HEAD NSO HANDBOOK

Shamelessly stolen from Roc City Roller Derby League, and re-written by Dangerous Danger

Jan 2011

HEAD NSO CHECKLIST Pre-pre-game: Equipment:

• 7 clipboards, minimum • 3 small whiteboards • 2 inside penalty whiteboards (marked for minors and penalty minutes)* • pens (pref. Erasable), several (test to make sure they work) • whiteboard markers, several (test to make sure they work) • rags/erasers for whiteboards • tape • 2 copies of penalty abbreviations (outside WB) or whiteboard sheets from Statsbook • 4 copies each, preferably from StatsBook. (See Head NSO): • lineup sheets • penalty tracking sheets • score tracking sheets • penalty box equipment • 6 Stopwatches minimum* • 6 chairs • way to demarcate seat colors and jammer seat • 2 stopwatches and whistle for jam timer

• Head NSO: • NSO meeting notes • Know when meetings are going to be • Extra forms • StatsBook set up with team, ref, and NSO information, IBRF printed • USARS bout reporting form set up with team, ref, and NSO info and printed

MEETING TIMES: NSO MEETING: ______________________________ REFEREE MEETING: _________________________ NSO REPORT TO CENTER: ____________________ INTRODUCTIONS: ___________________________ BOUT START: ________________________________ DURATION OF HALFTIME: ____________________

STAFFING OPTIMAL (bout): 2 penalty trackers 2 penalty WB 3 penalty box 2 outside WB 2 scorekeepers 1 jam timer 2 lineup trackers 1 penalty wrangler TOTAL: 14 people Order of job merging: 1. Pull score WB, have scorekeepers use whiteboard-backed score clipboards 2. Merge lineup trackers 3. Pull penalty WB, have penalty trackers mark their own penalties 4. Pull one penalty box attendant 5. Pull one outside WB 6. Pull other lineup tracker (Lineup is a stats position. A bout can run without it.) 7. Pull second penalty box attendant 8. Pull one penalty trackers, use 2-up penalty sheets (last resort) BARE MINIMUM (Bout):

• 1 penalty tracker • 2 scorekeepers • 1 outside WB • 1 jam timer/penalty wrangler • 1 penalty box

TOTAL: 6 people (NOT advised. Ever. Pull people out of the stands before you try this at a real bout.) SCRIMMAGE BARE MINIMUM:

• 1 penalty/scorekeeper • 1 jam timer/penalty wrangler • 1 penalty box

TOTAL: 3 people (Sucks, but it works in a pinch.) Staffers:

• Should be reliable • Should be trained ahead of the bout, at a scrimmage optimally • Should be able to quickly get out of the way of flying derby girls and referees if

necessary, and have no conditions that could endanger them if they are hit (e.g. pregnancy, broken arm, etc.) Less important for lineup trackers if they are well off the track, vital for all other positions.

• Should know that they are there to do a job, not watch the game

NSO POSITIONS

Penalty Tracker Penalty Whiteboard Penalty Box Outside Whiteboard Scorekeeper Score Whiteboard Jam Timer Lineup Tracker *Penalty Box 1 should be the penalty box supervisor. Pre-Whistle Role call: PT 1 ________________________ PT 2 ________________________ PW 1 ________________________ PW 2________________________ PB 1 ________________________ PB 2 ________________________ PB 3 ________________________ OW 1 ________________________ OW 2 ________________________ SK 1 ________________________ SK 2 ________________________ SW ________________________ JT ________________________ LT 1 ________________________ LT 2 ________________________

BOUT DAY Pre-Game:

• Prep clipboards: • Lineup, each team, new sheet for periods 1 and 2 plus spare for overflow: • Team name, lineup tracker name, period number at top, pens provided • Scorekeeping sheet, each team, new sheet for periods 1 and 2 plus spare for

overflow: • Team name, scorekeeper name, period number at top, pens provided • Penalty tracking sheet, each team, new sheet for periods 1 and 2: • Team name, penalty tracker name, period number on top, pens provided • Confirm rosters with the team bench managers, note any changes • Skater names and numbers, organized numerically on forms • Organize by number, ignoring letters and words • Note duplicate numbers and homonyms and call attention to them during the prebout

meeting, stressing that they need to cite color AND number • Note confusing numbers/words/symbols and call attention to them during the • pre-bout meeting, and sort out what they will be called by the refs • Prep whiteboards • Penalty Whiteboard: • Write team names at top, on the side their bench is located (left or right) • Write skaters' numbers in the order they appear on the penalty tracking sheets • Have whiteboard markers and erasers at the ready • Outside Whiteboards: • Tape lists of penalty abbreviations on back of boards (or form from StatsBook) • Divide the board in half, writing the team names or colors at the top of the halves, • so that there is a clear side for each team's penalties to be written • Have extra whiteboard markers on hand for each board, as they won't have • access to the equipment bin where they are • Have erasers on hand for both whiteboards • Penalty box: • In appropriate location (confirm with head ref) • 6 seating positions, appropriately marked (colors, jammer seats) • Line of No Return marked • Prep staff. • Make sure everyone is present and accounted for at least a half-hour before the

bout, more if they have not yet been trained. You don't want to have to rush or panic as to where your team is.

