Welcome to Bull City Roller Derby! We are Durham’s very first roller derby league founded in 2015. We are always looking for new members from the community to help us grow, both on skates and off. No experience is necessary! We will teach you everything you need to know.
Bull City Roller Derby (BCRD) plays flat track roller derby in accordance to the rules set
forth by the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA). It is an expectation that
each member know the rules in order to play a safe, fair game. Please take time to
familiarize yourself with the terminology and rules by reading The Rules of Flat Track
Roller Derby.
Watching actual gameplay is also a great opportunity to see the rules in action.
WFTDA’s youtube channel has hundreds of games available to watch, or you can
check out bouts and scrimmages happening in the local area.
Monthly dues are used to pay for league expenses like bouts and WFTDA insurance. They are paid at the beginning of every month through Paypal using the email bullcityrollerderby@gmail.com. Whenever you pay your dues at the beginning of each month, you will also fill out a self-reporting form so that the league knows how many practices and league-related meetings and/or events you attended the previous month. If you have financial limitations that affect your ability to pay monthly dues, do not hesitate to speak to the Board of Directors (BoD). There are league funds designated for member financial assistance.
BCRD is entirely volunteer-run. Members are expected to show up to practices, participate in committee meetings, and attend league meetings in order to keep the league running smoothly. Roller derby requires a big time commitment, but we promise it is worth it!
BCRD communicates with all members through a private members-only Facebook group. We also send out a periodic members-only newsletter called the Bullhorn with important announcements and reminders. When you join BCRD you will be invited to join the Facebook group and the newsletter listserv.
Mondays 6:30pm-8:45pm:
Advanced Skills and Scrimmage at Wheels Fun Park* (715 N Hoover Rd, Durham, NC 27703)
Tuesdays 7:00pm-8:00pm:
On-Skates Endurance COMING SOON
Saturdays 9:00am- 11:00am:
Basic Skills and Endurance at Wheels Fun Park*
(715 N Hoover Rd, Durham, NC 27703)
*Wheels Fun Park requires a $6 CASH ONLY entry fee. You can also purchase a 5-visit pass for $25 CASH ONLY.
Do you have skills and experience that can help better the league? We have several committees that are always in need of active members. If you are interested in joining a committee, please ask around and we can point you in the right direction.
These elected members oversee the general functions of the league, manage the budget, and represent the league’s best interests when making collective decisions.
Oversees the league’s external communication, manages BCRD’s public events and promotions, fosters partnerships with individuals and organizations in the surrounding community, leads fundraising and sponsorship efforts, and maintains the league’s social media presence.
Ensures skaters develop and maintain the skills required to play safely and legally, facilitates assessments, and develops defensive and offensive skating techniques to be used in competitive play.
Coordinates the league’s home bouts and scrimmages, organizes and assigns bout volunteers, and contacts other teams to coordinate away bouts and scrimmages.
Remains up to date on all WFTDA safety policies, ensures safety compliance of bouts, scrimmages, and practices, and handles our Safety & Emergency Action Plans.
New skaters are expected to attend as many practices as possible in order to build their comfort and skills on skates. In addition to the scheduled practices, skaters are encouraged to develop an off-skates fitness routine to facilitate endurance and strength- building.
Look for a helmet that is designed for extreme sports. Make sure it has been rated for safety standards, like the ASTM or CPSC. Your helmet should fit snugly and should not wiggle around when the strap is adjusted under your chin. The helmet should be free of cracks or dents, an indication that it has sustained impact damage. The pads on the inside should not feel flat or worn.
Suggested brands/models:
Wrist, elbow, and knee pads should be designed for extreme skating. They should feature a hard, protective shell or insert. Good quality knee pads are especially important in roller derby due to the number of times you will fall to your knees. They should fit snugly without limiting your range of motion. They should not slide around
whenever you get sweaty. The velcro should hold on its own without the need for additional tape.
Suggested brands/models: 187 Killer Pads
A quad-style roller skate will feature two wheels in the front and two wheels in the back. Look for skates that have an adjustable toe stop. There are many different boot/plate/wheel configurations. It is important to try on your skates before purchasing them to make sure you have the correct size. Be sure to ask your fellow skaters for their personal recommendations! Ultimately, you should choose what works best for you.
Suggested brands:
Assessments of new skaters will occur approximately every 2-3 months throughout the calendar year. This will be a closed practice where you demonstrate your ability to perform the WFTDA minimum skills in front of the training committee. In order to pass assessments and participate in WFTDA-sanctioned games, there are a set of minimum skills you must demonstrate. The list of minimum skills can be found here: WFTDA Minimum Skills Requirements
There are three potential outcomes for your assessments:
Full Pass- You are ready for contact and scrimmage practices, provided that you also demonstrate scrimmage safety during a "pack assessment" (basically a scrimmage/skrills practice where we make sure that you're safe in the controlled chaos of a scrimmage). Note that it is RELATIVELY RARE for skaters to fully pass their first time through assessments.
Provisional Pass- You are good to mix in for contact drills and skrills (somewhere between a scrimmage and a drill), but that you're not cleared to fully scrimmage with the league. Note that you can get a provisional pass for any of the following reasons: a) you are solid on most skills but have one or two skills that are in need of improvement; b) you can technically complete all of the minimum skills, but you're right on the edge of competence and need more time to become sure of yourself; c) you did all your skills but haven't yet completed the 27/5 (skating 27 laps in five minutes).
Benchmark- You still have a ways to go on most of your skills, or that you need to improve upon several of the most critical skills (E.g., we want you to be able to safely come to a stop and take a hit before letting you engage in contact drills). The reason we call it a benchmark is that everyone has their own timeline for learning how to skate securely and play derby safely. There's no expectation that you pass or even
provisionally pass your first time around. It's useful information to help you determine what you need to work on and ask your coaches for feedback on.
All skaters must purchase roller derby insurance coverage through WFTDA upon joining the league. The cost is $80 per calendar year. If for any reason you cannot pay for WFTDA insurance, please do not hesitate to speak to the BoD about financial assistance. The WFTDA insurance is an accidental medical plan that covers you during practices, scrimmages, and bouts. BCRD also recommends that members carry their own personal insurance as the WFTDA insurance is designed to supplement your own primary insurance.
In order to purchase WFTDA insurance: