Documents to Play and Officiate Roller Derby

Documents and resources related to WFTDA-Sanctioned Games and Rankings, including Officiating Resources, Risk Management Guidelines, Track Setup, and Tournament Policies are available to download in PDF format below.

NOTE: Leagues located in the United States must carry insurance that covers roller derby activities to protect your league and participants from lawsuits in the event of an injury. Leagues with WFTDA Insurance MUST follow the WFTDA Risk Management Guidelines for all roller derby activities. Learn more about insurance requirements and purchase coverage from WFTDA Insurance (a for-profit subsidiary of the WFTDA) at wftdi.com.

In order for a game to be sanctioned by the WFTDA, a game must follow the policies outlined in any document on this page marked with an S. WFTDA Continental Cups, Playoffs, and Championships follow the policies outlined in documents marked with an S as well as a T. In order for games to count as regulation on an official's Certification and/or postseason application game counts, the game must follow the policies marked with an R.

S = Required for Sanctioned and Strength Factor Challenge Games
R = Required for Regulation Games
T = Required for WFTDA Postseason Tournaments

Return to Roller Derby Documents and Infection Guides

Updated June 2022

The WFTDA takes the health and safety of its members and the general roller derby community seriously. WFTDA Leadership has collaborated with our team of COVID-19 medical experts, National Governing Bodies of roller derby, and other roller derby organizations worldwide to create and adjust our guidelines throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to support league management in returning to play based on science and data-driven factors.

As COVID-19 has become largely endemic, with localities and regions around the world providing different reporting and mitigation strategies, these guidelines have been adjusted to provide recommendations for returning to play during any future pandemic or period of high rates of infectious disease infections.

It is strongly recommended that WFTDA Member Leagues adhere to these guidelines to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 or any future virus or pandemic in your leagues and communities.

WFTDA Member Leagues must stay up-to-date with and adhere to their national, regional, and local government warnings and guidelines in regards to managing the spread of any virus in their localities. This may include limiting the number or scope of gatherings and events, should the infection rate require it. It’s also strongly recommended that all eligible members get vaccinated, if accessible.

The current recommendations, as well as Audience Return Guidelines, Infection Control Guide, and Recommendations for Returning to Full Contact are available to download in PDF format, below.

WFTDA Return to Roller Derby Ladder

The WFTDA Return to Roller Derby Ladder provides guidance for when leagues should re-start roller derby activities, with step-by-step recommendations for doing so safely during periods of high infectious disease rates in your area. (Updated June 2022)

WFTDA Audience Return Guidelines

These guidelines have been created for leagues to follow when they've reached minimum requirements for having audiences return to public games in later tiers of the roller derby ladder. (Updated May 2022)

WFTDA Infection Control Guide

This document provides guidance to leagues and participants on best practices to prevent the transmission of communicable diseases and skin infections when participating in roller derby. (Updated May 2020)

WFTDA Recommendations for Return to Full-Contact Skating

This document includes recommendations on how to safely return to roller derby after a break as well as mental health recommendations. (Updated May 2020)

WFTDA Rankings and Tournament Seeding Policies

A team’s monthly WFTDA Ranking is based on the WFTDA Rankings Algorithm and is managed by the WFTDA Rankings Calculator (link available to WFTDA Member leagues on the WFTDA Member Forum). Rankings are calculated monthly with public releases nine times a year due to the WFTDA Playoffs.

Questions or comments regarding Rankings can be sent to rankings@wftda.com.

WFTDA Ranking Policy

• Rankings COVID-19 Transition Plan (Effective May 18, 2020)
  Given the length of the pandemic, the rankings adjustments outlined in this plan will be delayed. In early 2021, WFTDA Rankings Theory and Competitive Play will work with WFTDA leadership, member league representatives, and WeFTDA Collective member feedback to create a transition plan to re-start competition. This plan will be appropriate to our members' ability to train and re-start play and our organization's commitment to build more equitable and sustainable competitive structures for 2022.

