In the mid 1960s, a new kind of sport surfaced that few had ever seen before, and it took the United States by storm.  This American-invented contact sport was called “roller derby,” and the city of Philadelphia was no stranger to it.
   The Philadelphia Warriors, which was led by the petite yet ferocious Judy Arnold, were a hit on local television channels. Teams skated around an oval-shaped, banked track and were composed of both men and women.
   Contemporary roller derby is a predominantly female sport that operates on an amateur circuit, and has a strong do-it-yourself mentality. Modern day bouts (or games) take place on a flat-track and have both the offense and defense play simultaneously. Bouts are composed of three periods of simultaneous “jams” or two-minute countdown periods where both teams attempt to score points.
   There are five players from each team on the track — three blockers (defense), one pivot (last line of defense) and one jammer (scorer). Helmet covers are used to distinguish the different positions: a striped cover is used for pivots, a cover with a star is used for the jammers, and there is no cover for the blockers.
   Pivots and blockers from both teams start the game by forming a single pack. The two jammers, are positioned 20 feet behind the pack. The referee signals the start of jam formation by blowing a whistle. When the last person in the pack has passed where the front of the pack had initially started, the referee blows the whistle a second time, signaling the jammers to start skating. The first jammer to lap the entire pack wins the status of lead jammer for the remainder of the jam.
   The lead jammer can decide to end the jam at any time before the two minutes are up. She does this by placing her hands on her hips, which signals the referee to officially call off the jam.
   Roller derby is still very popular in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia Roller Girls are a skater-owned and operated all female team that was formed in early 2005. Their three teams, the Broad Street Butchers, Heavy Metal Hookers and Philthy Britches - compete each year for the Warrior Cup at home tracks.
   Their all-star travel team, the Liberty Belles, represent Philadelphia in bouts (or games) around the country. They currently play all of their bouts, at the 23rd Street Armory in Center City.
   Their next bout, which will be a double header, is scheduled for Saturday, March 28, 2009 at 6 p.m. Come out and see for yourself what makes this unique sport so much fun! For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit phillyrollergirls.com.