Women's Flat Track Derby Association

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WFTDA Logo
WFTDA Logo

Founded in April 2004 as the United Leagues Coalition (ULC) and renamed in early 2006, the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) is an association of women's flat track roller derby leagues in the United States. It promotes and fosters the sport of women's flat track roller derby by facilitating the development of athletic ability, sportswomanship, and goodwill among member leagues. The governing philosophy is "by the skaters, for the skaters"—the primary owners, managers, and operators of each member league and of the association are women skaters, although this does not preclude any particular business structure (leagues don't have to be legally incorporated or internally egalitarian). Operational tasks include setting standards for rules, seasons, and safety, and determining guidelines for the national and international athletic competitions of member leagues. According to its web site, all member leagues have "a voice" in the decision-making process, and agree to comply with WFTDA policies.

Contents

[edit] History

In its first year, the ULC was an informal electronic message board through which established leagues compared notes in order to prepare for interleague play, and it was also used to exchange information to help new leagues that were just getting started.

It evolved into a more formal organization in July 2005, when representatives of 20 leagues met in Chicago to discuss establishing a governing body for women's flat-track roller derby. At the meeting, a voting system was established, as was a set of goals and a timeline was established for facilitating interleague play. Among these goals was the production of a standard track design and standard game rules. The design and rules which were settled upon and distributed later that year. Another milestone was choosing new name for the organization. The new name, Women's Flat Track Derby Association, was chosen in early 2006, and a track design and rules were published on the organization's fledgling web site. By that time, the organization had grown to 30 leagues, a cap decided upon at the July meeting.[1][2]

Induction of new member leagues was postponed until revised membership requirements could be discussed at the next face-to-face meeting, scheduled for the end of May. However, in February 2006, soon after the initial requirements were published and following the fragmentation of several leagues, a "multi-league per city" clause was added to the membership requirements. Although throughout early and mid-2006 the clause was listed as a requirement for membership, WFTDA claims the policy is "unofficial". WFTDA also claims the policy is intended to uphold goodwill between members — by excluding leagues not likely to find favor with established members — as well as to prevent rival leagues in the same city from being privy to each other's "proprietary information."[3]

Following the May 2006 meeting, a press release was issued to promote the organization and publicize the meeting.[4] The June statement covered the following points:

  • Representatives of the "30 founding leagues" met to discuss rules, business structure, skill standards, rankings and future tournaments.
  • 30 more leagues were slated to be inducted in late summer[5] 2006, bringing the total membership to 60.
  • Version Two of the WFTDA Flat Track Derby Standardized Rules for Interleague Play was announced as forthcoming in late summer, 2006.
  • Changes to the member league divisions were announced.
  • A 2007 tournament schedule was announced.
WFTDA League Divisions
Division Definition to mid-2006 Current definition
1 Finished one season (season minimum: five games, including exhibition games), and "is ready to travel by being in compliance with interleague standards of play". Finished three seasons including inter-league play.
2 Actively bouting and has completed at least one public game, including one or more exhibition games. Finished at least one season "including inter-league play"
3 Still forming / has not completed any public games (including exhibition games), but is in compliance with WFTDA membership standards. In training / has not completed one season.

In addition, Eastern and Western divisions, delineated by the Mississippi River, were announced. Thus, each member league is either Eastern or Western, and Division 1, 2 or 3.

[edit] Member leagues

2006 WFTDA Map, as of February 2006.
2006 WFTDA Map, as of February 2006.

[edit] Championship tournaments

[edit] 2006 "Dust Devil" National WFTDA Championship Tournament

2006 Dust Devil Logo
2006 Dust Devil Logo

In Tucson, Arizona, over the weekend of February 24–26, 2006, Tucson Roller Derby hosted 20 WFTDA leagues from around the United States in a tournament to determine the nation's first-ever WFTDA national champion team.

[edit] Round robin bouts

Round-robin bouts were instituted to determine seeding for a single-elimination tournament]]. Four pools were created (Scorpion, Tarantula, Black Widow and Rattlesnake), with each pool consisting of 5 teams. On Friday, February 24, 2006, each team played four ten-minute bouts in each pool. Point differential was used to determine the ranking and placement of each team within its pool. With this information in hand, tournament officials selected the top three teams of each pool and seeded them according to the point differential of each team for the single-elimination tournament.

