Bouts & Challenges

Overview:
We differentiate between:
  • Challenges (30 minutes),
  • Bouts (1 hour).
  • Open scrimmage (no overall score; each jam is an island, the scrimmage goes on as long as it is scheduled). Scrimmage information can be found here.
RollerCon Bouts & Challenges are organized by captains, who create the teams.  Any RollerCon passholder who meets basic roller derby skill requirements is able to create and captain a Bout or Challenge. Captains create a roster document and submit their game for scheduling on March 1st at noon Pacific. Over the course of the next month or so, RollerCon staff verifies that the entries are valid, then schedules the games and notifies the captains. The captains then finish organizing the games through summer – by adding players to the roster, creating uniforms and organizing players. Captains are responsible for all communications with their teams. Then everyone shows up and plays in July.
Super important links for captains:

PLEASE NOTE: The form typically fills up beyond the number of available challenge spots before 12:05pm Pacific. Please set an alarm; entries completed after 12:05 almost never get scheduled. There are less spots for Challenges in 2023, so it will be even harder to get scheduled. However, there will be more Open Scrimmages for drop in players and folks who aren’t ready for the chaos of Challenges scheduling.

Helpful hints, including detailed directions, forms and how tos:
… For Captains
… For Players

*Tips & Reminders for captains & players can be found in the announcements on our RollerCon Challenges Forum.

Text “follow RollerCon” to 40404 for SMS deadlines, scores & updates, including notifications when Challenge Submissions open March 1st each year.

General Info About RollerCon Games

  • Any scrimmage-safe MVP or Skater pass holder with validated insurance can skate or captain a Challenge. Off Skates passholders may captain (off skates), as well.
  • RollerCon games are open for viewing to all RollerCon passholders and RC passholders only. Your family and friends can get tickets to see your game! We call it an Off Skates Convention Pass. Only passholders can enter the facility. We recommend that you get them in advance when they are inexpensive. They are NOT inexpensive on site; we price them higher to intentionally discourage civilians who don’t understand our culture from coming in to gape at us.

CHALLENGES:

  1. Challenges are played by WFTDA, USARS & RDCL rules unless pre-arranged otherwise (see the schedule submission form to request another ruleset). WFTDA games are staffed by our Officiating Management. Games played by other rule sets (once approved) will  require the organizers / captains to recruit an officials crew.
  2. 30 min Challenges are scheduled in 45 minute slots. We are very aggressive about staying on schedule. We reserve the right to shorten games to make up time on the schedule.
  3. Everyone must be ready 10 minutes before your scheduled time! On track skater warm-ups are not guaranteed for Challenges, so arrive ready to play (warmups can happen on the open skate track). No skater may join late.
  4. If the challenge starts late for any reason, the time is shaved off the end of that challenge. We stick to our schedule.
  5. Challenge period clocks NEVER STOP.
  6. Teams may use one time out and one review, but that time comes out of their playtime. The last jam ends naturally, but no jam will start after the time slot ends.
  7. Skaters foul out after 4 penalties.

FULL LENGTH BOUTS

  1. Full length bouts are WFTDA regulation bouts played by WFTDA rules and procedures with the addition of 20-rosters unless planned by another ruleset in advance.
  2. All other relevant rules from the Challenge section above apply, especially the dire warnings about staying on schedule.

This is the RollerCon live game schedule. If you don’t see any entries, make sure the dates for RollerCon are showing by clicking the “look for more link” on the calendar.