WFTDA: No-Minors Ruleset to Take Effect January 1, 2013
In a Tuesday press release, the Women's Flat Track Derby Association announced that the long-awaited sixth version of the WFTDA ruleset will go into effect on January 1, 2013, with the ruleset itself scheduled to be published at some point during fall 2012. The 2012 playoffs will be played under the most recent version of the ruleset, which was published in May 2010.
According to the press release, the new version removes minor penalties from the set; all penalties that are currently called as minors will either be upgraded to majors (and hence penalized immediately) or downgraded to no-impact. The press release does not go into detail on specific changes, though.
While less-widely-adopted rulesets like those of OSDA, USARS and MADE have used no-minors in the past, and WFTDA beta-tested a first draft of a no-minors ruleset last year, 2013 will mark the first year since WFTDA began publishing standardized rules in 2006 that accumulation of minors is not a key element of penalty tracking.
From WFTDA's press release:
“As our sport reaches the end of its first decade of play, we are in a position to be paced and strategic about implementing changes,” said WFTDA Board Member Ex-Officio Grace Killy. “We are balancing the stability of our current rule set with the need for rules updates as the game evolves. Waiting until January to implement the new rule set allows the WFTDA to make comprehensive revisions while preserving the competitive spirit of the game throughout the 2012 tournaments."
Comments
Wait and see, I guess...
No minors is probably some juicy red meat to draw eyes away from the other issues they're perhaps still considering or working on resolving? Jam start issues, pack-splitting, and so forth...
Having seen a beta version of no-minors rules being played by a few different sorts of WFTDA teams, including penalty-prone teams, cleaner teams, strategists and "let's just play" teams, as well as up and down the skill ladder, I think that no minors ought to work well enough in WFTDA play. Tough to say how it might work for more rec-level leagues, but I honestly think there's more to be gained there than lost.
The worst potential pitfalls I can imagine with a no-minors rule set would probably be skaters diving to draw a penalty on an opponent. Opposing skater does something that doesn't have a major impact, so the "target" does her best to make said impact "major." This wouldn't need to mean falling down, she could so much as fall behind one member of her own team or the other and lose relative position. Though honestly, I don't recall whether falling behind a teammate was "no impact" or a major under the beta rules tested at ECDX 2011.
Realistically, a jammer isn't very likely to fall or fall behind to take out a blocker or the opposing jammer. But it's a safe bet that some blockers are likely to find ways to draw penalties from jammers. The counter to that is of course, "don't do illegal things when you're jamming."
No Minors
Since we're talking about it, even though it's a done deal, I'll just take this chance to state once again my biggest complaint with the beta version of no minors. That ruleset downgraded things like minor forearms, back blocks and blocking out of bounds to no impact. I personally want to see them all upgraded (if we have to have no minors; I disagree that minors are at all a problem)
Letting those types of infractions be forgiven sets a lower bar of what WFTDA wants the top athletes to perform at. There are tons of top skaters who are major contributors for major teams and don't accumulate minors of these things, so there's no room for a "it's impossible to skate competitively without doing that". I personally want to see that the WFTDA voters have stepped up and said "I want to accept the challenge that I will try to become the best skater!"
minors
Since we're talking about it, even though it's a done deal, I'll just take this chance to state once again my biggest complaint with the beta version of no minors. That ruleset downgraded things like minor forearms, back blocks and blocking out of bounds to no impact. I personally want to see them all upgraded (if we have to have no minors; I disagree that minors are at all a problem)
Letting those types of infractions be forgiven sets a lower bar of what WFTDA wants the top athletes to perform at. There are tons of top skaters who are major contributors for major teams and don't accumulate minors of these things, so there's no room for a "it's impossible to skate competitively without doing that". I personally want to see that the WFTDA voters have stepped up and said "I want to accept the challenge that I will try to become the best skater!"
i'm just glad that derby is being upgraded to a full contact sport again, i have not got minor penalty's from the very first bout i watched and never will, especially back blocking, the rules are also for everyone in the sport not just the top players who have mastered not making these tiny infringements that don't really affect the game
wait and see is right
I haven't seen enough play under the no minor rules to know if it will be an improvement but I'm hopeful. I agree with others that this is not the biggest problem with the rules right now. I'm getting tired of people I bring to bouts asking "why are they just standing there". Seriously, in my experience, the current play style is not winning any new fans. I do agree that the sport should be for the players, but I don't get the sense a lot of them are very happy with the current rules regarding pack definition and jam starting, among others. I hope we don't have to wait another 2 years for fixes.
they do that now anyway.