[edit] Single-elimination tournament

The single-elimination tournament started on Saturday, February 25, 2006 with 12 of the previous day's 20 teams. Scheduling of the bouts allowed for the top four seeded teams to receive a bye in the first round of play. Teams seeded 5 through 12 played in the first round. The winners of the first round of the single elimination tournament played the top four seeds in the second round. Bout winnners advanced to the semi-finals and bout losers were eliminated.

[edit] Semi-finals and finals

On Sunday February 26, 2006, four teams (TXRG Texecutioners, Tucson Saddletramps, Minnesota Rollergirls and AZRD Tent City Terrors) played in the semi-final bouts. In the first bout, the Texecutioners defeated the Tent City Terrors in a full three-period bout, 114 to 81, sending the TXRG to the championship bout and AZRD to the 3rd-place bout. A second full three-period semi-final bout was played between the Tucson Saddletramps and the Minnesota Rollergirls. Tucson defeated Minnesota 136 to 75. This pitted the Tent City Terrors against the Minnesota Rollergirls for the 3rd-place bout, and set the WFTDA National Championship Bout to be between Texas and Tucson. The 3rd-place bout was played out with the Tent City Terrors upsetting 3rd-seeded Minnesota 115 to 88. The Championship bout was finalized later in the evening, with the Texecutioners defeating the Saddletramps 129 to 96.

[edit] Rankings

These rankings were determined by the results of the 2006 Dust Devil tournament only.

  1. Texas Rollergirls (Austin Texecutioners)
  2. Tucson Roller Derby (TRD Saddletramps)
  3. Arizona Roller Derby (Tent City Terrors)
  4. Minnesota Rollergirls (MNRG Travel Team)
  5. Rat City Rollergirls (Rat City All-Stars)
  6. Kansas City Roller Warriors (All-Stars)
  7. Mad Rollin' Dolls (Dairyland Dolls)
  8. Carolina Rollergirls (CRG Travel Team)
  9. B.ay A.rea D.erby Girls (The B.A.D. Girls)
  10. Gotham Girls Roller Derby (GGRD Travel Team)
  11. Providence Roller Derby (Riveters)
  12. Sin City Rollergirls (Neander Dolls)
  13. Houston Rollergirls (HaRD Knocks)
  14. Dallas Derby Devils (DDD Travel Team)
  15. Assassination City Derby (ACD Special OPS)
  16. Rose City Roller Derby (Rose City All-Stars)
  17. Atlanta Rollergirls (ARG Travel Team)
  18. Windy City Rollers (WCR Travel Team)
  19. Duke City Derby Girls (Muñecas Muertas)
  20. Rocky Mountain Rollergirls (5280 Fight Club)

[edit] 2006 Bumberbout Flat Track Invitational

The 2006 Roller Derby "Bumberbout" Flat Track Invitational was played in Seattle on Saturday, September 2, 2006. Eight teams competed. The Texas Rollergirls beat the Rat City Rollergirls 74 to 69 in the invitational championship bout.

[edit] 2007 tournament schedule

  • Spring 2007 – Divisions 1 and 2 Western Regional Tournament (Dust Devil Tournament), Tucson, February 16, 17, 18
  • Summer 2007 – Divisions 1 and 2 Eastern Regional Tournament, dates/location TBA
  • Autumn 2007 – Divisions 1 and 2 National Championship Tournament, Austin, dates TBA
  • National Division 3 Tournament, dates/location TBA

[edit] Notes and references

  1. ^ A Short History of the Sport of Roller Derby. Sin City Rollergirls. Retrieved on July 9, 2007.
  2. ^ WFTDA press release: "FLAT-TRACK ROLLER DERBY SOLIDIFYS [sic] NATIONAL PRESENCE / SECOND ANNUAL FLAT TRACK DERBY CONFERENCE MEETS IN ST. PAUL, MN" (June 2006)
  3. ^ Multi-league per city clause. Women's Flat Track Derby Association. Retrieved on July 9, 2006.
  4. ^ Ibid. (June 2006 WFTDA press release)
  5. ^ Throughout the article, "Spring", "Summer", etc. refer to Northern Hemisphere seasons.

[edit] External links

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