Is there a particular reason that we would continue to penalize a jammer cutting another jammer outside of the engagement zone when there is no JLP?
I understand that positioning is a factor, however, when one jammer is pulling another back to the other side of the track and the pack has not moved, there doesn’t seem to be any inherent advantage gained since both jammers are just as far from the pack.
If that concept were to be amended in the rules, in addition to making gameplay a little more spectator friendly, it removes the guess work of figuring out where everyone is in the spiral.
*I can’t take full credit for this—a former BoD member and I were discussing it and it seemed interesting enough to at least bring it here.
Jammer-on-jammer action outside the engagement zone lets one jammer keep the other jammer from getting to the pack to score. Just like a blocker who has already been scored upon can get back in front of the Jammer to prevent further points from being scored.
“There doesn’t seem to be any inherent advantage since both jammers are just as far from the pack” is contextual. When one team is 4 points up with 15 seconds to go, they probably would see an advantage to keeping their opponent from beginning to score, even at cost of their own scoring ability.
I might be a little more inclined to blame clockwise skating for confusion regarding “where everyone is in the spiral.”
Honestly, Jammer-on-Jammer action makes for some of the most crowd pleasing moments.
Your suggestion would also really reduce the quite fun tactic of managing to run the other Jammer back far enough that they end up absorbed into the pack on their previous trip.
Jammer on jammer action doesn’t have to be eliminated, but I would also ask who the tactic is fun for? I quite prefer the action in and near the pack rather than a long drawback. That tactic could still be used, just within the engagement zone. Obvs, if folks don’t think it’s broken, then it doesn’t need to be fixed, but just wanted to pose the question as a player and spectator
