The Upset, Part III: Min-V

A league's B-team higher than A-team?  What're (insert team here) doing so far down/up?  That ranking makes no sense!

What the heck is that Min-V ranking doing?


Well, like both ranking written about last week, European Roller Derby Rankings and Derby Chart, the Min-V system doesn't consider A and B teams as related.  One's ranking doesn't affect the other.

As well, the Min-V doesn't consider scores.  It only considers who won and lost.


The system works like this:

If the Qarth Rollers defeat the Vaes Dothrak Rolling Horde, then QR should be ranked above VDRH in all future rankings.  That is, QR should have more ranking points than VDRH.  If that's not the case, the bout is a violation.

The computer takes a table of all the bouts and results, as well as a list of all teams, and uses an efficient trial-and-error method to compute the minimum number of violations possible, hence Min-V.

[Details and theoretical basis thanks to Dr. Coleman can be found in this pdf file.]


The computer then outputs a table with each team and its ranking points.  This is only one possible solution; there are an infinite set of ranking point tables which produce the same number of violations.  As well, there are several orderings of teams which will not change that number.

Due to this, the ranking can be optimized.  Optimization is the process of adjusting the ranking points values for each team to more closely match what other ranking systems produce.  For example, it doesn't matter mathematically if LRG[A] or Gent[B] are ranked #1.  Since neither played the other, changing that order will not cause a violation.

LRG[A] will be optimized to #1, and Gent[B] lower in the table.  However, Gent[B] cannot be moved below Paris without causing a violation.  They, in turn, cannot go below Bear City, etc.  The knock-on effects in a Min-V system can be massive, so optimization must be done carefully.

In this case, optimization was done attempting to match the Derby Chart ranking.  It could be done to approach any ranking scheme using the same Min-V basis.


Min-V has been used effectively in the US College Football system for years, with great predictive and retrodictive results.  As was shown last week, retrodictivity in other derby rankings is spotty at best.  ERDR rankings say that 1 in 5 bouts were upsets, Derby Chart's say 1 in 4.  The Min-V ranking table, as odd as it looks, only has 1 in 30 bouts as upsets.

It's the most retrodictively correct ranking by more than a factor of 6.

But is it the best ranking?


The answer to that question is a question itself: "How is best measured?"

And to set those two questions into perspective, consider this one: "Why care about rankings?"


As there's no trophy awarded on rankings, and no Champions League in European derby (yet???), the choice is yours.  Min-V is presented here to show just how impossible it is to conclusively put all European leagues in a ranked order.

If they're properly used, rankings can be a helpful source of information.  ERDR has an archive of past rankings, and Derby Chart has bout records for each team.  But don't become too dependent on them.  Even the most theoretically precise system is wrong 1 out of 30 times, and the most trusted are 1 in 4 or 1 in 5.


Keep rankings in perspective.  They're to inform and educate, not to dictate.

The Upset, Part II: All over the place

After discussing why we rank, it's time to say just how good each scheme is.  For the purposes of this study, I've looked at the rankings as of 1 Jan 2013.

Retrodiction
or, how often did the team that won end up ranked lower?

This is the bit that causes the most confusion.  "But we beat them, why aren't we higher?"  Well, ranking algorithms generally aren't actually written to minimize this.  They're written to be more concerned about other things, and hope this comes along for the ride.  A scheme has been written, called Min-V, which is primarily concerned about minimizing retrodiction error.  More on its algorithm later.

How do Derby Chart, the European Roller Derby Rankings, and Min-V stack up in this category, as well as predictive ability?

	DC	ERDR	Min-V	bouts
Past upsets	70	55	9	272
Past upset %	25.7%	20.2%	3.3%	272
Predict upsets	16	15	17	45
Predict upset %	35.6%	33.3%	37.8%	45

Turns out, both rankings do a poor job of retrodicting bouts.  Only the Min-V system, with the sole purpose of minimizing retrodiction errors, has a low upset percentage.  For prediction, all three give at best a 2-in-3 chance of being correct.

Conclusion

Don't trust the rankings too much, unless they're Min-V.  And Min-V looks like this:

