WHO WE ARE

The L.A. Derby Dolls are Southern California's premiere all-female, banked track roller derby league.

Founded in October 2003 by Rebecca Ninburg (a.k.a.Demolicious) and Wendy Templeton (a.k.a. Thora Zeen), the L.A. Derby Dolls are a league of more than 150 skaters and volunteers, divided into five teams who skate on a banked track.

Embodying the do-it-yourself ethos of modern roller derby, as resurrected in Austin, Texas in 2000, the L.A. Derby Dolls are an entirely volunteer-run organization, relying on the support of their fans and community.

The L.A. Derby Dolls take all the thrills of the old game and update it with a fresh and feisty new face. And the hits and spills are 100% real. No script can write this kind of action.

MISSION STATEMENT

The Derby Dolls are committed to achieving the highest level of competition, integrity and production quality while enriching the lives of our members and community through sport.

THE GAME WE PLAY

A roller derby match is composed of two teams of five players each: four blockers (one of whom wears a striped helmet cover as the "pivot") and one jammer. Points are scored when a jammer breaks through the pack, races ahead to rejoin the back of the pack, then attempts to jam through once again scoring a point for each opponent passed. The jammer has 60 seconds to score. The game consists of two halves, each half has two 12-minute periods.

And yes, roller derby has a strict set of rules, none of which allows for elbows.

Confused? Learn more about roller derby rules or check out the L.A. Derby Doll glossary.

HISTORY OF ROLLER DERBY

Roller derby was created in 1935 by Leo Seltzer, a Chicago promoter looking to drum up business for the Chicago Coliseum. Roller derby is one of only two sports to be created from scratch by an American (the other is basketball.) At its zenith in the early 1970s, roller derby was played to sold-out crowds at stadiums across the U.S. including the Oakland Coliseum, White Sox Park and Madison Square Garden.

OUR TRAINING FACILITY 

Welcome to the Doll Factory! The L.A. Derby Dolls train four times per week on a banked oval track.

Unlike the scripted “sports entertainment” version of the 70’s and 80’s, the banked track roller derby of today is a real full-contact sport played at breakneck pace. The slope and elevation of our track allows for greater speed, faster jams and more bone-crushing hits, with spectators able to take in every second of the rough-and-tumble action!

In true DIY fashion, the LA Derby Dolls' 100' x 60' banked track was designed and built by our skaters, friends, and family. It is the fulfillment of a dream that required a considerable investment of time, money, and willpower. The finished product –- composed of wood, steel, and masonite, held together by thousands of nuts and bolts, and sanctified with blood, sweat and tears has become as much a part of our league as any skater.