and Head Referee; you sign last. o Pack up gear, make sure all of it is present and accounted for. o Submit score to WFTDA if sanctioned. o Get contact information from other league so that you know where to email Stats Book. o Note any trend, positive or negative and include in post game summary. Post-Bout Pack List
o 8 clipboards, minimum (2 each for Line Up Trackers, Penalty Trackers, Scorekeepers and penalty box) 2 small whiteboards (3'x2' for Outside White Boards if needed) o Large dry erase board (Inside White Board) o Erasable pens, mechanical pencils or pencils with erasers, & a sharpener. o Dry erase markers, several. o Cloth gloves to be used as erasers for the dry erase boards. o 6 wristbands in each of the team’s colors if duct tape wasn’t used. o Clear packing tape. o Duct tape o 6-8 Stopwatches o Penalty Box White Board with markers o Penalty Box chair covers. o Jam Timer Whistle and stopwatch. Immediately (within 48 hours*) after bout:
o Scan or photocopy the bout forms (IGRF) o Send scans or copies to: o The other league(s) contact person (usually head ref or team coach/captain) o Your league's statistician and/or coaches o WFTDA if sanctioned. o It is perfectly fine and easier to upload the Stats Book (read only) to your Google Drive and then either post the link on your team’s secret group page or email the
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link. o Enter data into Stat Book o Send Stat Book to o Statistician o Coaches o Other league o WFTDA if sanctioned. o Keep originals in a safe place *Don’t make a game last any longer than it needs to. Get it done and enjoy your life! Get a helper, it will save you time if somebody reads the line ups to you!
Within week of bout:
o Debrief your NSOs. Talk about positives and concerns that arose from the game. Use your Secret NSO Groups for this. o Make sure all equipment is in good condition o Replace any equipment that needs replacing o Restock pens and whiteboard markers as needed o Start training and recruiting NSOs for the next bout!
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Notes
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