1	London Rollergirls	20.911
2	Gent GO-GO Roller Girls [B]	20.713
3	London Rollergirls [B]	20.711
4	Paris Roller Girls	20.703
5	Bear City Roller Derby	20.697
6	Rainy City Roller Girls	20.672
7	Stockholm Roller Derby	20.668
8	Hellfire Harlots	20.612
9	Middlesbrough Milk Rollers	20.602
10	Glasgow Roller Derby [B]	20.6
11	Brighton Rockers	20.592
12	Glasgow Roller Derby	20.587
13	London Rollergirls [C]	20.58
14	Helsinki Roller Derby	20.572
15	Gent GO-GO Roller Girls	20.568
16	Leeds Roller Dolls	20.558
16	Tiger Bay Brawlers	20.558
18	Auld Reekie Roller Girls	20.548
18	Crime City Rollers	20.548
20	Central City Rollergirls	20.537
21	Dublin Roller Girls	20.502
21	Hot Wheel Roller Derby	20.502
23	Newcastle Roller Girls [B]	20.5
23	Leeds Roller Dolls [B]	20.5
23	Manchester Roller Derby	20.5
26	Bear City Roller Derby [B]	20.498
27	Copenhagen Roller Derby	20.432
28	Kallio Rolling Rainbow	20.427
29	Sheffield Steel Roller Girls [B]	20.4
30	Royal Windsor Rollergirls	20.232
31	Southern Discomfort	20.2
32	Lincolnshire Rolling Thunder	20.1
32	Quad Guards	20.1
32	Ruhrpott Roller Girls	20.1
35	Tyne & Fear	20
36	Expendables	19.9
37	Roller Derby Bordeaux Club	10.6
38	Roller Girls of the Apocalypse	10.5
38	Herault Derby Girlz	10.5
40	Cork City Firebirds	10.488
41	Bristol Roller Derby	10.442
42	Birmingham Blitz Dames	10.437
43	London Rockin Rollers [B]	10.421
44	Stuttgart Valley Rollergirlz [B]	10.402
45	Paris Roller Girls [B]	10.4
45	Roller Derby Rennes	10.4
47	One Love Roller Dolls	10.398
48	Lutèce Destroyeuses - Paris	10.3
49	Brussels Derby Pixies	10.2
49	Roller Derby Metz Club	10.2
51	MRD: New Wheeled Order	10.1
52	Newcastle Roller Girls	1
53	Crime City Rollers [B]	0.988
54	Liverpool Roller Birds	0.9
54	Seaside Sirens Roller Girls	0.9
56	Sheffield Steel Roller Girls	0.888
56	London Rockin Rollers	0.888
56	Dolly Rockit Rollers	0.888
59	Stuttgart Valley Rollergirlz	0.878
59	Romsey Town Rollerbillies	0.878
61	Croydon Roller Derby	0.8
61	Rainy City Roller Girls [B]	0.8
63	Big Bucks High Rollers	0.798
64	Lincolnshire Bombers	0.788
65	Tiger Bay Brawlers [B]	0.7
66	Vienna Roller Girls	0.6
67	Rockcity Rollers	0.5
67	Milton Keynes Concrete Cows	0.5
67	Barockcity Rollerderby	0.5
67	Amsterdam Derby Dames	0.5
71	Bristol Roller Derby [B]	0.4
71	Rebellion Roller Derby	0.4
71	Dublin Roller Girls [B]	0.4
71	Harbor Girls	0.4
71	Portsmouth Roller Wenches	0.4
71	Liverpool Roller Birds [B]	0.4
71	Rotterdam Death Row Honeys	0.4
78	Munich Rolling Rebels	0.3
78	Blackland Rockin'K-Rollers	0.3
78	Bembel Town Roller Girls	0.3
78	Oxford Roller Derby	0.3
78	Royal Windsor Rollergirls [B]	0.3
78	Birmingham Blitz Dames [B]	0.3
78	Bad Bunny Rollers	0.3
85	Inhuman League	0.2
85	South West Angels of Terror	0.2
85	Manchester Roller Derby [B]	0.2
85	Bedfordshire Roller Girls	0.2
85	Mean Valley Roller Girls	0.2
85	Copenhagen Roller Derby [B]	0.2
85	Belfast Roller Derby	0.2
85	Hereford Roller Girls	0.2
85	Roller Derby Karlsruhe	0.2
85	Roller Derby Lyon	0.2
85	Dirty River Roller Grrrls	0.2
85	One Love Roller Dolls [B]	0.2
85	Gothenburg Roller Derby	0.2
85	Namur Roller Girls	0.2
99	Swansea City Roller Derby	0.1
99	Roller Derby Belfort	0.1
99	Crash Test Brummies	0.1
99	Evolution Rollergirls	0.1
99	Kent Roller Girls	0.1
99	Frankfurt Roller Derby	0.1
99	Dundee Roller Girls	0.1
99	Plymouth City Roller Girls	0.1
99	Dorset Roller Girls	0.1
99	Roller Derby Toulouse [B]	0.1
99	Norfolk Brawds	0.1
99	Helsinki Roller Derby [B]	0.1
99	Bruising Banditas	0.1
99	Kallio Rolling Rainbow [B]	0.1
99	Nantes Derby Girls	0.1
99	Roller Derby Metz Club [B]	0.1
99	Lincolnshire Bombers [B]	0.1
99	Dom City Dolls	0.1
99	Fierce Valley Roller Girls	0.1
99	Tampere Roller Derby	0.1
99	Central City Rollergirls [C]	0.1
99	Roller Derby Calaisis	0.1
99	Furness Firecrackers	0.1
99	Roller Derby Grenoble	0.1
99	Hell's Belles	0.1
99	Nidaros Roller Derby	0.1
99	Porto Roller Derby	0.1
126	Seaside Sirens Roller Girls [B]	0
126	Severn Roller Torrent	0
126	Shoetown Slayers	0
126	Barcelona Roller Derby	0
126	Les Quads de Paris	0
126	Imposters Roller Girls	0
126	Roller Derby Arras	0
126	Hell's Ass Derbygirls	0
126	Fair City Rollers	0
126	Brighton Rockers [B]	0
126	Velvet Sluts	0
126	Wolverhampton Honour Rollers	0
126	Nottingham Roller Girls	0
126	Kernow Rollers	0
126	Wirral Whipiteres	0
126	Wakey Wheeled Cats	0
126	Wiltshire Roller Derby	0
126	Vendetta Vixens	0
126	Roller Derby Angoulême	0
126	Eastside RocknRollers	0
126	Tenerife Roller Derby	0
126	Aarhus Derby Dames	0
126	Dolly Rockit Rollers [B]	0
126	Cardiff Roller Collective	0
126	Cornwall Roller Derby	0
126	Cherry Blood	0
126	Marseille Roller Derby Club	0
126	Spiders Black Widows	0
126	Oslo Roller Derby	0
126	Central City Rollergirls [B]	0
126	Roller Girls of the Apocalypse [B]	0
126	Amsterdam Derby Dames [B]	0
126	Auld Reekie Roller Girls [B]	0
126	Jakey Bites	0
126	Lahti Roller Derby	0
126	Royal Swedish Roller Derby	0
126	Luleå Roller Derby	0
126	Preston Roller Girls	0
126	Graveyard Queens Cologne	0
126	Lahti Roller Derby [B]	0
126	Roller Derby Lorient	0
126	Roller Derby Lille	0
126	Porvoo	0
126	Dresden Pioneers	0
126	Bairn City Rollers	0
126	Voodoo Vixens Besançon	0
126	Prague City Roller Derby	0
126	Plymouth City Roller Girls [B]	0
126	Grin n Barum	0
126	Kouvola Rock n Rollers	0
126	Southern Discomfort [B]	0
126	The Switchblade RollerGrrrls	0
126	Tester	0
126	Stockholm Roller Derby [B]	0
126	Dock City Rollers	0
126	Nantes Derby Girls [B]	0
126	Valencia Roller Derby	0
126	South Wales Silures	0
126	Panam Squad	0
126	Red Lion Roller Derby	0
126	Nought	0
126	Zurich City Rollergirls	0
126	Montpellier Derby Club	0
126	Limerick Roller Derby	0
126	Hulls Angels Roller Dames	0
126	Middlesbrough Milk Rollers [B]	0
126	B.M.O Roller Derby Girls	0
126	Roller Derby Toulouse	0
126	Big Bucks High Rollers [B]	0
126	Tyne & Fear [B]	0
126	Surrey Roller Girls	0
126	Kamiquadz	0
126	Milton Keynes Quads of War	0
126	Roller Derby Avingon	0
126	Bourne Bombshells	0
126	Kent Roller Girls [B]	0
126	Granite City Roller Girls	0

The Upset, Part I: Why do we Rank?

In derby, as in most other sports, there are multiple ranking schemes.  US College Football, or NCAA Football as it's commonly known, has 3 official rankings and nearly 150 unofficial ones.  European derby, with its 4, is tame by comparison.

Why so many?  One word: upsets.

Upsets, in the American usage, are games in which the expected winner loses to the expected loser.  They're games where the "underdog" wins, and to many sports fans one of the joys of watching sports.

We would expect Arsenal to win, but every so often Bradford City walk away with the victory.  It's a major source of excitement in any sport!

But what does that have to do with rankings?  Well, they mean that any ranking system cannot be perfect.  There will always be upsets, thus there will always be errors in the ranking.  Thus, ranking schemes need to be designed with priorities in mind.  

That is, a ranking scheme needs a purpose, a question to answer.  There are three such questions:

1. Who did the best?  Who deserves the crown for best performance over the previous x time?
2. Who will do the best?  Who will be expected to win in the coming games?
3. Who is good competition?  Who will most likely give an exciting bout to a given team with minimal risk of a blow-out?