• Train staffers who need training • Make sure they know where their station and equipment is • Outside whiteboards: • at 1and 3, or wherever the OPRs will end their laps • find a good well-lit spot where they will not obstruct the suicide seats or • referees • will be able to jump back if skaters or refs come flying at them • can see the penalty trackers' signals • need to pay attention to the refs • Staff in the middle should be aware of the penalty whiteboard and know not to • stand in front of it, as the coaches/captains/bench managers need to see it

• Scorekeepers need to know who their jammer refs are, and how to signal per pass

scoring to the scorekeeper • Penalty trackers need to know: • where the outside whiteboards are (and can see them clearly)

• who to flag down in case of a skater getting 4 minors (IPR, jam ref only if • it’s his jammer) • how to communicate with the penalty box in case a skater gets multiple • minutes in the box • a signal to flash the outside whiteboards to let them know a penalty has • been noted (thumbs-up) • to grab an inside pack ref or the head ref in case of need for official time • out • Jam timer: • has a stopwatch and a whistle • knows how to use the stopwatch and whistle • knows to check with head ref before blowing jam on • knows when to start and stop the watch and what to time (jams, between • jams, team time-outs) • Penalty box: • has all needed equipment and staff (bench/chairs, signage, timers) • is versed on all applicable rules (jammer, multiple minutes, when/how to • send skaters out, when/how to wave a skater off and how to communicate • it to a ref, etc) • knows who to flag down in case of a problem/waved-off skater/etc. • Lineup trackers are in a good position to see skater numbers and the penalty box • Make sure jam refs get their armbands • Make sure there are beverages (and cake) available for the staff during the bout • Make sure staff know where to stow their stuff (usually the ref's locker room)

For more training info, see NSO position-specific manuals at the end of this document Halftime

• Check sheets • Score: • Verify running total (or have them verify each other), make sure it gets • transferred to the second period sheets • Make sure they know they'll be following the jam ref to the other team • Penalty: • Make sure minors and penalty minutes are shaded in on the second period's sheet • Talk to penalty box supervisor, make sure there are no special situations or problems • Check that the penalty box sheet matches the penalty trackers sheets • Talk to head ref, make sure there are no problems • Talk to all staff, make sure there are no problems • Correct any problems • Make sure there are still beverages in the middle for staff consumption

Post-Bout

• Gather sheets from all staffers, make sure you have all of them (4 penalty sheets, 4 lineup sheets plus spares, 4 score sheets plus spares)

• Verify score total • Thank staff profusely. They deserve it. • Complete IBRF and USARS bout reporting forms, get signed by captains and head

ref • Pack up gear, make sure all of it is present and accounted for • Get contact information from other league so that you know where to send copies of

the sheets • Jot down notes for game post-mortem meeting

Post-Bout Pack List

• 7 clipboards (or # used _______)

• 3 small whiteboards • 2 inside penalty whiteboards • pens • whiteboard markers • rags/erasers for whiteboards • tape • 4 each: • lineup sheets (completed, plus any spares used) • penalty tracking sheets (completed) • scorekeeping sheets (completed, plus any spares used) • Penalty box equipment • 6 stopwatches (or # used _______) • 6 chairs returned • Way to demarcate color and jammer seat (recovered if reusable) • timer and whistle from jam timer

POST-POST-BOUT Within week of bout:

• Scan or photocopy the bout forms • Enter data into StatBook • Send StatBook to • Coaches • Other league • Keep originals in a safe place • Email all NSOs to ask for feedback • Make sure all equipment is in good condition • Replace any equipment that needs replacing • Restock pens and whiteboard markers as needed • Start training NSOs for the next bout!

Appendix 1: Sample Pre-Bout Email to NSO volunteers. Hello All/specific person Thanks for volunteering. I attach a full description of your jobs - please read these through before the bout so that if you’re confused you can either a) come to a scrimmage before the bout if at all humanly possible, even if you can't stay for the entire thing. (LOCATIONS, DATES, AND TIMES) Sundays or the last hour of the Tuesday session are the best to attend. b) ask me any questions (person/phone/email) I'll be having a brief NSO meeting at about XXXX to go through anything that I think needs pointing out - or that Ballistic/Head Ref wants covered. Please try to be there a few minutes earlier so we can get started on time. *Preferably at least an hour before the bout. However, if you want me or Henry to go through your roles with you we'll be around from XXX onwards so just come grab either of us and we'll go through things with you - sometimes the job descriptions make much more sense when you we can show you the form you need to fill in! This way you won't all have to sit through me telling everyone what to do in a really long and pointless meeting... So please wear black shirt. No LRG branded shirts please, but anything else is fine. I don't yet have beautiful light pink NSO shirts to give you yet! Please be in the middle of the track by TIME (15 mins before bout start)!!! Else I get panicky. When I get panicky, I get VERY cranky and you’ll get no cake. If the intros have started, you should be in the middle and ready to go. Please don't make me have to chase you down – I get embarrassed, you get embarrassed, everyone gets pissed off… If someone tries to draft you for a last minute job, politely tell them that you need to do your NSO job and cannot help. They don't always remember who's working. I hope that the uniforms will help with that. At half time, please be back in position preferably 10 minutes before we restart, 5 minutes dead minimum. Time slips away fast, and it's harder to chase people down when the game is starting in a few seconds. After the bout, all paperwork positions need to get their paperwork to me. If you have paper work can you possibly double-check your sheets to make sure you have the right period and team! I do my best, but I do make mistakes (rare, I know, but I do) Also... Please remember as part of the NSO crew you must remain impartial and support your fellow NSO's and all the referees in their duties. This means during play you should avoid engaging with players and representatives from either team beyond those your specific role requires. There are clear lines of communication in existence for teams and players to direct any queries or complaints to the Head Referee who is the ultimate authority in any bout. Please do nothing to interfere with these lines of communication, however innocent you feel your actions might be.

Excellent

Cheers

Danger

Appendix 2: Notes for Bout-Day NSO Meeting. These are mostly reminders regarding the emailed info, plus any special items that come up on bout day.