This document explains the WFTDA rankings algorithm and timing of WFTDA rankings releases. (Updated July 2019).

Strength Factor Challenge Program

The WFTDA Strength Factor Challenge (SFC) Program provides a tool to give teams, who demonstrate that they merit a higher strength factor than they currently have, a temporary boost in strength factor to attract higher-ranked opponents for sanctioned play. Any league or event may apply for SFC games. The goal of the program is to encourage more sanctioned play, ultimately resulting in more accurate worldwide rankings. (Updated February 2019)

WFTDA Tournament Structure and Seeding Process

This document explains the WFTDA Continental Cup, Playoffs and Championships structures and seeding process based on the WFTDA Rankings.

WFTDA Rules of Flat Track Roller Derby

The Rules of Flat Track Roller Derby, including translations and reference documents are available at https://community.wftda.org/rules/.
(R, S, T)

WFTDA-Sanctioned Game Application and Policies

Sanctioning Applications

Game Sanctioning Application
Submitted via WFTDA Member Dashboard using “Game Schedule” link (detailed instructions located in WFTDA Member Guide available to WFTDA League Reps)

Tournament Sanctioning Application (Google Sheets Document)
Make a copy of the file in your Google Drive, follow the instructions on the first tab, and share it with participating teams for their digital acceptance; then submit to sanctioning@wftda.com

Game Policy Documents

WFTDA Sanctioning Policy (English) (S, T)

WFTDA Sanctioning Policy (Deutsch) (S, T)

The WFTDA Sanctioning Policy outlines the requirements for WFTDA-sanctioned and Strength Factor Challenge games and tournaments to count towards WFTDA Rankings points. Failure to meet the requirements outlined in this document could result in sanctioning being rescinded from a game and loss of game eligibility for WFTDA Rankings points (updated June 2020).

WFTDA Expulsion and Suspension Policy (S, T)
This document outlines the requirements for managing foul-outs and expulsions for violations of The Rules of Flat Track Roller Derby in WFTDA-sanctioned and Strength Factor Challenge games. (Updated December 2019)

WFTDA Forfeit Policy (S, T)
This document outlines the conditions under which a game is considered to be a forfeit and the process by which WFTDA determines if game credit is awarded. (Updated March 2017)

WFTDA Charter Roster Policy (S, T)

The WFTDA Charter Roster Policy outlines the requirements for WFTDA Charter Rosters. Failure to meet the requirements outlined in this document could result in sanctioning being rescinded from a game and loss of game eligibility for WFTDA Rankings points and/or WFTDA Apprentice Program graduation requirements (updated December, 2019).

WFTDA Tournament Game Policy Documents

These documents outline additional requirements and policies for WFTDA Continental Cups, Playoffs, and Championships.

WFTDA Tournament Skater Uniform Requirements (T)

WFTDA Tournament Games Requirements and Policies (T)

Risk Management and Participant Safety

WFTDA Risk Management Guidelines

The WFTDA Risk Management Guidelines apply to all WFTDA-sanctioned games, regardless of insurance coverage. For WFTDA insurance holders these guidelines also apply to all practices and other covered activities. (Updated November 2020)

WFTDA Risk Management Guidelines (S, T)

• Quick Reference Guide
• Risk Management Clarifications

Participant Safety

This guide illustrates the proper fit of skating equipment. All participants are responsible for the safety of their own equipment and the WFTDA recommends that leagues make equipment safety and maintenance a part of their league training curriculum.

Concussion Awareness and Return to Play Protocol

A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head that can change the way your brain normally works. Proper treatment of concussion is imperative, so we have compiled some resources to help roller derby leagues raise awareness around the importance of recognizing and treating concussion, and following return to play protocol. Visit our web site at the link above for more information.

WFTDA 2019 Participant Safety Survey Findings

In 2019 the WFTDA conducted a survey of roller derby participants in order to assess the probability of injury across participants in roller derby historically; the use, awareness, and satisfaction with existing insurance products; and demographics of the research participants. The results of the survey are summarized in this document.