These must be different questions only because of upsets.  Each has different ways of dealing with that problem, because each has different rules defining how rankings may or may not be calculated.

1. A ranking for the purpose of awarding a crown has some of the more rigid rules.  If the crown is for best performance in a premier league season, for example, that ranking can only consider that season.  All teams start the season on 0 points, and the ranking shifts from there.

A good ranking for this purpose is highly retrodictive.  A retrodictive ranking is one that, over the course of the past period, has a minimum number of upsets.

In the European rankings, DerbyChart is entirely retrodictive with a limit of 12 months.  EuroDerby is entirely retrodictive within its divisions for a 12 month limit, with divisional placement based on the previous year's retrodictive ranking.  Thus, both seem designed to produce "the best performance for derby year xxxx."

2. A ranking for the purpose of prediction is much more free in its structure.  As the goal is only to forecast the future, rather than award for a given period, a predictive ranking can use scores from any previous period.  

In fact, a predictive ranking can use any factor, as long as the predictions do well.  Some baseball predictive rankings take transfers, market size, stadium size, team value, and all number of things into account.  If a scheme's predictions do well, then it's a good ranking.  Simple enough.

In the European rankings, the European Roller Derby Rankings and Flat Track Stats are predictive in nature.  Both consider all bouts since a team's debut, and the latter is explicitly designed with an algorithm based on prediction.

3. A ranking for the purpose of finding similarly-competitive teams is as free a structure as a predictive ranking, and often uses similar math.

In fact, the only difference between 2 and 3 is how the teams reading the rankings use them.  As an impartial observer reading algorithms, it is often to determine whether a ranking is designed for predictivity or competitivity. 

In the European rankings, the European Roller Derby Rankings' stated purpose is to allow teams to find opponents of similar skill.  EuroDerby can be easily used for this purpose as well, with it's divisional system.

Back to upsets.  Were it not for upsets, the three rankings would be identical.  If there were no improvement, all expectations of victory or defeat would be met.  This would be boring.

Instead, rankings have to deal with upsets.  An upset for a retrodictive ranking system is not always a problem; however, a retrodictive system should seek to minimize past upsets.  For a competitiveness ranking, it may not be a problem as well; if the ranking predicted a close bout and it was, the ranking has done its job even if the winner was not correct.  

A predictive system has the biggest problem with upsets, as they indicate that the original ranking was wrong.  Thus, a predictive system must react to upsets with some sort of correction to the ordering of teams.

So, how good are the various systems at being predictive and retrodictive?  How accurate are they?  Stay tuned for a detailed analysis of their performance, followed by a possible way of minimizing the number of upsets and maximizing the "correctness" of the ranking scheme.

BRSF and UKRDA

Another political theory post! 

Honestly, I'm groaning to myself.

Anyhow, the BRSF have apparently disappeared.  Attempts to call them are re-directed, and their online presence is less than that of Alta-Vista.  What does this mean for UKRDA?


Well, BRSF recognised UKRDA on behalf of those they represent, just as UKRDA recognise leagues on behalf of BRSF.  If the chain is followed, it leads to the British Olympic Ass'n and UK Sport, Sport England, and Sport Scotland.  (If I recall correctly, UKRDA are not yet recognised by Sport Wales)

Thus, UKRDA are recognised by the rest of the chain, as well.  It's not unreasonable to presume that they've cultivated a relationship with Sport England, and that relationship ought to continue.

As well, UK Sport will ensure that there is a roller sports governing body, as I'm sure they don't want to be left out.  It wouldn't hurt for UKRDA to approach UK Sport directly, and cut out the middleman at this point.  There's no reason that derby has to come under the general roller sports umbrella.


Besides recognition, for what it's worth, no other benefit of UKRDA membership ought to be affected.  After all, the UKRDA seem to be well funded from membership dues and not requiring of outside funding.


Speaking of the UKRDA in general, an important moment was reached last week.  To paraphrase, the UKRDA said that they could not form the best possible Team England (etc.) from within member leagues alone, and thus are willing to assist as impartial assistants with the formation process.  However, such a team would not be UKRDA-sancioned officially.

This is an important step in the internal politics of international roller derby.  This, in simpler terms, is the statement "just skate, we'll help you hash out the details when you need them."

This is a national association doing what, in my opinion, it ought to do--support first--and the UKRDA deserve to be commended for their action.


That said, I hope in the future that the UKRDA are able to fully implement a national team programme.  Of course, due to my own personal beliefs, I think this should be on the basis of England, Scotland, Wales, and N. Ireland, only joining forces when specific events require Britain's Derby Megazord.

In order to do so they need a mandate from the eligible skaters, and their recent post reflects an understanding of this point.  A full mandate, though, requires lowering the barriers to entry.

Right now, the barriers to entry are a bit high.  Some leagues will struggle to raise the £100.  For other leagues, the issue will be the two recommendations, which sometimes fall victim to petty derby drama between leagues.  These barriers seem to me like the rules may have been set before their purpose was fully decided, rather than the other way around.

I would like to call on the UKRDA to first investigate their mission.  If, indeed, it is to represent British Derby to the government and the world, then the barriers should be low enough that all active leagues can easily join.

Perhaps:

• Sliding-scale entry fee?  Leagues that bout pay more than leagues just starting, perhaps.

• Vetos rather than recommendations?  Leagues wishing to enter may do so unless a certain number of member leagues deny said membership.  Leagues using their veto must present a valid reason why to the membership board, who can override the veto in case of mis-use.

• Small membership fee combined with a fee per sanctioned bout?  This raises funds very quickly, and is much more easily affordable to newer leagues.

The UKRDA are currently caught in a spot of turmoil, but this is actually an opportunity.  It's an opportunity for them to represent themselves to the entire UK sporting community as the spokes-organisation for and supporter of all of UK roller derby, a position they have already adopted with regard to the men's national teams.

I fervently believe that this is the chance the UKRDA have been waiting for, the chance to step up and make derby better, easier, and more inclusive for the whole of the UK. 

Their press release stated that their support of independent team development was the most fair option for the upcoming Men's World Cup.  I trust by the time the next international tournament of any kind rolls around, their system will be the most fair and most competitive for all eligible skaters.

Derby Census UK 2013 results!

Ladies and gentlemen, time to announce the results of the 2013 roller derby census!
Data numbers will be indicated by italics, but will be put into complete sentences for clarity.

Leagues

Overall, there are 90 leagues in the UK.  By region within England, there are 18 in the south, 5 in the east, 16 in the midlands, 18 in the north.  Wales has 11, Scotland 21, and Northern Ireland 1.

Of these leagues, 40 have yet to contest a bout.  20 are just starting, 20 with a few through min skills/some mixed scrimmage experience.

Bouts

Fully 50 leagues have bouted at least once in the last 12 months, and 26 contested more than 5.  The average bouting league contested 6.85 bouts in 2012.

A total of 322 team-bouts were contested, meaning if both teams in a bout were in the UK, that bout is counted as 2.  A total of 128 bouts and tournaments were hosted in 2012.

