This weekend I attended the Brewcity Bruisers' championship bout. The championship bout comes at the end of a four month season of monthly "bouts" or games.. I've attended almost every bout this season and as has become our tradition, I got a couple of delicious slices of pizza before this bout with my friends.
For those of you new to roller derby, here's a quick intro to how the game is played. Each bout is made up of two minute jams with five skaters playing from each team. The two jammers -- the skaters who can score points -- line up behind the eight blockers. The whistle blows and each jammer tries to fight her way through the pack (the eight blockers). The jammer that breaks through first is named lead jammer and has the right to call off the jam whenever it is best strategically for her. The next time she breaks through the pack, she'll score one point for every player of the opposite team she passes. If the second jammer is getting close to scoring points by breaking through the pack a second time too, the lead jammer will call off the jam as quickly as she can by doing a tapping movement on her hips.
For more info about the Women's Flat Track Derby Association, click here.