• Introductions (each other, head NSO, head referee if needed) • Grab a ref if you need an official time out (Specify who to grab if needed. If you only

allow the head ref to call official time-outs, let them know that.) • Correct problems ASAP, between jams at the absolute latest • No coaching, cheering, or letting them know if something's wrong on the track

gameplay-wise (Unless it's a safety hazard, in which case immediately tell the refs.) • Penalty trackers: • Make sure your roster is correct – checking numbers during the skate out/equipment

check • Make sure numbers are up on the board correctly • Make sure you’re on the right sheet and write your name on it • Penalty whiteboard: • Extra ears for the penalty trackers, • Confirm all penalties that you mark with the penalty trackers. • If you hear one they didn't, note what it was and tell them immediately • Penalty box: • Outside pack refs are stopping at XXX...grab them if you need to. • Watch the inside NSOs and refs for possible second-penalty-minute notifications • Outside WB: • Pay attention. • Watch the outside pack refs and anticipate calls coming in. • Write big. • DO NOT ERASE unless you get the thumbs up from the penalty trackers. • Circle majors. • Get them up as fast as you can. • No texting, no cheering. • Scorekeepers: • Make sure you’re on the right sheet and write your name on it • Check your math continuously. • Watch your jam ref. Your jam ref is NAME (introduce them.) • Check the box for possible NOTT points • Confirm score with ref at end of jam • Make sure the scoreboard gets the score per pass – you’ll be stood next to them • Jam Timer • Wait for head ref to be in position • Hand up at 5 seconds, chop for first whistle • Lineup trackers • Getting correct numbers down is first priority! • Watch your opposing jam ref for passes • If they start in the box, it’s pass 0 • Duplicate/homonym numbers (Any duplicate, homonym, or potentially problematic

skater numbers) • Take a break at halftime and between bouts, but be sure to be at your appropriate

spot with enough time to get settled and prepared. • Check in with me at halftime and let me know if there are any problems I need to

address. If a problem comes up during gameplay, grab the nearest referee and call an official time-out.

• Be back here NO LATER than 15 minutes to gametime! • You can stash your bag/purse/gear in LOCATION. • Don’t get volunteered into any jobs that will keep you busy close to game start… you

are an official tonight. • Questions? Last minute training?

INSIDE WHITEBOARD You will be in charge of two inside whiteboards that look like this:

Minors are in the 4 boxes before the red line, Majors/Penalty Minutes in the 4 past it.

• You will be working with two Penalty Trackers and two Outside Whiteboard Operators.

• Your primary duty will be to mark down what the penalty trackers tell you, 'majors', 'minors', or combinations thereof.

• Your secondary duties are to check the outside whiteboards (located at turns 2 and 4) and let thepenalty trackers know they have a penalty to look at if they don't immediately notice, and to relayany penalties that get erroneously called to you and not the trackers.

We'll be scapegoating Blue #4A for this lesson:

“4A Blue has a minor!”

“4A Blue has a major!” 1 major penalty = 1 penalty minute. 4 minor penalties = 1 penalty minute (trip to the box)

• When a person gets 4 minors, alert the penalty trackers. They will alert the referees and have theskater sent to the box.

• DO NOT ERASE these minors until that skater is in the box and seated. Rollerderby attracts mayhem, and in we want to make sure that everyone serves the time they’ve been given in the box.

• When the skater is in the box, erase the 4 Xs and put a 4 in the penalty minute/major section.

Majors do not cancel out minors. Only a trip to the box for 4 minors clears that. If a skater has 3 minors, notify the penalty trackers. Jammer referees need to know how many minors their skaters have. That way, they'll know to send their skater to the box if they get their 4th minor. Our penalty trackers should be telling the jam refs this, but some refs prefer to check the board, so keep the board up to date. If a skater has 6 Xs in the penalty minute section, immediately notify the penalty trackers. They will notify the referees to be alert.

7 penalty minutes means fouling out of the game. This includes penalty minutes incurred in the first and second periods of the game. If they foul out, they’re gone.

The penalty trackers will look at the board between jams to make sure your information matches. Corrections will be made as needed. Sometimes, not all penalties get relayed immediately to the board. Work as a team with the penalty trackers. Note that the penalty trackers will also be writing these things down and will likely know that someone has a 4th minor/6th penalty minute/7th penalty minute/etc. It doesn't hurt to double-check, though. When not writing on the whiteboard, stand off to one side of it. The coaches and jam referees need to be able to read it and I assure you, they’ll let you know if they can’t. ADDITIONAL BOXES There are 2 sets of boxes up by the team names.

On the left, there are 2 boxes for the team’s official reviews. They get one per period.On the right, there are 3 boxes for team time outs. They get 3 per game. Check the box when used. Possible Complications:

• Sometimes, multiple penalties can come in for the same skater. If they get a major and a minor penalty, and that minor causes her to gain a second penalty minute, notify the penalty trackers. They will relay it to the penalty box, who will hold the girl for both minutes.

• Quite often, penalties come in faster and more frequently in the second period. Tempers get higher, as do frustration/competition levels. Be aware.

• Sometimes, a player on each team will have a girl with the same number. Be extra-special-certain to get the COLOR, number, and penalty. The refs will be aware of the conflict and will hopefully be mindful of it, as will the penalty trackers.

• Be aware of your surroundings. In addition to the penalty trackers and score trackers, there are also referees skating and girls getting blocked to the inside. I don’t want any of you to end up in hospital

• If any other questions crop up, do not hesitate to ask the penalty trackers or the head NSO.

JAM TIMING EQUIPMENT

• Stopwatch • Whistle (Practice blowing it if it is your first time using a Fox 40... they're different

from old-style pea whistles and require firmer blowing.) • Period clock (which for us is another stopwatch)

Your job is:

• Time the period using the period clock • Watch the head referee to make sure all is clear to begin • Whistle the beginning of the jams • Time the individual jams • Whistle the end of the jam if it runs the full 2 minutes

PERIOD CLOCK

• The period runs for 30 minutes. • The period clock will be stopped for time-outs (team or official) or emergencies. The

head referee will be your point of contact for stopping the clock. JAM TIMING

• The game starts at the commencement of the first period. The head referee will signal you to start the game. Step close to the pivot line, slightly ahead of the pack but behind the inside line (The head ref will let you know if they want you to be anywhere else.) Raise your hand to indicate the jam is about to begin.