The average audience size was 217, with the highest attendance estimated at 1000 for a single bout!!

Skaters

There are 1920 skaters through min skills, and 1557 fresh meat!  That means that the UK is almost 45% fresh meat.

The average league, thus, has just under 22 skaters through min skills, and just over 17 on their way.

Teams

Women's A-teams are a part of 64 leagues, B-teams 23, and C-teams 3.  Men's A-teams are part of 14 and B-teams part of 1 in 2012.  Co-ed teams are a part of 4 leagues.

Non-Competitors

There are 313 referees and 534 NSOs and non-skating team staffs.

Growth over time

Exponential growth, to me!  Well done getting the word out!

Conclusions

Non-mathematically, UK derby is blowin' up!  Over 3,000 skaters, nearly 100 leagues, well done you all!  Be proud of yourselves!

Roll Britannia!

The Fine Print

This data was collected by Stat Man with the kind assistance of Izzy Dauntless for the use of everybody.  Please feel free to use this information to help with venue negotiations, league advertising, etc.  If quoting numbers, we ask for an "According to the 2013 Derby Census" acknowledgement at least; if you would like to include names, we would be chuffed!  We hope this information helps the growth of your league or organisation specifically, and derby in general.  If you have any suggestions for next year's census, please post in the comments section!

For those who have yet to make the move

The whole derby chart can now be found at www.derbychart.com on a regular computer, or m.derbychart.com from a mobile browser.

Check it out sometime, it'll give team details, break down why a ranking is the way it is, and give you scores from past bouts and predictions for upcoming ones.


Well, this week it happened.  Tiger Bay overcame 2-1 odds against to beat LRG[B] in Cardiff, and move into the #8 spot.  In Roll'd Firm action, Auld Reekie beat Glasgow, which put them back in the top 10.

Here is the table for all of Europe!

		Team	Wins	Losses	Rank Pts
	1	London Rollergirls	5	0	272.5
	2	Stockholm Roller Derby	7	3	145.7
+2	3	Central City Rollergirls	3	3	130.7
	4	Bear City Roller Derby	5	3	121.0
-2	5	London Rollergirls [B]	6	1	113.8
	6	Glasgow Roller Derby	10	5	104.0
	7	Rainy City Roller Girls	6	1	94.4
+2	8	Tiger Bay Brawlers	7	3	85.4
+6	9	Auld Reekie Roller Girls	6	7	80.6
-2	10	Crime City Rollers	3	8	79.7
+1	11	Leeds Roller Dolls	6	6	76.8
-3	12	Gent GO-GO Roller Girls	6	4	74.9
-2	13	London Rockin Rollers	4	3	72.1
-1	14	Brighton Rockers	5	1	66.5
-1	15	Paris Roller Girls	3	5	62.2
	16	Gent GO-GO Roller Girls [B]	2	0	55.9
+1	17	Helsinki Roller Derby	11	5	47.5
-1	18	Stuttgart Valley Rollergirlz	0	5	47.3
+4	19	Copenhagen Roller Derby	3	3	39.5
	20	Royal Windsor Rollergirls	6	1	38.8
-2	21	Hellfire Harlots	5	3	37.3
-1	22	Bear City Roller Derby [B]	0	3	33.6
-1	23	Kallio Rolling Rainbow	3	2	33.0
	24	Lincolnshire Bombers	3	6	28.3
+3	25	Sheffield Steel Roller Girls	3	4	27.7
-1	26	Hot Wheel Roller Derby	8	4	24.3
	27	Middlesbrough Milk Rollers	6	2	24.1
-2	28	Big Bucks High Rollers	3	5	22.8
+1	29	One Love Roller Dolls	7	5	20.6
-1	30	Birmingham Blitz Dames	4	4	20.4
	31	Romsey Town Rollerbillies	4	7	20.2
+2	32	Dolly Rockit Rollers	2	8	20.0
+9	33	London Rockin Rollers [B]	0	2	18.8
+2	34	Crime City Rollers [B]	7	3	18.3
	35	Cork City Firebirds	2	3	17.6
-3	36	Stuttgart Valley Rollergirlz [B]	3	1	16.8
-5	37	Ruhrpott Roller Girls	4	2	16.6
-1	38	Dublin Roller Girls	6	3	16.6
-1	39	Bristol Roller Derby	8	3	14.8
-1	40	Dirty River Roller Grrrls	2	1	14.7
-1	41	Roller Girls of the Apocalypse	5	2	12.7
+3	42	Leeds Roller Dolls [B]	2	4	11.8
+1	43	Newcastle Roller Girls	4	4	11.7
-3	44	Kent Rollergirls	3	2	11.4
+2	45	Rockcity Rollers	1	2	10.5
+6	46	Barcelona Roller Derby	0	3	9.8
+1	47	Croydon Roller Derby	4	4	9.5
+2	48	Glasgow Roller Derby [B]	6	2	9.1
-6	49	Southern Discomfort	9	0	8.6
+3	50	Manchester Roller Derby	7	3	8.4
+3	51	Plymouth City Roller Girls	4	3	8.3
-6	52	Quad Guards	8	2	7.8
-2	53	Graveyard Queens Cologne	2	1	7.3
+1	54	Roller Derby Metz Club	4	5	7.2
-6	55	Lincolnshire Rolling Thunder	3	1	7.0
+4	56	Central City Rollergirls [B]	2	4	6.8
+1	57	Auld Reekie Roller Girls [B]	2	2	6.6
-2	58	Paris Roller Girls [B]	4	3	6.5
-2	59	Amsterdam Derby Dames	4	5	6.2
+1	60	Brussels Derby Pixies	2	2	5.9
+9	61	Liverpool Roller Birds	1	7	5.9
+1	62	Seaside Sirens Roller Girls	4	3	5.8
+4	63	Granite City Roller Girls	1	4	5.7
+5	64	Rainy City Roller Girls [B]	4	3	5.6
+6	65	Dundee Roller Girls	4	2	5.5
-1	66	Imposters Roller Girls	2	3	5.4
-8	67	Tyne & Fear	5	4	5.3
	68	Namur Roller Girls	1	3	5.2
-3	69	Inhuman League	6	9	4.6
-8	70	MRD: New Wheeled Order	5	7	4.5
+3	71	Lincolnshire Bombers [B]	1	4	4.5
-8	72	Expendables	4	4	4.4
-1	73	Harbor Girls	3	4	4.3
+3	74	Lahti Roller Derby	0	4	4.1
	75	Gothenburg Roller Derby	2	5	4.0
-3	76	Vienna Roller Girls	4	1	3.9
+5	77	Helsinki Roller Derby [B]	5	1	3.9
-2	78	Eastside RocknRollers	1	1	3.8
+1	79	Luleå Roller Derby	1	1	3.7
-2	80	South West Angels of Terror	5	0	3.7
+2	81	Blackland Rockin'K-Rollers	2	3	3.2
-1	82	Severn Roller Torrent	1	6	3.0
-4	83	Barockcity Rollerderby	3	2	3.0
+1	84	Lutèce Destroyeuses - Paris	2	3	2.7
+2	85	Sheffield Steel Roller Girls [B]	4	4	2.6
+4	86	Cardiff Roller Collective	5	0	2.6
+1	87	Milton Keynes Concrete Cows	4	2	2.5
+3	88	Oslo Roller Derby	0	4	2.4
-5	89	Crash Test Brummies	1	8	2.3
-1	90	Newcastle Roller Girls [B]	9	1	2.2
-5	91	Roller Derby Rennes	1	1	2.1
	92	Portsmouth Roller Wenches	3	1	2.1
	93	Dolly Rockit Rollers [B]	3	2	2.0
+1	94	Belfast Roller Derby	3	3	2.0
+9	95	Tenerife Roller Derby	2	0	2.0
+1	96	Dorset Roller Girls	2	2	1.9
-3	97	Munich Rolling Rebels	1	3	1.8
+17	98	B.M.O Roller Derby Girls	2	4	1.8
+1	99	Stockholm Roller Derby [B]	1	4	1.8
-2	100	Aarhus Derby Dames	1	2	1.7
-5	101	Rotterdam Death Row Honeys	1	3	1.7
+6	102	Tiger Bay Brawlers [B]	3	1	1.6
-4	103	Nantes Derby Girls	4	5	1.6
-2	104	Nidaros Roller Derby	4	1	1.5
+1	105	Norfolk Brawds	3	2	1.4
-1	106	Roller Derby Bordeaux Club	4	1	1.4
-4	107	Herault Derby Girlz	5	1	1.3
+2	108	Central City Rollergirls [C]	3	0	1.3
-8	109	Zurich City Rollergirls	0	2	1.3
+1	110	Kallio Rolling Rainbow [B]	2	1	1.3
+6	111	Swansea City Roller Derby	3	5	1.1
+4	112	Wiltshire Roller Derby	1	5	1.1
+5	113	Bristol Roller Derby [B]	3	0	1.1
-5	114	Copenhagen Roller Derby [B]	2	3	1.1
-1	115	Liverpool Roller Birds [B]	2	2	1.0
-4	116	Hulls Angels Roller Dames	0	6	1.0
-10	117	Jakey Bites	0	5	1.0
-5	118	Hell's Ass Derbygirls	2	4	1.0
+5	119	Furness Firecrackers	1	4	0.9
+2	120	Rebellion Roller Derby	3	4	0.9
+2	121	Wolverhampton Honour Rollers	1	2	0.8
+3	122	Tampere Roller Derby	1	2	0.8
-2	123	Kernow Rollers	1	3	0.8
-5	124	Middlesbrough Milk Rollers [B]	0	2	0.8
+1	125	Dublin Roller Girls [B]	3	2	0.7
+3	126	Dom City Dolls	1	2	0.7
+1	127	Oxford Roller Derby	4	5	0.6
-8	128	Nottingham Roller Girls	1	2	0.6
-2	129	Bruising Banditas	2	2	0.6
	130	Hell's Belles	1	5	0.5
+1	131	Mean Valley Roller Girls	4	2	0.5
-1	132	Fair City Rollers	0	4	0.5
	133	Wakey Wheeled Cats	1	2	0.5
	134	Montpellier Derby Club	2	3	0.5
	135	Bedfordshire Roller Girls	2	4	0.4
+1	136	Vendetta Vixens	0	5	0.3
+3	137	Shoetown Slayers	0	3	0.3
	138	Limerick Roller Derby	1	2	0.3
+2	139	Birmingham Blitz Dames [B]	1	2	0.3
-1	140	Red Lion Roller Derby	0	2	0.3
+1	141	Manchester Roller Derby [B]	2	3	0.2
+1	142	Preston Roller Girls	1	2	0.2
-7	143	Fierce Valley Roller Girls	2	1	0.2
	144	Roller Derby Karlsruhe	1	2	0.2
	145	Voodoo Vixens Besançon	0	2	0.2
+1	146	One Love Roller Dolls [B]	1	1	0.2
-1	147	Velvet Sluts	1	4	0.1
-->	148	Hereford Roller Girls	1	1	0.1
	149	Evolution Rollergirls	1	3	0.1
-2	150	Porto Roller Derby	1	1	0.1
	151	Roller Girls of the Apocalypse [B]	0	2	0.1
-2	152	Frankfurt Roller Derby	1	2	0.1
-1	153	Roller Derby Toulouse [B]	2	1	0.1
-1	154	Wirral Whipiteres	0	3	0.0
-1	155	Roller Derby Lyon	5	0	0.0
-1	156	Roller Derby Metz Club [B]	2	0	0.0
-1	157	Marseille Roller Derby Club	0	3	0.0
-1	158	Roller Derby Grenoble	2	2	0.0
-1	159	Les Quads de Paris	1	1	0.0
-1	160	Cherry Blood	0	2	0.0

