Understanding why a block matters in roller derby and how it shapes jams.

Outline you can skim first

• Hook: Blocking is the heartbeat of roller derby.

• The bottom line: The purpose of a block is B — impede the opposing jammer or help your own.

• Why it matters: Blocking shapes every jam, blending defense and offense in one smooth move.

• How blocks work in action: walls, gaps, and timing; the role of the blocker and the jammer.

• Techniques and roles: hip blocks, shoulder blocks, positioning, and communication.

• Common myths: scoring isn’t done by blocking directly; blocking sets up scoring opportunities.

• Drills and skills to sharpen blocking: stance, footwork, reading the pack, and drill ideas.

• Real-world flavor: a quick anecdote about a jam-turning block and what it teaches.

• Takeaway: mastering blocking is how a team controls the game.

Article: Why blocking is the engine of roller derby

Blocking isn’t just about throwing a shoulder or bumping someone out of the way. It’s the quiet, relentless force that keeps a jam from turning into chaos and makes room for your team’s plan to unfold. If you’ve ever watched a tight, strategic jam, you’ve seen blocking in its cleanest form: a defender slowing the other jammer enough to stall points, while a teammate slips through to rake in the scoring chances. That’s the heart of it, and the correct purpose of a block is simple enough to remember: impede the progress of the opposing team’s jammer or assist your own jammer.

Let me explain why that answer, B, holds up under the heat of a live bout. In roller derby, the jam is the clock’s heartbeat. The blockers form a moving wall, and the jammers weave their way past that wall, scoring when they pass the back of the pack. A block doesn’t score points directly. It doesn’t have to. Its value comes from how it reshapes the jam’s rhythm. By slowing the other jammer, you reduce the other team’s scoring opportunities. By helping your own jammer—creating space, breaking up sweeps, or nudging a defender away from the path—you increase your jammer’s chances to lap the pack and rack up points. That dual purpose is what makes blocking so essential.

Think of it like a relay race where one runner sets the pace and the other sprints to the finish. In roller derby, your blocking work buys time, creates openings, and sets up the moment when your jammer can surge ahead. The best blockers don’t just hit hard; they read the pack, anticipate moves, and adjust in the blink of an eye. They’re part dancers, part tacticians, and part fortunetellers—in a good way. They sense where the opening will appear before it does and position their bodies to take advantage.

Now, how does blocking actually play out on the track? A jam starts, the whistle blows, and the pack settles into a rhythm. The lead jammer has a clear mission: break through and score, or hang back if the defense is harrowing. A blocker’s job is twofold: slow down the opposing jammer and keep their own jammer cleanly progressing. You’ll hear terms like “the wall” and “hole through the wall.” A solid wall isn’t a single person; it’s a coordinated line, each blocker pressing in different angles to seal off space. When the opposing jammer tries to push through, you time your contact, keep your hips low, and use your forearms within rules to steer them off their line. Meanwhile, your partner on the track might be peeling away from the front to create a lane for their jammer or to scoop the blocking path clear.

Blocking technique sits on a spectrum. There are the foundational moves—hip blocks and shoulder blocks used to establish contact without penalties. Then there’s spacing and timing: how far back you stand, how you angle your body, when you pivot to seal the gap. The goal isn’t brute force; it’s smart positioning that makes it hard for the other jammer to get through while keeping your own skater free to weave ahead. A lot of the craft comes down to footwork and balance. If your feet aren’t under you, your walls crumble fast, and the jam devolves into a free-for-all rather than a controlled battle.

Let’s touch on a few concrete ideas you’ll see in the best blocks:

• The wall that won’t break: A solid front-line defense, formed by several blockers shoulder-to-shoulder, moving as one unit. This is where timing matters. If one person leaks, the wall weakens and the other jammer can slip through. The fix is quick footwork, slight shifts in angle, and tight communication with teammates.

• Clearing paths for your jammer: Sometimes the blocker’s job is to physically create an opening for the lead jammer. This can mean angling your body to push the opposing blocker away, or slipping past to take a defender out of the lane entirely so your jammer can pass cleanly.

