rule of the week

Objective: Introduce newer skaters to the concept of the penalty box, how to get to the box and how to serve a penalty.

Setup:

• Place a chair/bench in an appropriate 'penalty box' position.

• See if someone (preferably off-skates) can act as penalty box official.

• Get everyone together and go through the following questions.

Q. What is the penalty box?

• the designated area where penalty time will be served.

• Benches or seats must be provided to make up the “Penalty Box.” This is

• The benches or seats must be capable of accommodating a total of six skaters (three from each team).

• The penalty benches must be situated in an easily accessible, neutral area close to the track. Teams may use separate penalty boxes.

Q. When should a skater go to the penalty box?

When the referee calls a penalty

Q. How long is a standard penalty?

Upon sitting in any seat in the Penalty Box, the Skater’s penalty time begins. Skaters serve 30 seconds of Jam time for each penalty assessed to them. The final 10 seconds of their penalty time must be served while standing.

• If a Skater stands early, their time stops until they are seated again.

• If a Skater does not stand in a manner that makes it clear to Officials, Skaters, and spectators that they are serving their final 10 seconds, their timing stops until they stand.

If a Skater sits in the Penalty Box between Jams, their time does not start until the beginning of the following Jam.

Q. How does a referee call a penalty?

When a referee calls a penalty, the referee will

1. blow one whistle tweet

2. and speak in a loud clear voice stating:

   1. team color,

   2. skater number,

   3. what the penalty is.

Q. What should the skater do when a referee calls a penalty?

Upon completion of the correct verbal cue and hand signal from an Official, the penalized Skater must immediately leave the track and skate to the penalty box.

Q. What direction do they skate to the penalty box

They can skate in any direction around the track.

Q. What, if any equipment can you remove when you go to the penalty box?

Skaters may remove their mouthguard, but no other protective gear, while seated in the Penalty Box. Skaters must replace their mouthguard prior to leaving the Penalty Box.

Q. How do you reenter the track?

Skaters who intentionally, but legally, leave the track (examples include to report to the Penalty Box or to fix equipment) must return to the track behind all in-play Blockers.

If there is no Pack, they must return to the track behind all Blockers within 20 ft (6.10 m) of the last defined Pack.

Skaters returning to the track from the Penalty Box must do so without illegally gaining position.

Penalty Box / Awareness Drill

Objective - skaters to understand how to go to the penalty box and serve a penalty - also serves as an endurance drill (suggest 20 sec penalties or the drill could go on forever.)

• Everyone skating as a pack, one chair serving as a penalty box next to the track and one (preferably off skates) penalty box volunteer. People will need numbers - could be sharpie or written on masking tape and stuck to arms.

• Coach/referee calls a penalty on one skater at a time and they go to the penalty box (single chair) for 20 seconds

• While they are in the box - skaters on track have to switch positions

• Skaters on track communicate when blocker is standing and returning to the pack

• Penalty skater returns to track when released by the penalty box volunteer

• Continue calling skaters one at a time until all skaters have been to the box or give them a couple of goes and cap it at 5 minutes

Optional: Skaters can have panties on so that skaters on track have to identify what kind of skater is returning to track eg. jammer standing, jammer returning to the track

Setup: four blockers and jammer on track, jammer and pivot panties on

At the start of a jam - where should the blockers be?

All Blockers must be behind the Pivot Line, ahead of the Jammer Line, and all Non-Pivot Blockers must not be touching the Pivot Line.

At the start of the jam - where can the pivot be?

If either Pivot is positioned touching the Pivot Line at the Jam’s start, all Non-Pivot Blockers must be behind that Pivot’s hips.

Toestop can’t be over the line

At the start of a jam - where should the jammers be?

When a Jam begins, the Jammers must be touching on or behind the Jammer Line.

Unless they are serving a penalty, the Jammer must start the Jam on or behind the Jammer Line. Jammers may be stopped or coasting, but may not be actively gaining speed in the counterclockwise direction at the Jam-Starting Whistle.

Can the jammer start in front of the pivot line?

Yes but probably pointless

What happens if a skater is illegally positioned?

Any Skaters who are completely on the track, but partially illegally positioned (for example, a Jammer who is touching past the Jammer Line) are required to yield their position to all other Skaters in the immediate vicinity.

Any Skaters who are wholly illegally positioned are immediately penalized. Blockers who are required to yield are not considered for Pack definition until they have done so.

Jammers who are required to yield cannot earn passes until they have done so.

What do you do if you are positioned illegally?

If a Skater is not legally positioned at the start of a Jam, the Skater should immediately yield position to everybody in the vicinity. Failing to do so after a warning is considered to be intentionally maintaining an illegal position and should be penalized accordingly.

Objective: Skaters get an understanding of the cutting track penalty and how to avoid it.