This weekend (23/24 Feb)

This weekend in derby:

Two bouts in Denmark

#18 Helsinki vs #23 Copenhagen.  Both teams have been improving as of late, with Helsinki's stellar performance in Track Queens.  This is a chance for the Danes to link themselves to such a rising star and perhaps climb out of the 20s into the teens.

#102 Nidaros vs #109 Copenhagen [B].  I don't know much about these two, except that it will help connect Scandinavian derby.  The only one that's missing at this double header are the Swedes.  Did their invitation get lost in the mail?

Two bouts in Scotland

#69 Rainy City [B] vs #71 Dundee.  Dundee had been climbing the rankings before teams from the continent were included.  Now, they look to go up to 6-1 with a win over the 3-3 Rainy City B squad.

#15 Auld Reekie vs #6 Glasgow.  One of the bouts I've always wanted to see, this is the second meeting of the Roll'd Firm.  These two have exchanged the top spot in Scotland 4 times in the last year, and Glasgow hold the series lead 1-0.  Can Auld Reekie even the score, and climb back up the chart?  Or will Glasgow solidify their position as the dominant Scottish team?

Two bouts in Wales

#81 Severn vs #117 Swansea.  The Slayers open their 2013 campaign with a hard-but-winnable bout at home.  This win would set them even at 4-4, wheras SRT are looking to get their first win of the last 12 months, having lost the last 6.

#3 LRG [B] vs #10 Tiger Bay.  Is it wrong to call this the main event?  If I still lived in Wales, I would be glad to have the opportunity to see Swansea early, then pop over to Cardiff for their toughest bout yet.  The Brawlers are 6-3 in the last 12 months, losing to Glasgow most recently by only 6 points, and have recently climbed from UK's top ten into all Europe's top 10.  London Rollergirls [B] are the unquestioned #3 in Europe, with a 6-0 record.  Can Tiger Bay record a historic upset, and deal LRG[B] their first ever loss?  According to the computer, it's a 33% chance.  I can't wait to see the outcome of this one!


Great weekend for roller derby all over Europe.  Good luck everyone, and stay tuned for scores as they post and new rankings on Monday!