• One blast of the whistle and a sharp chop down with your hand starts the pack in motion. You start your timer when you blow the whistle

• When the pack has passed the starting line (last in-pack blocker's* hips pass the starting line), two short blasts of the whistle starts the jammers in motion. (If the last blocker hangs back and goes out of play when the pack reaches the 10' limit, or the refs call “No Pack!”, go ahead and blow – BUT wait for the refs signal to do so.)

• If the jam runs the full two minutes, four short blasts of the whistle ends the jam • The players have 30 seconds between jams to line up • As the 30 seconds ends, check quickly to make sure the referees are ready. If there

is a time out in progress, hold and stop the period clock. (the refs should have called for a time out)

• When the 30 seconds ends, if all is clear, start the next jam If the period clock is stopped for a team time-out:

• Start the jam watch and time one minute. This is the duration of the team time-out. • Stand in front of the pivot line (or get an outside pack ref to do this). Warn the skaters

that the next whistle will be to end the timeout, not start the pack. • At the end of the one minute, blow 4 whistles as though it was the end of a jam. Step

out of the way, back into the middle. • Start the watch again for the usual 30 seconds between jams, though the head ref

may opt to send the pack early. If he does, watch for his hand signal, then start the pack as normal.

BE AWARE:

The final jam can run past the end of the period. Do not whistle it off if it does so... the period will end at the natural conclusion of the jam, when the lead jammer calls it or at 2 minutes.

If there is 30 seconds or less remaining on the period clock at the end of a jam and no team time-out is called, do not start a new jam. The period ends.

Be aware of your surroundings. Whistling a jam on when there is a time-out in progress or there is a hazard on the track is, at best, confusing for the players. At worst, it could cause an accident. Look around. The head ref may want you to get an all-clear from him/her first. If so, watch for it.

Be aware of where you are standing. If you're in the middle of the track, there are several NSOs, referees, and the occasional blocked skater sharing that space. Don't get run over, don't get in the way.

LINEUP TRACKER You will be given a form that looks like this:

Jam: This is where you record which jam it is. (1, 2, 3..) Number them as you go. Writing it down as the girls are lining up is probably easiest. In case of a star pass or “panty pass”, write SP in this box and record the same lineup as the start of the jam, with the former pivot’s number now in the Jammer box. Lineup:

This is where you write down who is playing what position.

• Pivots wear the helmet panty with the stripe on it. • Jammers wear the helmet panty with the stars on it. • Only record the official up-to-4-digit alphanumeric number eg “32 Skidoo” becomes

“32”. • It is easiest to write the information down as blockers first, then pivot, then jammer.

As the pivot and jammers are the easiest to identify, you can spot them in the pack if the whistle is blown before you are done writing. Also, jammers go after the pack starts, so they’ll be there a tiny bit longer.

JAMMERS If Jammer 23 gets lead jammer status, indicate it like this: Circle the L so it won't be mistaken for part of the number. There is a box with numbers on the rightmost column on your sheet that looks like this: Cross off these numbers after each completed pass by the OPPOSING jammer, including the initial pass (1). This way, if your jammer goes to the box, we can still track passes for the rest of the team. This means you have to watch the other jammer as well! What’s a pass for lineup tracking purposes? A pass goes from the time a jammer enters the engagement zone behind the pack (20 feet behind the rearmost skater), gets through the pack, and skates back around to the rear engagement zone again. Once she enters the engagement zone again, the next pass starts. (This is different from a scoring pass. Scoring passes begin as the

skater exits the front engagement zone.) If she starts the jam in the box, she is on pass 0 until she exits and reaches the rear engagement zone. If the opposing jammer goes to the box, the pass count stops until she exits the box. So, to clarify: § Pass 0 – Starts in the penalty box, exits, en route to the rear engagement zone § Pass 1 – Enters the rear engagement zone for the first time, makes her way through the pack, swings around to re-engage the pack § Pass 2 – Enters the rear engagement zone the second time, makes her way through the pack again, swings around to re-engage the pack § Repeat as necessary. § If, for some reason, a jammer is delayed at or past the starting line to the point where she does not immediately make it to the rear engagement zone, she is on pass 0 until she does. PENALTIES Trips to the penalty box are recorded by which pass they occurred in, so watch your team's seats in the penalty box! Once a skater has planted her bum on the seat, she is serving her penalty. Record the pass number. If a player is sent to the penalty box, note what pass it occurred during in the upper left-hand box. Example: 42 goes to the box during the second pass. When that player exits the penalty box, note the jam number in the upper right-hand box. Example: 42 comes out of the penalty box on the fourth pass. If the player goes back into the penalty box during the same jam, repeat the process in the lower set of boxes. Example: 42 comes out and cuts two players. Back in she goes! If the player is in the penalty box when the jam ends, leave the exit box blank. Example: 42's in the box when the fourth whistle blows. No change. At the start of the next jam, write the player's number down along with the rest of the lineup. She's part of the lineup again. Write a 0 in the top lefthand box to show that she is in the box. Example: 42 waits patiently for her exit from the box Proceed as normal. When she exits, note the pass number as above.

If a skater is in the box at the end of the period, note it the same way you would if it was the end of a jam. On the second period's sheet, add her to the first lineup of the second period the same way, with a 0 in the top left-hand box. If a jam is called due to an injury to one of the skaters in your lineup, write INJ in one of the boxes. SECOND PERIOD Start the jam number back at 1 on a new form. Write in any skaters who are starting in the box, as above. The rest is the same as the first period. At the end of the game, hand in your sheets to the Head NSO.

