“Who are those people dressed in all black without skates?”

Non-Skating Officials (NSOs)

Non-Skating Officials (NSOs) in roller derby are an essential part of the game, working behind the scenes to ensure the smooth running and fairness of each bout. 

Some of the common roles and responsibilities of NSOs include:

• Scorekeepers: They track points scored by each team's jammers and penalties accrued by skaters.
• Penalty Box Timers: Responsible for timing skaters' penalties and ensuring they serve the appropriate duration in the penalty box.
• Jam Timer: Times the duration of each jam, signaling the beginning and end of jam periods.
• Lineup Trackers: Keep track of which skaters are on the track for each team during a jam, ensuring that the correct players are fielded and that no team exceeds the maximum number of skaters.
• Penalty Box Manager: Oversees the penalty box, ensuring skaters serve their penalties correctly and coordinating their release back onto the track.
• Penalty Tracker: Records the penalties incurred by each skater throughout the bout.

Both non-rostered skaters and volunteers took on Non-Skating Official roles during SIDR’s Season Opener. For some NSOs, they are experts in their roles. For others, it was their first time being a part of “Team Ninja”. See what they have to say about NSO-ing:

Hitz Don’t Lie - “I’ve been an NSO since I joined the league, so about 3 years. While I didn't fully see the biggest role NSOs play in the beginning, I realized without NSOs a bout just turns into a practice. Even though I’m not playing I feel like I’m a part of the bout.”

Nick - “My first NSO experience during the 2024 season opener was very fun and rewarding. After the NSO training meeting and pre-bout meeting, I felt well prepared to lend a hand where it was needed.  Participating as an NSO was a nice way to support the derby community.”

Cadet Mandee - “I was pretty anxious at first because it was something new that I had zero experience doing but my teammates and fellow NSOs were helpful and uplifting. I felt very encouraged and after the first few jams, I found my voice and confidence and felt much more at ease. It was definitely a great experience and being in the middle of all the action was more motivation for me to work on my skills so that I can make it over to the contact side and compete alongside my teammates.”

Cadet Kass - “My first time as an NSO was a heart-pounding, thrilling experience! I had the opportunity to be up close and personal to the action while expanding my understanding of the game.”

Becoming a Non-Skating Official with Strong Island Derby Revolution is just one way you can become a member of the league! Whether or not you can skate, or if you have no interest in being a skater, there is a place for you with Strong Island Derby Revolution!

Interested in becoming a non-skating official or bout volunteer? Email sidrrecruitment@gmail.com!