WFTDA Infection Control Guide

This document provides guidance to leagues and participants on best practices to prevent the transmission of communicable diseases and skin infections when participating in roller derby. (Updated May 2020)

Officiating Documents

Procedures for Regulation and Sanctioned Games

WFTDA Officiating Procedures (R, S, T)

Establishes required practices for Officiating during WFTDA-sanctioned and regulation play. (Updated December 2017)

WFTDA Officiating Clarification: How to Handle Issues Around Skater Colors and Numbers (S, T)

This WFTDA Officiating clarification describes the expected and appropriate conduct when handling miscommunications, intentional or otherwise, around Skater colors and numbers when officiating roller derby.

WFTDA Officiating Cues, Codes, and Signals (R, S, T)

Standardized verbal communication, whistle cues, hand signals between officials and skaters during gameplay and penalty codes. Replaces “WFTDA Official Hand Signals” and “WFTDA Officiating Verbal Cues” documents. Also includes penalty codes and whistle definitions. (Updated December 2018)

Penalty Quick Reference Guide (8.5"x11")

Penalty Quick Reference Guide (11"x17" Poster)

Reference guide to Penalties and the associated Rules section, Hand Signal, and Verbal Cue.

Uniform Standards

WFTDA Officiating Uniform Policy (T)

Required for all WFTDA Continental Cups, International Playoffs, and Championships Officials, and advised for all play under The Rules of Flat Track Roller Derby. Member leagues are invited to tailor the requirements to suit the needs of their games and tournaments.

WFTDA NSO Shirt Printing Instructions

Use this document to print your own NSO shirts.

If you would like to purchase an NSO shirt, please visit the WFTDA Store.

Officiating History

WFTDA provides a standardized Officiating History document for use for WFTDA Certification and postseason events. Other organizations may choose to use this document for officiating applications.

The new Officiating History Document is currently being evaluated for GDPR compliance. The previous version can be found here.

Due to the GDPR review, the form for the creation of a new Officiating History Document has been turned off.

The form will request the information needed to:

• create the new Officiating History Document
• import user profile data
• import all of the games listed in the user’s existing history document
• send the user an email with a link to the new document

For first time creation, simply leave the existing history document field blank and a new, blank document will be created for you.

The WFTDA Officiating History document is linked to a master WFTDA template so that users will automatically receive future template updates.

The expanded help document will change over time and form living documentation and a FAQ repository for the new WFTDA Officiating History document. There is a dedicated migration document to help users convert from an existing history document.

If you have any questions, please email offtech@wftda.com.

WFTDA StatsBook

WFTDA StatsBook Workbook (updated January 2019) is available for public use in both US Letter and A4 formats, and is required for use by WFTDA-sanctioned games and tournaments. The workbook is formatted for use with Excel 2010 or higher, or LibreOffice 4.3.x or higher.

Please note: The WFTDA StatsBook and StatsBook Manual are updated independently and at times may have different revision dates listed.

WFTDA StatsBook Workbook (Jan. 2019) US Letter (R, S)

WFTDA StatsBook Workbook (Jan. 2019) A4 (R, S)

WFTDA Statsbook - Printable Paperwork

WFTDA StatsBook Manual (Jan. 2019) (R, S)
The StatsBook Manual provides detailed instructions on how to complete the WFTDA StatsBook.

WFTDA Track Setup and Safety

WFTDA-Regulation Track Layout Guide (R, S)

Provides step-by-step instructions and diagrams with both imperial and metric measurements to assist leagues with the setup of a WFTDA-regulation track. (Updated January 2018)

WFTDA Tournament Track Setup Requirements (T)

Provides detailed instructions for track setup for WFTDA Playoff and Championship tournaments in addition to the requirements set forth in The Rules of Flat Track Roller Derby and the WFTDA Risk Management Guidelines. May be used as a guide for best practices in setting up a tournament track. (Updated June 2017)