OUTSIDE WHITEBOARD Equipment

• a whiteboard with a list of penalty abbreviations on the back of it • a whiteboard marker • an eraser/rag

You will be positioned at either turn 1 or 3, outside the ref safety zone, near the/in the floor seats. Your job is to listen to the outside pack referees as they skate up to you and give you their penalties. They will tell you the team color, player number, and penalty given. You will write the number and penalty clearly in the appropriate team section, using the flat of the whiteboard marker, in VERY large print. (I penalty track and I’m blind) If the penalty is a major, circle the number and penalty. The penalty abbreviations can be found on the back of the whiteboard you will be using along with players numbers You will then hold up the whiteboard so that the penalty trackers in the center can see it. The penalty tracker will give you a clear thumbs-up once they have written your penalty down. DO NOT ERASE until you get that thumbs-up! Sometimes, penalty trackers get multiple penalties called to them at once, which can slow them down in writing down the penalty you have. Once you have received the thumbs-up, you can erase the penalty. If you have a penalty on your board at the end of a jam, you can run it in to the penalty trackers…just don’t get trapped in the middle, and be careful you don’t get run over. EXAMPLE: An outside referee skates up to you and says “Blue 187 Elbows, Black B52 BackBlock,867 Out of Bounds Block Major”

Sample Penalty List: A – High Block/Block to the Head B – Back Blocking E – Elbows

F – Forearms/Hands O – Out of Bounds Blocking L – Tripping/Low Block C – Direction of Gameplay Penalty (formerly “Skating Clockwise to Block”) M – Multiple Player Block I – Illegal Procedure S – Skating Out of Bounds X – Cutting the Track P – Out of Play Penalties H – Blocking With the Head G – (Gross) Misconduct N – Insubordination Illegal Procedure can include:

• false starts • an intentional fourth penalty (aka “poodling”) • improper uniform • too many blockers on the track • an attempt by a jammer to call a jam in which she isn't lead • entering at the front of the pack from the penalty box

Sometimes refs will say one of those instead of saying “Illegal procedure” Just write down the “I”. Remember that some abbreviations cover two different words

• Forearms AND Hands are F (Not F and H) • Tripping AND Low Block are L (Not T and L) • Gross Misconduct and regular Misconduct are both G • High Block AND Block to the Head are both A

And always remember... WRITE BIG! Possible Complications: The Captain of the team will have a C written on her arms under her numbers. Sometimes, this gets merged into the number being called. “187” may be called as “187C”. If you know this, write down “187.” If you're not sure, write “187C” and the penalty trackers will figure it out. (You will have a list of numbers on the back of your board) Sometimes, a player on each team will have a girl with the same number. Be extra-special-certain to get the COLOR, number, and penalty. The refs will be aware of the conflict and will hopefully be mindful of it. Talk to your head NSO or penalty trackers before the bout begins to double-check. Sometimes two girls on the same team or on opposing teams will have similar numbers or similar sounding numbers. (“87” and “187”, or “80” and “18”) Be sure to ask for clarifications from the refs if you need them. If you can't get it from the ref, see who is actually out on the track. If 18 is and 80 is not, chances are good the penalty was on 18. (If they both are, make a note on the whiteboard and

Notify the head referee that you need a call clarification IMMEDIATELY after the jam completes. Do not dally... time and the ref's memories are finite.) Be aware of your surroundings. Girls get blocked to the outside, and referees are focused on looking at the skaters, not you. Please don’t get injured! If you need a call clarified, notify the nearest referee IMMEDIATELY after the jam completes. Memories are finite, especially during bouts. The ref can call a time out or help snag the ref who made the call.

PENALTY BOX The box manager will hand you either a couple stopwatches or an iphone/android/other smart device depending on how swish we’re being that bout. Learn how to start, stop, and reset them before the bout begins. The box supervisor will be the person timing the jammers when they enter the box. That leaves you with one team's blockers. (Box supervisor will assist as needed.) A penalty is one minute long, and starts when the girl’s bum hits seat. Not hovering over a chair, not knocking the chairs into the stands with a slide. She must also be sitting in the correct spot... her team's jammer spot if she's a jammer, one of her team's blocker spots if she's a blocker or pivot. 10 seconds before the end of her penalty, say “(Color) (Number) Stand.” (Ex: Blue 43, Stand) Time it so “Stand” is said at the 10 second mark. She must stand. Make sure she doesn't leave early. If she does, call her back or notify a ref to do so... she's committed a new major penalty AND needs to serve the 10 seconds she blew off. When her time is up, say “(Color) (Number) Done.” (Ex: Blue 43, Done.) Time it so “Done” is said at 0 seconds. She can wait to exit the box until the pack is past her, or she can skate out of the box and wait. Do Not Say “GO!” or demand that she leave. If you already have two blockers sitting down and a third comes towards you, wave her off, back into play. Once one of the blockers stands up, a ref will signal her to go to the box. The timers pause:

• At the 4th whistle of the end of a jam • During time-outs • At the end of a period. If there are skaters in the box, note the color, number and time

served for each and give the info to the supervisor. They will have to return and finish the penalty.

The timers restart at the first whistle of the next jam. Be aware of your surroundings. Skaters come into the box at great speed and not always with the greatest control. You may want to put a hand on the back of the chair/bench they’re coming towards, to keep it from going flying or ramming back into you. If all the skater passes the ‘line of no return’ taped on the ground they have to go round the track and enter the box again. If any part of the skater remains the other side of the line they can climb onto a chair. Also, be an extra set of eyes for the supervisor. Watch the inside track officials to see if they are trying to signal the supervisor, and let him/her know if they are.

PENALTY BOX MANAGER EQUIPMENT:

• 6 stopwatches, minimum (or iphones or other timing device) • 2 benches, or 6 chairs, or other provisions for seating for 6 skaters, • A way to mark the seats so that it is obvious which seats are for which team (signs,

tape etc) • 2 assistants • Tape to lay down a point of no return line, easily visible to the skaters • A small whiteboard

THE PENALTY BOX ITSELF (Section 2.7 in the WFTDA rule set) To set up a penalty box for a bout, it must:

• Have seating for 1 jammer and 2 blockers for each team, 6 total • Mark the seats clearly, denoting a jammer seat and two blocker seats for each team

(a J or a star on one of the seats will suffice) • Be situated in an easily accessible, neutral area close to the track • Somewhere near the far end of the penalty box, there will be a 'point of no return'. If a

skater passes this when trying to enter the penalty box, they must continue past and complete another lap so that they enter from the correct side.