Fairness and rankings

In a sport where there's a great deal of upheaval, it is unreasonable to have any sort of official ranking last more than one 'season'. Skaters come and go quickly, and some teams rise very, very quickly. Thus, if a ranking scheme is to pass the basic test of fairness, it must only take into account recent score, and not the scores of skaters who are no longer skating with their teams.


A scheme in which bouts never expire is unfair to the skaters. If a skater commits a mistake, costing that skater's team the win, that loss will be forever be represented in their ranking. In such a scheme, there is no redemption.

A skater can put in hard work for an entire season, and have a great effect on her team's ranking if, and only if, that team has a very short bouting record. If the team has been playing for 3 or more years, that skater cannot have a major effect on her team's ranking for years.


A scheme in which bouts never expire is unfair to the teams. New teams can quickly climb the rankings, or can stay near the bottom of the table, but their position will stagnate. The longer a team has been in existence, the more momentum its ranking has. Thus, a team who did well early in its career need not defend that title strenuously, but can count on the weight of the early bouts.

Such a ranking scheme is entirely unhelpful.  It shows leagues that have had generally good careers but recent poor performance as good, whereas teams with years near the bottom but several wins in a row as poor teams.  When choosing opponents, leagues cannot rely on such a ranking. No one plays their opponent's all-time team, they play their opponent's current team. Thus, such a ranking is at best an interesting intellectual exercise.


Roller derby is a sport that prides itself on fairness. This drives the notion that referees cannot offer assistance, only penalties, and the notion that a strong team shouldn't go easy on a weak team. Fairness is at the heart of the game. Why then use a system which is so patently unfair to those it claims to serve?

The WFTDA have done away with rankings that run the risk of "since the invention of derby..."  As have the MRDA. While all-time rankings have a place, it is in newspapers as pundits debate the results of hypothetical bouts between the 2008 London Brawling and the 2013 Stockholm.  However, they at best allow for an unfair estimation of the current performance of skaters and leagues, and run the risk of misleading other skaters and derby fans.

Support your not-so-local derby!

 I know we were all excited to hear that LRG are going to be covered in a television documentary. It means that the sport we know and love is closer to the big time!

But why? Why are they filming practices, bouts, etc. and editing it into a documentary that I have no doubt will show the sport as difficult, dynamic, and absolutely loved by its participants? Because the TV producers have noted the growth of the game.

TV producers follow the money. If you'll forgive the Americanism, they follow the buck. Wherever the buck stops, they film. A few more independant producers work on behalf of causes, but most mainstream groups work for the benefit of their bank accounts.

Thus, TV sees money in derby.  This is great! It means we, as a sport, are one step closer to being covered as a sport. One step closer to our scores showing up next to the Open Championship on the specialty page of the sports section. One step closer to a "bout of the week" on ESPN or Sky.

Imagine what that would do for recruitment!


Thing is, how do we best show the TV people that there's money in derby? They're not as concerned about the skaters, they're concerned about the fans. The money in sports coverage comes from advertising, and that ad money is linked to the number of fans watching the event.

Want more derby in the news, in papers, and on TV? Increase the fan base. Show that there's potential cash money being unrealised by not covering the best game on 8 wheels.


Thus, your job is twofold.

#1, go to every bout you can.  Live in South Wales? See everything TBB, SCS, and Bristol do.  Live in Manchester? You lucky skunk, you've got two leagues in Mancs, plus Liverpool and Wirral nearby. London? Besides LRG, LRR, and CRD, you should go as far as RWRG and BBHR whenever you can!

#2, advertise. Not just for your own league, but for all other leagues (who're nearby, and whose bouts don't conflict with your favourite league's). Talk up derby to your mates, to your mates' mates, and to the person you're sat next to at Starbucks. When you get that derby conversation comes around, know where and when the nearest upcoming bout is. If you can get one new fan, you've helped the game.


As well, we need a census. We need to know just how many skaters and leagues there are, but we also need to know how many people came to watch derby in the last year. Thus, when TV comes knocking, we can show them just how amazingly large and supportive our fan base is.

This Weekend (16-17 Feb)

This weekend in European derby:

Scandanavia has a packed schedule!  Luleå take on Gothenburg, looking for the league's first win.  Crime City play host to Finland's Dirty River, fresh off their Suomi Cup schedule, and the dominant Stockholm.  Crime City's A-team have climbed from #11 to #8, and even a well-fought loss against Europe's #2 would improve that position.

A little action on the south side of the channel.  Nantes and Metz play an A&B double header, and Rockcity take on One Love.  Both of these have a wide gap between the teams, so there is certainly a potential for a continental shake-up!  [UPDATE] I missed the Royal Windsor Roller Girls travelling down to Paris to face a tough test of their ability.  If there was one bout I could go to this weekend...

SW:UK carries on.  SWAT-Kernow looks a bit one-sided, although SWAT have been slipping down the table lately.  Dorset take on Wilts, fresh off a very helpful defeat by Plymouth.  Never have Dorset looked better!

North of the border, Fierce Valley face up against Preston.  Both teams evenly ranked, both looking for their 2nd win in the last 12 months.

Oxford take on Leeds-B, in what looks like a major challenge for the southern side.  A good result, even a good losing one, would certainly help them look like a rising regional power, as well as buoy up the rest of the Heartlands competitors.


Good luck to everyone bouting this weekend!  If you're not bouting, try to make it over to your nearest bout.

The Rise of the Regional Tournament

That sounds silly, given as the WFTDA just did away with the "regionals."  I'm not sure what they're calling the first round of the big 5, but this post does not refer to them.  No, it refers to the locally run tournaments, representing parts of Europe (and the US, too).

The first time I heard about this sort of tournament was in South Carolina.  At the time, there were 5 leagues in the Palmetto State, and they were of similar bouting ability.  Thus, one of the leagues in the capital city of Columbia started a tournament to act as the "state championship."

These bouts were amazing!  All the skaters, refs, NSOs, even the fans knew each other; the atmosphere was indescribable.  I haven't been to one in years, and I hope they're still going.

I know the same thing happens in Texas, with the Governor's Cup.


Now, the Finns are in on the action.  The Suomi Cup, featuring teams from across the Nordic country, has already had its first round of play.  According to Sari Vahtera, this was the product of Team Finland.

After bringing together skaters from both major leagues, and a few of the minor leagues, they decided that they needed to keep skating together.

One of the major concerns is that of Helsinki, the frequent standard bearers for Finnish roller derby, and their European competitive season.  According to Sari, "The timetable is made so that biggest leagues f.ex. Helsinki ... have their time to play WFTDA [sanctioned] bouts also."  Thus, these leagues have the option to continue building their regional and global reputation, as well as competing for a national cup.


The South-Westerners are in on the game, too.  SW:UK said that "over the last 12 months leading up to the season more teams have sprung up in the region, plus existing teams have got to the point where they are ready to actively bout on a regular basis."

