#jam ref

[drawinbutter]

Can you believe Jam Refs used to have to track Jammer Lap Points? Inconceivable! The History of Jam Ref Hand Signals (After Ten, ep 1). "After Ten" celebrates all the people in and around the roller derby track who AREN'T the ten roller derby skaters, but without whom derby couldn't happen!

Remedial Roller Derby: until February 2019, jammers got a "jammer lap point" for lapping the opposing jammer...which was Incredibly hard to track in Many situations!

[twoeggsoversleazy]

I hope my derby crush knows I'm head over toe stops for 'em by the way I point when they get lead.

[lonelystripe]

Ever have tha moment when you don't realize your jammer came out of the box???

Yeah . . . . done that a time or two . . . .

[lonelystripe]

What Jam Refs really talk about before the jam

Yup . . . most times it's just inside jokes . . . get it . . . Inside Jokes . . . cause we're inside . . . the track . . . .

I'm gonna go skate over here . . . .

[originalrecreation]

So I had my first scrim on the weekend (and it was fucking amazing to put it mildly) and I got to jam (even more amazing). I don't know if many other people relate to this but when your jam ref is following you around signalling that you're not the lead jammer, it's like he's skating around saying "you suck! You're not the lead! You couldn't even be the lead right now if you tried" Just a little derby side note. So excited to scrim again! Xx Cherrybomb 🍒✨

[twoeggsoversleazy]

When I Jam Ref

Sometimes I imprint on my jammer, and if she gets lead, I yell, "YOU'RE MY LEAD JAMMER, BITCH!"

[twoeggsoversleazy]

Because of Double Headers

I look at that damn carrot cake, and I'm all like, "Fyeah I should eat all of that because jam ref and reasons" and then I get diabetes and die.

[lonelystripe]

Dancing with the "Stars"

5 SECONDS!

My mind clears . . I inhale . . . my stance gets lower and I start to count down in my head . . .

4

I notice the jammers playful talk has stopped as they jockey for a superior position . . .

3

I do a quick glance to see my OPRs, I am keenly aware of the other Jammer Ref to my right and the rear IPR standing tall behind me . . .

2

I am now focused on my Jammers foot on the line, making sure she doesn't cross it . . . I watch as the Jammers muscles in their leg tighten, as if a rubber band being twirled up . . .

1

All the while I am repeating my Jammers number over and over in my head . . . to commit it to memory for the next 2 minutes . . .

*TWEEEEET*

My Jammer explodes off the line and so do I. But she is quickly stopped by a formidable wall in front of her. I must immediately brake to keep my position with her. She jukes left, then right. She tries to throw a shoulder in to make a hole but the opponents wall is just too strong. I am listening for 2 whistles but they have not come yet. Lead is still open. Finally a teammate of my Jammer puts a hip block in causing an opportunity on the outside. She goes to the outside and for an instant I cannot completely see her. I look to my OPR who is watching the feet of my jammer as she gets dangerously close to the outside. She slides past 2 blockers and the OPR gives me a slight head nod, she's clean. With that slight opening my Jammer turns on the afterburners and we are off. The burst of speed catches me off guard but I quickly toe run and catch up to her. One blocker left as we come out of turn 2 . . and ever so slightly her hips pass the opposing blocker.

*TWEET TWEET*

My arms snap into the Lead Jammer hand signal so hard I swear I broke something. My Jammers stance lowers as she enters turn 3 and pours the speed on, but I am right there with her. She comes to the back of the pack and I am slightly behind her to get a better view of her entering the pack. I tap the rear IPR on the hip and he steps inside just a bit to give me room. My jammer is having a hard time getting through the blockers and by chance I end up sightly in front of them just in time to see the one blocker holding onto the arm of her teammate while my jammer is trying to get through.

*TWEET*

I sound my whistle before my brain even has the chance to find the name of the call. As I blow my whistle my Jammer breaks around them and moves up through the pack. Without missing a beat I turn backwards:

Color, Number, Multi-Player Block Major

I spin back around and start pointing at my jammer again as I hear the rear IPR say "GOT IT". I had my Jammer in my peripheral vision the whole time but now I tighten my focus back on her. Two points, three points, I count behind my back. Just then:

*TWEET* Color, Number, Back Block Major

I send my Jammer to the box for a back block. She exits he track shaking her head. I'm not sure if its at me or the fact that she committed the penalty. Probably at you Ref I answer myself from the back of my head. I track her around until she sits in the box and I stand there, stone faced.

"I'm in the box"   I inform the other Jam Ref as he comes around in front of me. I am mentally keeping track of the points she already scored and who the last blocker was that she needed to pass when I hear the other Jammer get called on a penalty, The other Jammer comes speeding to the box, sits and my Jammer is released. She comes out of the box like a bullet, forcing me into a running skate to keep with her. She comes back to the pack, jukes around three blockers and blows past the blind side of the last blocker. I wait till 20 feet and throw my left arm up, displaying 5 points. I look over my Jammers head as we pass the scorekeeper, they flashes the number back to me and I give them a slight nod and I am focuses again on my Jammer.

She comes up to the back, plow stops, I 180 toe stop. She slices through 2 blockers. Comes up to a third blocker who goes for a hip hit. My Jammer stands straight up as the blocker sails in front of her, falling to the inside right in front of me. I take a side step to the left to avoid the fallen blocker which puts me slightly in front of my Jammer.  I spin backwards to have a better view and one of the previously passed blocker force the Jammer out with her elbow.

*TWEET* Color, Number, Elbows Major

Just then my Jammer breaks the front of the pack and takes off. I spin around and do a few power strides to keep pace. 5 Points to my scorekeeper who flashes the hand signal back. My Jammer is pouring on the speed as I give a quick glance forward. I see the formation of the skaters, I see the opportunity from here. I have a strong feeling I know what she is going to do next. The pack is just about at the apex of the turn when we catch them. And as I figured my Jammer jumps as she reaches the back of the pack. I was prepared and made sure she left the track in bounds. I am watching to make sure that she doesn't forcefully contact anyone. But at that same moment I have a little "fan" moment of awe as I watch her soar through the air. She lands on one foot, well in bounds, wobbles a bit and plants the other foot. Her bench goes nuts. Just then I hear

*TWEET TWEET TWEET TWEET*

I put up 5 points to the scorekeeper and watch has my Jammer does a little fist pump and yells "YEAH!" I come around the inside, I hear a "good call" from one ref, the head ref stops me to ask if I had eyes on another penalty we I was coming through the pack. I shake my head no. I feel a few beads of sweat roll down the side of my head. As I come back to the Jammer line I get a smile from my fellow Jam ref.

"Having fun?", he says with a smile.

"Just dancing with the stars my friend", I reply.

"Well then, lets do it again", and give me a fist bump.

5 SECONDS!

My mind clears . . I inhale . . .

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It's jams like this that remind me how much I love what I do. I've been a bit blah recently with Derby. Not really wanting to drive an hour to practice. Not really wanting to go through the motions especially since I'm not getting staffed for bouts. And then a scrimmage practice happens like I had last night. And yeah, the first couple jams I was in were really . . . crap. I was off. But then a jam like this happens, and you really are dancing with that jammer for those 2 minutes. And everything feels right, your motions are fluid, you're on point and everything falls into place. It really is like dancing with someone. You need to match their pace, let them lead you and if its done right it looks effortless. That's sometimes how it feels Jam Reffing.

On the skaters side . . . . ummm . . yeah . . . they don't even know their dancing.