• Skaters must skate to the penalty box in normal derby direction (counter-clockwise) • Ensure that spectators won't wander in or sit down in the penalty box, or try to strike

up a conversation (or get an autograph ) . People should not be interacting with skaters in the box.

• Make sure that the box is safe to enter... no fans sitting too close to the near side of the box.

• If the penalty box is located between the team benches, swap sides on the seats. • This makes it harder for the penalized players’ teammates and coaches to • communicate with them, deterring possible penalties and temptation for entering the

box illegally. • If the captains or alternates enter the penatly box, notify a referee. It’s a minor

penalty to the captain. • If they remove any of their safety equipment except their mouthguards, it’s a minor

penalty. Notify an outside pack ref. • It IS permissible for a teammate to come over and hand a skater a water bottle, or a

skate tool if there has been an equipment malfunction in addition to the penalty. (If the equipment failure cannot be completed within the penalty minute, the skater must move to her team's bench to complete the repair.)

• No THROWING bottles or equipment, though! TIMING JAMMERS (Section 7.4 in the WFTDA rule set) It is vital that you have read and understand section 7.4 before the game. In order to prevent jammerless jams, the rules are as follows:

• Jammer #1 goes to the box. Timer begins as normal. • Jammer #2 gets sent off, comes to the box. • Immediately: • Jammer #1's timer is halted and she is sent back to the track. Do not clear the timer. • Jammer #2's timer begins. • Jammer #2 only serves the exact amount of time that Jammer #1 served. Allow her

to stand 10 seconds before releasing her (at 35 seconds if a 45 second penalty, for example)

• If the jammers both come in simultaneously, they serve 10 seconds and are sent back out simultaneously. This can happen during gameplay, or if both are sent to the box after a jam has ended.

• If Jammer 1 is in the box, then released when Jammer 2 joins her in the box, then gets sent off for a second major while #2's still in the box, Jammer 2 stays and Jammer 1 serves the entire 60 seconds.

MULTIPLE MINUTE PENALTIES Sometimes, a skater will wind up with two or more major penalties, or a major and a fourth minor penalty. If this happens, a referee or penalty tracker will signal you by tapping his forearm and flashing you the number of minutes needed. (See WFTDA hand signals in Appendix C) WAVED OFF SKATERS If the box is full skaters are waved away from the box until a seat becomes available. Note down the number of the skater on the whiteboard and show it to the referees so they know who needs to be sent back to the box. Wipe this number off only after the skater has served her minute. Circle the number if it is a skater who left early and needs to serve the remainder plus the one-minute Illegal Procedure penalty, and leave it plain if it’s a skater you had to wave off from a full penalty box and need retrieved. DEALING WITH FOUL-OUTS/EXPULSIONS (Section 7.5 in the WFTDA rule set) When a skater fouls out by either having too many penalties or by committing certain penalties, she is sent to the locker room. In her place, a substitute will serve her penalty minute, and the rest of the team skates short exactly as if the ejected skater was the one in the box (if she was a pivot, the sub is a pivot; if a jammer, a jammer.) Substitutions only happen between jams, since they'll already be short one once the skater is sent out. A referee should let you know when to start timing the penalty. Any time carried into the next jam is served by the sub. GETTING THE REFEREES' ATTENTION If a skater leaves the box early, or any time you need the attention of a referee, try to get the attention of the nearest outside referee. They will be able to help you either deal with the skater in question or get the head referee's attention to deal with the problem. If they don't see you, carefully step forward to catch their attention. Keep in mind that their eyes are largely trained on the pack, not necessarily in front of them. Do not force a collision! Be loud. In StatsBook, there is a form for the penalty box. It looks like this.

At the moment ONLY fill in the jam number, team and skater number. This is useful for checking the penalty sheets. You will need to keep a running tally on the jam number as it’s this bit of info that is important. All the other bits of info refer to a different way of timing penalties which is too confusing for my brain, so just ignore them!

PENALTY TRACKER You will be working with this form:

Your job is to:

• Collate and record penalties from referees and outside whiteboards • Communicate with referees when skaters need to serve penalty time or have fouled

out • Communicate with the penalty whiteboard attendant to display penalties to the

benches You will receive a penalty sheet with the skaters' names and numbers already on it in numerical order. The form has the list of abbreviations for the penalties that may be called down the right-hand side of the form. Certain penalty abbreviations cover multiple penalties, which I will go over later. Referees will be calling out penalties throughout the bout. They will call out:

• Colour (of the team the player belongs to) • Number • Penalty • Major, if a major penalty (sometimes Minor, but Minor is not always spoken.)

They will also use hand signs, and a single whistle blast before a major penalty. Learning the hand signs makes penalty tracking a lot easier, as it tends to get very loud during a bout and you can see the penalty coming in faster. If you need a penalty repeated, chase down the referee who called it and ask for a clarification. Sooner is better than later but don’t distract the ref. At the latest, catch up with them once the jam has ended and ask. You will also get penalties relayed from the outside whiteboards, stationed at corners 1 and 3. They will be displayed as such:

Under the appropriate colour: Number, Then penalty, And circled if it is a major penalty MINORS To track minor penalties, the form is filled out with the penalty abbreviation in the top box, and the jam in which it was incurred in the bottom box. The boxes are filled out left to right. So, if a referee calls “Blue, Number 8, Elbows!” during the fourth jam...

When 4 penalties have been received, alert an inside pack referee (or the jammer ref, only if it is that ref's skater who incurred the penalty) to send the skater to the box, by yelling “Blue 8 has Four.” As the referees' focus is generally towards the pack and away from you, you may have to do a little chasing around and flailing in order to get a referee's attention. Do it. Get their attention ASAP. When all else fails, grab them at the end of the jam. Once this has been achieved, write a “4” in the Penalty Minutes section, filling in from right to left. (This is to make stats entry and filling out the bout reporting form easier. If you goof, it's not the end of the world, but it makes my life easier.) NOTE: In the penalty minutes section, write down the jam number in which she actually went to the box. If you catch the referee between jams, the number may differ from the period of her 4th penalty. MAJORS To track majors, the form is filled out in the same way as minors. Major penalties are filled in the Penalty Minutes box from left to right.

