Question 1

True or false: In professional roller derby, players often adopt pun-based or theatrical skate names.

Accepted Answer

True. From the 2000s revival onward, skaters use names like 'Anne Chovi' or 'Jackie Ohhh!' for fun and anonymity, though some leagues now require real names.

Question 2

True or false: Roller derby uses a square track with four corners marked by cones.

Accepted Answer

False. The track is an oval, typically 100–120 feet long, defined by continuous lines on the floor—not a square or marked by cones at corners.

Question 3

True or false: Most roller derby skaters wear helmets with face masks similar to hockey goalies.

Accepted Answer

False. Face masks are not required by major roller derby associations (e.g., WFTDA), and many skaters choose not to wear them; therefore, it is not accurate that most wear face cages.

Question 4

True or false: A roller derby bout consists of two 30-minute halves, with continuous play and no timeouts.

Accepted Answer

False. Bouts have two 30-minute halves, but play stops frequently for jams (max 2 minutes each) and between jams. Referees also call timeouts for penalties and injuries.

Question 5

True or false: Roller derby was invented in the 1970s as a feminist sport during the women's liberation movement.

Accepted Answer

False. It debuted in 1935 as a co-ed endurance race, then became a theatrical sport in the 1940s. The modern feminist revival started in Austin, Texas, in 2001.

Question 6

True or false: Roller derby was originally played on a banked track, but modern leagues mostly use flat floors.

Accepted Answer

True. Early derby in the 1930s used banked tracks for speed, but today’s revival (2000s) primarily plays on flat surfaces for accessibility and lower cost.

Question 7

True or false: In roller derby, only the pivot may legally receive the star from the jammer to become the new jammer during a jam.

Accepted Answer

True. Per WFTDA rules, the jammer can pass the star to the pivot (striped helmet cover), who then becomes the jammer. No other blocker is allowed to wear the star.

Question 8

True or false: Players score points by lapping members of the opposing team, not by passing the jammer.

Accepted Answer

True. Only the jammer scores in roller derby, earning a point for each opposing blocker they legally lap (pass). Simply passing the jammer does not award points to anyone.

Roller Derby Trivia Questions