There are already soccer style "fall" artists out there who attempt to get Majors called on opponents. I really don't see this changing. Officials judge the impact that they see. If someone is 'talented' enough to convince the officials that they were majorly impacted, then the officials will call that. If it looks like they took a dive, they don't get the call. That won't change.
The flip side of your coin N8 is that some people think that contact is OK in a contact sport. And that sometimes contact doesn't end up exactly where you wish it would, but it's not a big deal.
I have to put my stern and
I have to put my stern and stoic coach's demeanor aside momentarily to say - Holy shit, I love Grace Killy!
"...some people think that contact is OK in a contact sport. And that sometimes contact doesn't end up exactly where you wish it would, but it's not a big deal."
Yep. Lace up, face up and light the place up...
Yes!
contact is OK in a contact sport. And that sometimes contact doesn't end up exactly where you wish it would, but it's not a big deal.
Omg, exactly:)
the law of unintended conequences...
Let me preface all of this by saying that I'm 100% in favor of simplifying the sport's rules set.
But you can pretty much count me among those who would have advocated for the "promotion" of contact minors to majors, rather than their relegation to non-penalty status.
I have a fair number of derby friends who fall on the slighter/smaller side of the bell curve, size-wise - and many/most of them are actively wondering if they have a place in the sport after these changes take effect. A couple of them have skated the beta set and both found it to be a frustrating experience. I don't think any derby skater wants to be reduced to the role of "penalty bait" - forced to embellish the effects of on-track contact.
Competitive athletes always explore the boundaries of the rules - and rightly so. As a consequence of these changes I feel quite confident that more major infractions will be committed in bout play. I'm less confident that more infractions will be called.
I think 2013 could be a difficult year for many on the track.
It works just fine...
I’ve been skating the equivalent of no-minors for years now with and against skaters of all sizes and genders, and have seen and been part of bouts with all sizes over these years playing “no minors” and there’s never been an issue when it comes to size and “having a place.”
While I’m sure it’s going to be a learning curve for those not used to it, I’m pretty sure “no minors” will eventually be as embraced and enjoyed by the WFTDA-rules crowd as it has been for those of us already skating that way for years.
201Say goodbye to the white boards.
Agreeing with Poobah..... 1st time in ever...
At ECDX, I was able to call both the beta bouts and there was a no impact call when falling behind. Now, there will always be room for interpetation, however, this definitely makes for less...
It's a small step in the right direction.
What probably goes away/changes with no minors...
Along with the aforementioned outside whiteboards, we can probably do without the inside whiteboards that track minors and penalty minutes. Perhaps one on the outside with each player's PM count? Perhaps the PT could signal a foul out using a whiteboard?
I see single penalty tracker becoming a whole lot easier to manage. And those penalty trackers being able to do their jobs effectively on the OUTSIDE of the track. They're typically on the inside now because minors are called verbally. With no minors, ref blows a whistle, PT looks at ref, sees hand signal, records penalty. If one's missed, the PT would've seen which skater it was (if they're in turn 4 with the LTs) and can run to the infield between jams to find out what was called.
So basically the only NSOs needed in the infield would be two scorekeepers (one's not allowed) and the jam timer. Without the one or two PTs and occasional "penalty wrangler" and the big old white boards on the infield, folks in the suicide seats get a clearer view of cross-track action. Getting rid of the outside whiteboards (OPRs now just blow whistles and signal) also makes for two less people standing up blocking sight-lines.
Lineup trackers (PLEASE mention them in the rules already!) shouldn't be on the infield, plop 'em back on turn 4 with the PTs, or wherever they can clearly see the numbers on the backs of jerseys between jams. If the causes for kneeling starts go away, the LT job goes back to 2010-2011 levels of difficulty. A terrifically difficult job to do in 2012, especially with unfamiliar teams in tournament settings.
Scorekeepers in the infield?
Why are your scorekeepers in the infield? Why are they not right next to the scoreboard operator?
Different leagues do things differently.
They have different space needs, different setups, etc. Not everyone is set up exactly the same.
I recognize that
I recognize that, but his response was worded in a way that I read to mean he thought the standard would be like this. Perhaps I read into it something that wasn't there.
No, not scorekeepers...
I recognize that, but his response was worded in a way that I read to mean he thought the standard would be like this. Perhaps I read into it something that wasn't there.
Honestly that was a brain fart on my part. I've not worked a bout with inside scorekeepers in quite some time. It is allowed, but is being done less and less often nowadays. Including by my own league...
I guess I meant positions that might be in the middle?
nso's
as head nso for my league, no minors will be a godsend, it's always hard to get victims, sorry i mean volunteers to penalty track but with the new rules this role will be no harder than any other, as for line up trackers i have been placing mine either side of the penalty box next to the relevent teams they are tracking, it works much better than having them on turn 4, as with knee starts and all that they never seem to have the teams backs to them until they reach turn 1
but what about the rankings?