Although there are no major WFTDA teams in this tournament, the level of excitement has been good at the bouts.  As well, the double headers ensure that newer leagues don't struggle to fill ref and NSO positions, and can quickly improve their game.


Last year, the End of the World Series featured a number of teams from across England, and this year it grew into the Heartlands.  This could be best called a super-league, as the word league is taken in the derby lexicon.  Teams play all other teams in their conference, and then there is a playoff structure in place.

The almost-meteoric growth of Heartlands, combined with the other tournaments springing up, show the massive demand.  Large leagues often play continent-scale schedules, bouting whomever they both fancy and can book.  Strangely, these leagues often announce bouts only one at a time.

However, these tournaments ensure a steady supply of bouts for their members, and an open fixtures/results list to make it easier for fans to follow.  I know when I try to preach derby to someone I meet, they invariably ask "how's the local team doing?"  With a team in Heartlands, SW:UK, or Suomi Cup, the answer is easy.


The growth clearly indicates that these tournaments will play a major role in shaping the future of derby.  I think they're a grand idea--skaters deciding that a form of regularity of schedule would be mutually beneficial, then making that happen.  I can't wait to see more national cups spring up, and more regional ones in larger nations.  Good luck to everyone in one, and everyone trying to set one up. Roll on!

The Cambrian Question, or why can't the Welsh manage the Welsh?

With the growth of International (nation-vs-nation) Roller Derby, the issue of forming national teams is raised.  For most, the organisation exists already.  Finland, Sweden, and Canada, for example, already have national associations.

However, Scotland, Wales, and England do not.  What they have instead is the UKRDA, which has declared coverage over the entire UK.

The difficulty comes in forming teams England, Scotland, and Wales.  (The Irish question will be left for a future article.)

UKRDA have recently issued a press release explaining their procedures for forming UKRDA-endorsed men's and women's national teams.  Here is where the inherent difficulty makes itself known.


On their website, UKRDA list 28 member leagues.  Of these, 23 are in England, 3 in Scotland, 1 in Northern Ireland, and 1 in Wales.  Thus, the rules listed above are voted on by a majority English electorate.

The rules for UK-based skaters call for only skaters and coaches who are members of UKRDA affiliated leagues. Let us consider only the case of UK-based skaters.

Team England has 23 leagues in its own border from which to choose skaters, plus English skaters from Wales, Scotland, and N. Ireland.  No where is there a set definitition of Englishness for the purpose of selection, but let us assume there is one that the UKRDA has yet to release publicly.


Team Wales, on the other hand, has only 1 league's worth of eligible skaters, plus ex-pats.  Already, this puts them at a massive disadvantage.  There is one more full bouting league in the country, plus a number of other leagues not yet at bouting strength.

As well, it's a massive disenfranchisement of those skaters.  Less than 50% of the skaters in Wales are eligible to represent their nation.  Less than 50% of active coaches are eligible to coach their nation.


This is the difficulty in having a multi-national organisation setting the rules for national team selection.  The goals and priorities of the multi-national organisation may be different to those of the nation they claim to have set a team up for.

A majority English electorate have told the Welsh how they must assemble their team.  This will not be a Team Wales, under these rules it will be Team UKRDA-in-Wales.

Note, too, that the same ratio occurs in Scotland.  More than half of Scottish skaters will not be eligible for UKRDA's Team Scotland.


These facts strongly suggest that, while UKRDA may be a useful organisation for inter-league play, they are not optimal for national teams.  Team England's rules are for the English alone, Team Scotland's for the Scots, and Team Wales for the Welsh.

Until a majority of the Welsh skaters have the opportunity to even ratify the rules of formation for a team competing in their name, no team can rightfully call itself Team Wales.

An exciting time for derby

What an exciting time.  The sport is growing by leaps and bounds, we all knew that.  But they just announced a Men's international tournament--nation against nation.  How cool is that??

Let's cast our minds back to the derby world cup.  Who hosted it?  One league in Toronto.  Who organised and sanctioned it?  A magazine.

This is the beauty of derby--it's all self-run.  The reason the world cup was official is because the skaters considered it official.  That's all.

Same goes for each of the national teams.  Why are they official?  Because their skaters agree that they are represented by the team.


So, who's planning this Men's Cup of Nations (my suggestion, not the official name)?  Well, the people who brought you MERDC.  Their credentials?  They've run a tournament before, and it was brilliant.

This is derby, folks.  The most self-made sport in the world.  It's a sport run by the faithful for the faithful, not run by top-down organisations for the benefit of their bottom lines.

What makes this tournament official is that we, the derby faithful, consider it official.  Same for the teams.


This, too, is the beauty of derby.  We're still laying the groundwork!  The game is young, the international game even more so.  This our chance to make an indelible mark for future derby.

To those forming the teams, put Derby 1st.  Put all the skaters of your nation 2nd, and relegate petty politics to the last thing you consider.

This is your time.  The time to shape the derby of your nation.  You, who have been charged by a group of skaters with determining the future of England, Scotland, Wales, France, and others, this is a first.  Like so many things in derby right now, it's a first.

So read what others have done, and ask for advice.  But always remember that your first duty is to the game and your nation.  Always do what will honour that duty above all else.


Good luck and Godspeed.  I'm already booking my ticket to the tournament.

The curious case of co-ed derby

Most roller derby skaters in the world today are female.  In the UK, for example, there are 97 bouting travel teams, of which 8 are men's teams.  Thus, the men's game is often just a side note to the larger scale of the women's game, especially in the common "look what women are doing to keep fit and empower themselves" story often found in mainstream media.

Often, men's teams are founded as a sort of "brother" team to established women's leagues, comprising the referees, coaches, NSOs, and fans who would have joined had it not been for a pesky Y-chromosome.  However, there are a few cases where the relationship is a bit closer than just "brother-sister."  How, then, does co-ed derby get on?

Firstly, it's important to define a co-ed league.  There are a few points of possible integration:

1. Beginners'/Fresh Meat training
2. Advanced/Travel Team training
3. League Management/Board of Directors
4. Resources/Venues/Human Resources
5. Bout Scheduling

Not all leagues considering themselves co-ed will meet all criteria, and some leagues which do not consider themselves co-ed may actually meet several. The late Cardiff Roller Collective, for example, met #2, #4, and #5 to various degrees in concert with the South Wales Silures.

Manchester Roller Derby do consider themselves a co-ed league.  President Tori Bee states "It's a huge part of MRDs identity. We have always been coed, as part of our inclusive ethos. From the beginning MRD wanted to give men the opportunity to play roller derby."

She goes on to mention the difficulty of co-ed training, but emphasizes that the mix of styles that comes when male and female skaters work together.  "The boys bring the aggression n the girls bring the brain  

We also find the big size differential in training useful for practicing legal hits on low skaters, or how to use others' weight/ height against them for example."

To be fair, MRD meet #1, #3, #4, and #5.  Their travel teams no longer train together.  "Each team has one dedicated two hour session per week that's for the team only and we've non-team sessions that are always co-ed," says Gaz Jones, one of the more outspoken members of the men's team.  