• Reading the pack: The smartest blockers aren’t fixed in place. They watch the pack’s tempo, anticipate where the jam will go next, and move to positions that slow the pack without drawing penalties. It’s a bit of chess, with a dash of wrestling.

A common misconception worth clearing up: the idea that blocking is only about defense. In roller derby, a well-executed block has an offensive flavor as well. By creating space for your jammer, you’re setting up scoring opportunities. You’re not just stopping someone else’s progress; you’re engineering chances for your team to rack up more points. And that is where blockers become game-changers. They don’t just prevent; they create.

If you’re new to this, you might wonder how to translate all of this into real-game impact. It often comes down to a few reliable habits:

• Stance and balance: Feet shoulder-width apart, knees bent, low center of gravity. You want to be stable enough to absorb a hit, quick enough to shift directions, and calm enough to avoid penalties from illegal hits.

• Spatial awareness: Where is the opposing jammer? Where is your own jammer? Where are your teammates? The answers guide when to press, when to pause, and when to move.

• Communication: Callouts matter. A simple “I’ve got your outside!” or a quick “Wall up!” can save a jam. Verbal cues plus nonverbal signals keep the team in sync.

• Timing over brute force: You don’t win by knocking people down; you win by being where you’re supposed to be when it matters most. The moment you overcommit, you risk penalties and a loss of momentum.

To build mastery in blocking, think about drills that reinforce the essentials without turning the session into a sprint of chaos. Drills that emphasize stance, footwork, and wall formation help a lot. For example, practicing a four-person wall against a single jammer can illuminate how to coordinate angles and pressure. Another effective drill is the move-and-recover: the blocker applies light pressure to slow the jammer, then slides back into position to re-form the wall. Small, repeatable steps, repeated with focus, yield substantial gains over time.

If you’re thinking about why your team should care about blocking, consider this: most jams hinge on turning a single moment into momentum. A great block doesn’t just slow a jammer; it can cause the pack to shift tempo, reset the timeline, and place a blocker in a position to spring an opening for their own jammer. It’s not flashy, but it’s exactly what wins games when the clock is running down and nerves are jangling.

A quick, real-world flavor to anchor the concept: imagine a jam where the opposing jammer slices through the first wall with a nimble move, only to meet a second wall that refuses to buckle. The defenders adjust, re-form, and then the lead jammer slips past on a narrow corridor of space the blockers just created. The crowd erupts not because of a dramatic hit, but because of collective discipline—the kind of discipline that makes a team look almost choreographed in the most exhilarating way. That’s blocking in motion: clean, purposeful, and decisive.

If you’re drafting your own journey as a roller derby player, keep this core idea in the front of your mind: the purpose of a block is to impede or assist. It’s a dual role that sits at the heart of both defense and offense. Teams that excel at blocking don’t merely stop the other side; they tilt the game in their favor by shaping how each jam unfolds. It’s a subtle craft, not loud like a big hit but deeply effective when done right.

A few closing thoughts to carry into your next bout or scrimmage:

• Stay adaptable. Each jam is different; what slows one jammer may do little to another. Your best blockers learn to read the moment and adjust their tempo.

• Embrace the team. Blocking isn’t a solo show. It requires trust and precise coordination. When your blockers move like a single organism, you’ll feel the difference on the track.

• Don’t underestimate the small details. Foot placement, hip angle, and timing can turn a scrape through the pack into a clean breakthrough or a denied score. The magic is in the accuracy, not the volume of force.

In the end, the essence remains straightforward. A block in roller derby serves a clear purpose: impede the other jammer and help your own. This dual function is what makes blocking so critical. It’s the art of shaping the jam’s tempo with smart positioning, precise timing, and coordinated team effort. Get those elements right, and you’ll see how blocks become the quiet force that wins games.

If you’d like to keep the thread going, next time you watch a bout, pay attention to how the blockers angle their bodies and communicate. Notice when a wall tightens or when a blocker creates a tiny seam that a jammer can glide through. You’ll start to recognize the patterns that separate good blocking from great blocking. And that’s when you’ll start to map out your own path toward becoming a more effective roller derby player.