Setup: Skaters to gather off track around the apex. Coach is on track with a skater to demo.

Questions:

What is cutting the track?

When out of bounds, skaters must return to an in-bounds position without bettering their position in relation to other skaters.

Action: Demo getting hit off track.

What must I do?

Reenter behind the blocker who knocked them off.

What if the momentum takes me back on track in front of that skater? DEMO

Crawl off track and reenter behind any blockers who were in front of you at the point of impact. If the skater stands up before they crawl off track, that will be a penalty.

Stand up - now it’s a penalty

Crawl off - not a penalty

If one toe stop goes off, is this allowed? DEMO

No

Straddling - is this allowed? DEMO

No

Coach to drill with one blocker with everyone to look for the cut track infractions. Include some of the scenarios. People to shout BEEP if they see one. Discuss.

What is a star pass?

A team’s Jammer may transfer their position to their team’s Pivot by successfully completing a legal Star Pass.

What is a legal star pass?

A legal Star Pass requires the Jammer to hand the Star to their team’s Pivot while

1. both Skaters are upright,

2. in bounds,

3. and in play;

4. and while neither Skater is en route to, or in queue for, the Penalty Box.

At what point does the pivot become the jammer?

Upon releasing the Star into the Pivot’s grasp, the position of Jammer is transferred to the Pivot.

What happens to the previous jammer?

The previous Jammer becomes a Non-Pivot Blocker.

What might an illegal star pass look like?

1. Releasing the Star into the grasp of a Skater other than their Pivot

2. Releasing the Star into the Pivot’s grasp while either of the two Skaters is down, out of bounds, out of play, or en route to the Penalty Box

3. Releasing the Star into the Pivot’s grasp while the Pivot is in queue for the Penalty Box (even if the Pivot is not yet en route)

4. Releasing the Star into the grasp of a Pivot who is not wearing the Stripe

What happens if the star is passed illegally?

If the Star is passed illegally, both Skaters retain their existing positions.

What happens if the pivot comes into control of the star through an unsuccessful star pass?

If the Pivot comes into control of the Star through an unsuccessful Star Pass or any other means (for example, by picking up a Star that has fallen to the floor), they will be warned that they are not the Jammer. Accordingly, the Pivot may not put the Star on their own helmet, but they may hold the Star in their hand, drop it, or return it to the Jammer. Only the Jammer or Pivot may recover or control the Star.

The initiator of an illegal Star Pass (or Star recovery) that impacts the game should be penalized.

For drills see star passes

What is the pack?

The Pack is the largest group of in bounds and upright Blockers in proximity and containing members from both teams. If no single group of Blockers meets this definition, there is no Pack, even if there are multiple groups of the same size.

What do we mean by proximity?

Proximity is defined as not more than 10 ft (3.05m), as measured from the hips, in front of or behind the nearest Pack Skater.

Is a skater still part of the pack when they are called for a penalty?

When a Skater is penalized, they are considered to no longer be on the track for the purposes of Pack definition and relative position determinations.

Who's responsibility is it to maintain or reform a pack?

• It is the responsibility of all Blockers to maintain a Pack, and intentionally destroying the Pack is illegal.

• When the Pack is moving counterclockwise, stopped, or has no established speed, clockwise skating which destroys the Pack is illegal.

• All Blockers from both teams must act to reform a Pack.

• For Skaters in the rear group, this includes stepping or skating in the counterclockwise direction. For Skaters in the front group, this includes coasting, braking, or coming to a complete stop. If an immediate action is not sufficient to reform the Pack, additional effort is required. If a Blocker is in the rear group, they must accelerate (until sprinting) toward the front group until a Pack is reformed (coasting, stepping slowly, or stepping in an only somewhat-counterclockwise direction are insufficient), but they may slow in order to avoid unsafe contact when the Pack reformation is imminent. If a Blocker is in the front group, they must actively brake until they come to a complete stop (coasting is insufficient), but they are not required to skate clockwise.

What happens if a blocker blocks while there is no pack?

Blocks on or by Blockers which have impact while there is no Pack should be immediately penalized.

Additional to demo

• 3 and 3 = not pack

• Jammers do not count when determining the pack

• Downed skaters do not count when determining the pack

• Skaters given penalties but still on track do not count when determining the pack

• Skaters from only one team = not pack

• Further than 10” apart = not pack

• Any clockwise motion that destroys the pack is illegal. (unless the pack is moving clockwise)

How can pack definition be used for game strategy?

“The Pack” determines things like, pack speed, pack direction and engagement zone

Progression: Pack definition drills

Rule states:

Skaters may not form a wall by linking with or grasping a teammate, or otherwise forming an impenetrable connection. This action warrants a penalty if an opponent attempts to get between them and fails to do so due to the illegal formation.

Impact to Illegal Zone

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Impact with Illegal Zone

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Direction

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