Newcastle Roller Girls are, almost by definition, not co-ed.  After all, their name implies sex segregation.  However, NRG vice-skipper Gin & Sonic refers to their relationship with Tyne 'n' Fear as a brother-sister one with the following caveat: "Currently we’re ran as one league but the boys are  looking at becoming financially separate this year but we’ll still help each other out, scrimmage  and share officials/practice space/bouts/bench managers etc."

Thus, despite the nominal implications, the NRG/TnF machine actually meets #3, #4, and #5.  Thus, although NRG are a women's league, their affiliation is very, very close.

Close enough, in fact, to deny WFTDA affiliation to the Tyneside ladies.  "Currently we’re working on becoming financially separate from each other so NRG can apply for WFTDA apprenticeship which will hopefully happen midyear. NRG want to strive to be the most competitive team we can be and TnF have been really supportive in this. It is a shame we can’t apply before  but those are the rules ;). I Believe TnF do want to become MRDA affiliated in the future but they aren’t moving towards that yet."

Juliana Gonzales, press officer for the WFTDA, confirm's Gin & Sonic's understanding.  "WFTDA membership requires that your league be dedicated to women's flat track roller derby only, so all competitors in WFTDA leagues are women."  

As the requirements refer to competitors, MRD are eliminated from WFTDA eligibility on the basis of their ethos.  However, NRG have that option still available to them.  Ms. Gonzales goes on to state that "the membership requirements typically have to do with business structure and league governance."  Thus, a league must only fail to meet #3 above to be WFTDA-eligible.

Interestingly, the MRDA has no issue with membership for co-ed leagues.  After all, MRD hold MRDA affiliation.  The UKRDA, as well, seems to have no issue with co-ed leagues, as NRG are members.

The only issue is the big W, and if that affiliation is worth breaking up the official single-league setup.  "We've mused about being separate only on paper, but for me that just doesn't sit right for us." comments Ms. Bee.

Ms. Gonzales states "We definitely intend to continue working closely with MRDA to grow in a cooperative and parallel way.  I don't forsee us merging membership structures anytime soon, but never say never."

As teams and leagues improve, affiliation status becomes more important. As well, the growth of the men's game means that more and more leagues will be meeting at least a few of the five points, either on their own or in concert with an opposite-sex league across town. Thus, co-ed derby needs to find a place in officially-recognised derby.

Sure, compromises will have to be made in order for co-ed structures to enjoy official recognition. Shouldn't those compromises be made in the direction of allowing roller derby for more, rather than roller derby for fewer?

WFTDA Playoffs

Damn, WFTDA done done it!!!

The new system is beautiful, elegant, and hopefully functional.

1st: ranking scheme

Wow, it looks like the best of the rugby rankings, the cricket rankings, even mine all rolled up into one. Basically, each team takes points from a bout based on percent of the score, the opponent's rank, and the importance of the bout.  The first two sound like mine, don't they?

The third sounds like a great idea, if you want a system that rewards playing well in a tournament.  Friendly bouts are worth less than tournament bouts, of which the championship bout is worth the most of all.  Unfortunately, they don't go into detail of if just Big 5 tournaments count extra, or if something like Track Queens would come with more value as well.  I do hope it does.

Also, this means that ONLY SANCTIONED BOUTS COUNT!  A scheme based on democracy is really nice on paper, but it suffers from the "unrung" problem--once the scores from a closed bout leak, the voters can never be properly trusted not to take them into account.  Using only sanctioned bouts mean that the WFTDA rankings calculators can "show their work" of why teams are ranked where they are.

Problem: the system for inaccuracy requires 51% of teams to vote that the ranking is inaccurate.  Thus, if a bout is mis-recorded, a team must campaign for the bout to be voted inaccurate.  I really, really dislike the idea of turning facts of history (the score) over to a democratic process.  It's either accurate, or it's not.  That shouldn't require a vote.

2nd: divisional structure

Looks like WFTDA learned from the best of the Football League, but with a massive, massive advance: unlimited promotion.

The top 40 teams as of 12 November are in D-I.  However many former D-II teams make that cut, that many are promoted.  However many former D-I teams find themselves ranked below #40, that many are relegated.  Simple as, and way more fair than the Football League system.

ALSO, D-I teams are required to play D-II or D-III teams, with similar requirements on the other divisions as well.  This means that a worthy D-III team (Helsinki, anyone?) will have the opportunity of picking up the points for facing a D-I opponent.  Unlike the Rugby Premiership, D-I cannot be walled off from the rest of derby.


Is it perfect?  Well, what would perfect even look like?

It's fair, and it says that team rankings aren't based on opinions and preferences.  They're based on facts, and points, and more facts.  Of course it's subject to review, everything is.

I think the WFTDA have made a great move forward for the world of their affiliates.  Well done!

New Year, New Rules

Alright, so the rule change is official!  Well, unless you're in the SW:UK tournament.  As it started with the old rules, it'll finish with 'em.  Makes sense to me.

So, what can you be doing to make the transition work better?


#1, actually read the rules.  I know an awfully large number of people who read that list of rule changes and think that they're ready.  I know a few more who read reactions to the new rules, like mine, and are happy now.  This is the quickest way to find your spot on the team turned over to a new skater who took the time to read the rules.  Read 'em, know 'em, love 'em!

#2, stop looking for loopholes.  Seriously, some people are out there not thinking about how to be better skaters, but how to 'game the system' so that they can win.  At the most basic level, if you focus on 'gaming the system' you're not focussing on skating better.  If you win due to gamesmanship, you're not winning on the merit of your skating.  Derby is a skating sport; any victory won due to a clever loophole is a hollow victory indeed.  Focus on skating better this new year, and win the physical and mental game as an athlete, not a lawyer.

#3, be clever.  "But wait, didn't you just say skate better, stop thinking?"  Well, I didn't say stop thinking, just stop gaming the system.  Never stop thinking.  So the play says 'form wall here,' but you see a star pass behind you and the pivot is struggling to put the panty on.  What do you do?  Well, if I were you, I'd hit her whilst she's defenceless and distracted.  Now, you've delayed the whole think 6-10 seconds, for her to get up, pick up the panty off the floor, etc.

---I'm going to say this once right here: there is no perfect play in derby.  There is no secret recipe that always gets you 4 points, and them 0.  If you have an idea, try it.  If it works, keep on.  If it doesn't, don't do it again.  Simples!

#4, this is an opportunity.  Many of the tactics used by teams ranked 5-10 places above yours will no longer be as effective.  Honestly, some teams are ranked due to skill, others due to teamwork and tactics.  Now is the time to leapfrog 'em by being better prepared for the new rules than anyone else.  Get refs to practice, work hard, scrimmage, scrimmage, scrimmage.

#5, enjoy!  I think the new rules streamline the game greatly.  I have a feeling it'll function way, way better.  Enjoy it!  Never forget, the reason you do derby is because you love derby.