So, if the referee calls “Blue 8, Back Block Major!” during jam 9: Sometimes, a referee will forget to tell you about a major penalty, as their focus is on getting the skater to go to the box. If you see one of your skaters go to the box and do not receive a penalty call, catch the referee and get the penalty from him/her. If you didn't see which ref called it, ask once the jam ends. FOULING OUT When 7 penalty minutes (any combination of majors and sets of 4 minors) are incurred in the course of a bout, notify the head referee, informing him that “Blue 8 has 7 trips.” Mark the period in which she was ejected with “PM” and the jam number. ONLY the head referee can expel a skater.

When a skater has 6 penalty minutes, inform the head referee and inside pack referees between jams. Make sure you record the final penalty that caused the foul-out -Sometimes, in the heat of the moment, they’ll forget to report it. (and after the last jam of the game) EXPULSIONS If a skater is expelled, write the penalty that got them sent out and the jam number in the EJ/EXP column

Again, be sure to record the penalty that caused the expulsion! Things will likely be heated in the moment… be sure to grab the head referee as soon as possible if they didn’t already tell you the reason. On the plus side, they seldom forget what THAT penalty was. KEEPING TRACK OF JAMS There is a number track running across the bottom of the form. That is so you can tick off the jams as you go, thus keeping track of them easier. If this doesn’t work for you try writing the jammer number for every jam. This also is helpful when the jam ref calls a penalty on the jammer (often they just say my jammer). PENALTY WHITEBOARD

There will be a large whiteboard in the center of the track with you, to display the information that you have on your sheet. You will be notifying the board attendant when penalties come in (major and minor) and confirming that it matches your sheet between jams. The board is there so that the skaters, coaches, and bench managers are aware of how many penalties the skaters have, so keep it updated as promptly as possible. The attendant can also serve as an extra set of eyes and ears to let you know when penalties are coming in on the whiteboards, or if they hear a call that you do not. JAM REFS Between jams signal the minors that the jammer is on to the jam referee. ILLEGAL PROCEDURE Abbreviation: I Penalties covered:

• False start • Too many skaters on the track • Skater out of position • Attempting to call the jam when not lead jammer • Exiting the penalty box/returning from an equipment repair and re-entering in front of

a skater/multiple skaters • Exiting the penalty box early, or during a time out • Improper uniform/removing required safety equipment on the track or in the penalty

box • Illegally blocking a star (“panty”) pass • Violations of star pass procedures • Initiating contact before the first whistle • Extra pivots on the track • Too many skaters or support staff in the bench area • Intentionally being out of position to draw a 4th minor (aka “poodling”)

This penalty often gets called verbally by the part of the penalty that was committed. If a referee yells “False Start!”, it's an I. Watch for the hand signal if there’s any question about what it was. NOTE: If you see a skater positioned behind the jammers, notify the nearest referee to make sure someone sees her. OTHER MULTI-PURPOSE/MULTI-TERM ABBREVIATIONS F – Forearms and Hands (They are the same penalty but are often called as 'forearms' or 'hands') G – Misconduct and Gross Misconduct L – Tripping and Low Block A – Blocking to the Head and High Block HALFTIME At halftime, transfer the number of minors and majors the skaters have received over to the second period sheet.Either draw 1 big X through each set of boxes or shade them in. Don’t do small Xs…they could be mistaken for Cutting the Track penalties! Check the penalty whiteboard and make sure it matches your sheet. Then, go take a break. Grab a drink (and cake, provided by your head NSO), relax, brace for the next period.

Possible Problems: Penalty tracking is challenging and stressful. There is a lot of information to deal with, coming in from multiple sources (2 whiteboards, 3-4 referees inside, 3-4 outside). You may have to ask people to repeat themselves. You may have to yell at a referee to get his/her attention. You WILL have to tell referees to send skaters to the box, sometimes for more than one minute. Sometimes people yell back. It's a lot to deal with. Be kind to yourself at halftime and go get a soda, get some air... take a break. Get your sheet shaded in, then go. Sometimes, coaches and bench managers will come to you to find out precisely what penalties their skaters have, or will have questions about calls. Direct them to the head NSO or head referee if you feel uncomfortable dealing with them. Your job is to record the penalties, not justify them. Sometimes, multiple referees call the exact same penalty on the same skater at roughly the same time. If you get “Blue 8 Back Block” from a referee AND an outside whiteboard, or from two referees, note it in the margin and clarify with the referees whether it was two penalties or only one at the end of the jam. Sometimes it IS two penalties. More often, it's just two referees seeing the same penalty and making the same call. If you need an official time-out to clarify a call, inform the head ref (or the nearest referee if you can’t catch him) once the jam ends. They will call the time out and let you confer with the refs in question. Sometimes, numbers get miscalled. A referee will only see part of the number on the skater's arm, or he/she will misspeak, or you'll only hear part of the number Letters may get dropped. “B52” may get called as “52”. Sometimes a ref will see the C or A on the captain or alternate’s arm and call that as part of the number, with “180” becoming “C180” or “180C”. Look at the track and see if any skaters have the number in question, or something close to the number in question. If a referee calls “Blue 40” and there isn't a “40”, but there IS a “140”, note the penalty and ask the referee for a confirmation/clarification ASAP, preferably while everyone’s still on the track (between jams at the absolute latest.) Be aware of any duplicate/similar numbers between teams. Sometimes each team will have an “8”, in which case the colour called becomes that much more important. Sometimes referees forget to call colours, so if you get a call for “8” and there's one on each team, get it clarified quickly. If you see this conflict on the sheet before the game, make sure the referees know at the pre-game ref meeting. Also be aware of similar SOUNDING numbers. A roster with “4D”, “40”, and “4T” could get very, very confusing very, very quickly. Make extra-super-sure this gets brought up at the ref meeting before the game by letting your head NSO know, they will work out how the refs will differentiate between the skaters.