This is interesting news and all, but why did WFTDA put out a press release on this - which won't affect anyone for several months - and not on the regional top 10 lists for the Big 5?
This happened last year too
Q2 rankings for 2011 came out August 4, as the WFTDA took longer to make sure that everybody who got voted top ten in a region would actually accept their invitation. In 2010, the rankings were publicly released on July 26 before tournament invites were accepted, leading to a bit of confusion about who was actually going to go (though am I pretty sure 2009 was the last year that any team made top ten but declined to show at regionals).
If history is any guide, the 2012 tournament rankings release is Very Very Imminent.
JINX
You owe me a Coke. (or an RC, if we're in Milwaukee)
WFTDA Rankings and Tournament Invites
Thanks, Justice.
You're absolutely right-- stay tuned to WFTDA.com this Friday for this quarter's rankings and the 2012 Playoff qualifiers.
Power Rankings?
Does this mean we'll see the DNN Power Rankings for August soon as well?
any minute now.
This month is hard.
Because the teams find out first.
They send invitations to the Regional tounaments and wait for teams to accept them before they announce rankings to the public.
Acceptance and Rankings
They send invitations to the Regional tounaments and wait for teams to accept them before they announce rankings to the public.
Thank god they don't do that with any other sport..haha. Seriously would anyone decline an invite to regionals? Would they say...well since you declined an invite we will bump you down in the rankings?
It's kind of funny and one of the great aspects that makes roller derby more exciting than most other sports. The fact that while most sports have such a firm structure that there is a beginning middle and end of the season for all teams in the league at the same time, in roller derby every team in the league has it's own beginning middle and end. The regionals and national tournaments are the ending of the season to some teams and fall smack dab in the middle of the season for other teams. Amongst all the chaos there is structure.
I don't know, since it's never happened.
I don't know what would happen if a team who wasn't expecting it ended up making it into the top 10, and they couldn't afford the trip. I doubt that WFTDA would drop them in the rankings, but I'm not sure.
It happened
I don't know what would happen if a team who wasn't expecting it ended up making it into the top 10, and they couldn't afford the trip. I doubt that WFTDA would drop them in the rankings, but I'm not sure.
They did.... Derby in Dairyland 2008 . Dominion was ranked 10th, invited to regionals and had to decline. Providence took the spot & the ranking that year.... It got ugly.. :)
CrAzY!
I don't remember that at all!
Here's the story
Dominion Withdraws From Eastern Regionals
That also wasn't the only time. In 2009, both Harrisburg and Maine finished top-ten in the East, but declined their invitations, leading to DC and (ironically) Dominion going in their places.
WHAT??? IT'S AN OUTRAGE I
WHAT??? IT'S AN OUTRAGE I TELL YOU!!!
Recorded No-Minors Game On-line?
Does anyone know of a recording on-line of a No-Minors game so that some of us who have not seen one could analyse how they are played?
is this what you are looking for?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jabnx0QptkE
Thank You
Very interesting, I'd done a search and not found one-much appreciation! I'll share it with my league :)
Yup
You are very welcome. I was kind of shocked that I found it...but glad to be of service. Should be interesting. Hope some of the other major issues get addressed in the new rules as well. Some of the stuff like the forfeiting of bouts to get better placement at tournaments and scrum starts which slow the game down something awful.
No Minors on DVD
Charm City vs Windy City 2011 ECDX. The DVD's are still on sale through the WFTDA store.
test bout
The first time I saw flat track roller derby played with no minors was in a rules test that I shot for Blaze Streaming Media at Wild West Showdown 2011. It was a half-length bout played on the (dimly-lit) challenge track. See here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deJCQJMKXNE&t=33m21s
test bout
The teams are a bit hard to differentiate due to the low lighting, but the sound quality is excellant -no music playing in the background (rare to find at a Derby game) so you can actually hear the refs :)
I know there has been talk of eliminating scrum starts, does anyone know if that will be included in the new rules set?
NDA...
The teams are a bit hard to differentiate due to the low lighting, but the sound quality is excellant -no music playing in the background (rare to find at a Derby game) so you can actually hear the refs :)
I know there has been talk of eliminating scrum starts, does anyone know if that will be included in the new rules set?
If and when someone knows, they're unable to publicly say so until WFTDA has done so.
Good point, it is best when
Good point, it is best when things are officially released versus debated beforehand in the public sphere-plus I'm sure there are still parts of the rules that are being tested before the official release.