Roller derby is a
contact sport played by two teams of five members
roller skating in the same direction around a track. Game play consists of a series of short match ups (jams) in which both teams designate a jammer who scores points by lapping members of the opposing team. The teams attempt to hinder the opposing jammer while assisting their own jammer—in effect, playing both
offense and
defense simultaneously. Roller derby is played by approximately 1,250
amateur leagues worldwide, nearly half of them outside the
United States.