Your job is to write the calls down, not make them. If you see a penalty and it doesn't get called, it doesn't get called. You don't write it down unless a referee tells you to. No matter how tempting it is. Don't do it. The best thing you can do for yourself as a penalty tracker is to memorize the abbreviations ahead of time. It saves you a lot of searching, and if multiple penalties come in at the same time, it's a whole lot easier to deal with. Some abbreviations cover multiple penalties or penalties phrased multiple ways (EX: “F” is both “Forearms” AND “Hands.”) Make sure you use the correct abbreviation. (Don't write Hands as “H”. “H” is “Blocking with the head,” a whole different penalty.) Learn the referee hand signs from Appendix C of the WFTDA rule set. The refs give the hand signal when they call out the penalties... it gives you backup information if you didn't quite hear the penalty. Once you get really solid with them, you'll at least know what type of penalty is coming your way from which referee. Be proactive. If you’re not writing something down, watch the referees and see if they’re signalling any minor penalties. If you hear a single whistle blast, a major has been committed. Look for the ref calling it, and check out what hand signal he’s using. See which skater is skating off the track. Get confirmation from the referee/outside whiteboard, but anticipate what is coming your way. Know what jammers are out on the track. Sometimes jam refs don’t call colour and number on their jammer…they are focused on one skater, and have to keep their eyes and minds on that one skater at all times. Try not to distract them too much with questions you can answer by looking on the track Finally, a good knowledge of the penalties themselves is extremely helpful, especially when dealing with illegal procedures. Study Section 6 of the WFTDA rule set. You'd be amazed how much it helps.

SCOREKEEPER You will be dealing with this form:

and working with the jam referees to track the score per pass, and total it for the scoreboard. You will be tracking the score for only one team at a time. Here's the form in a nutshell:

The top row: Team name, your name, the jam ref's name, and which period it is. Don't forget to fill it out.

Jam: The number of the jam (1, 2, 3, 4...). Number these as you go, at the starting whistle for the jam. In the event of a star pass (aka panty pass), you will need an extra line to write down the new jammer's information (See “Star Pass” for more details.)

Jammer: The number of the girl who is jamming. Don't try to write the name down... you won't have time. The number is fine. Only record the official up-to-4-digit alphanumeric number. “32 Skidoo” becomes “32”, “2/3” becomes “23”.

Lost: Check if the jammer was the first to exit the pack on the first pass, but failed to become the lead jammer, or otherwise loses the ability to become lead jammer OR when the current lead jammer loses her lead status by drawing a major penalty. Lead: Check if the jammer becomes lead jammer

Call: Check if the jammer calls the jam before the time runs out, whether she does so legally or not. Inj: Check if the jam is called for an injury before the time runs out. NP: Check if the jammer does not break through the pack at all before the end of the jam. If you have checked this box, no score is recorded (not even a 0. You can mark it with a dash to fill the space.) If the jammer does break through the pack but does not score any points, this box is NOT checked, and a 0 is entered in the 2nd pass box. Scoring:

• After the first pass is completed, the jam refs will signal the number of points that their jammer acquires at the end of each subsequent pass. Simply watch his/her hand.

• Write down each pass's points in the individual boxes. The maximum number of points per pass is 5.

Ghost Points are acquired when there are opposing players in the penalty box or off the track due to failure to enter play, or if a player is out of play on the track (too far ahead/behind the pack, fallen, out of bounds.) Once the jammer passes one opposing blocker, she gets all of these points.

The following codes get entered into the GP boxes:

• If it's for a blocker in the box, enter B • If it's for a jammer in the box, enter J • If it's for someone out of play at the end of the jam, enter O • If it's for someone not on the track, enter N • If the jammer completely laps the other jammer, enter L for 'lap point'. (AKA a 'grand

slam,' this will garner an extra point, giving the opportunity for a 5 point scoring pass.) • If you don't know who the ghost point was for, write GP

To keep this accurate, you'll have to watch the game pretty closely. Check the penalty box each time your jammer approaches the back of the pack, watch for jammer lap points, ask the jam ref questions between jams if you have to.

• Total the number of points from the passes to get the Jam Total

• Confirm your total with the jam referee. If they don't match, figure

out why. If you have to have a referee call a time-out to fix it, do it NOW. Waiting just means stuff gets forgotten.

• Add the Jam Total to the previous jam totals and get the overall score. Write that in

the dark grey box.

• Tell the Scoreboard operator the scores per pass.

• The dark grey box at the very top of the sheet is for the previous sheet's total score. If you need to continue a period's score onto another sheet, or at the start of the next period, it will allow for easier adding-up.

STAR PASS This is when a jammer removes her helmet panty and passes it to her pivot. The pivot dons the jammer panty and becomes the new jammer, and can thus score points. When this happens, start a new line using “SP” as the jam number, noting her number and any points she incurs. HALFTIME At halftime, the jammer referee will switch to tracking the other team's jammers. We have you switch along with them so that you are working with the same person. Make sure you have the correct score sheet and fill out the top with the appropriate information. Trade score sheets with the other scorekeeper and check each other’s math. Use a calculator if you need

to. Get the head NSO or head ref to check the scores. Be sure to transfer the total score from the bottom of the first period sheet to the top of the second period sheet. The jam numbers start at 1 again. END OF BOUT At the end of the bout, turn your sheets in to the Head NSO.

Also for everyone…

Please remember as part of the NSO crew you must remain impartial and support your fellow NSO's and all the referees in their duties. This means during play you should avoid engaging with players and representatives from either team beyond those your specific role requires. There are clear lines of communication in existence for teams and players to direct any queries or complaints to the Head Referee who is the ultimate authority in any bout. Please do nothing to interfere with these lines of communication, however innocent you feel your actions might be