Scorekeeper

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David Reed / Stacktrace
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Introduction

As with all officiating positions in roller derby, it’s important to be aware that Scorekeeping is a combination of what the rules explicitly say, how the rules are interpreted by the community, and common practices that are not rule-driven.

Scorekeeping, in particular, is driven by the needs of the WFTDA and JRDA Statsbooks. Scorekeeping is a paperwork-intensive and highly routine-based role. While little decision-making or interpretation is required of scorekeepers, they must remain attentive to events on the track at all times, and must rigorously and consistently follow data-entry guidelines to produce a correct record of the game.

Resources

The Basic Routine

Scorekeepers are typically seated on each side of the scoreboard operator, but the location of the score table varies from venue to venue.

Watch your Jam Referee and Jammer (in that order) during each jam. Follow the Statsbook Manual's instructions to record points and jam events (Lost Lead, Lead, Call, Injury, No Initial; Star Passes). This guide deliberately does not cover the paperwork, because the Statsbook Manual is the authority. To succeed as a scorekeeper, you need to read and internalize the relevant sections of the Statsbook Manual.

When each event happens, or when points are awarded, verbally communicate it to the Scoreboard Operator. The Scoreboard Operator should echo this back to you to indicate that they received it.

For example, a jam might go like this:

Jam Timer: short whistle to start jam
... Play begins ...
Jam Referee Blue: two short whistles to indicate lead.
Scorekeeper Blue: Blue lead.
Scoreboard Operator: Blue lead, got it.
... Play continues ...
Jam Referee Blue: holds up three fingers
Scorekeeper Blue: holds up three fingers Three points Blue.
Scoreboard Operator: Three points Blue, got it.
Scorekeeper Blue: makes eye contact with Jam Referee Blue while signaling.
Jam Referee Blue: nods
... Play continues ...
Referees: signals star pass
Scorekeeper Red: signals star pass. Star pass red. New jammer is Red 052.
Scoreboard Operator and Scorekeeper Blue: Star pass red, got it.
Scorekeeper Red: Red initial trip complete.
Scoreboard Operator: Red initial, got it.
... Play continues ...
Jam Referee Blue: holds up four fingers
Scorekeeper Blue: holds up four fingers Four points Blue.
Scorekeeper Blue: makes eye contact with Jam Referee Blue while signaling.
Jam Referee Blue: nods
Scoreboard Operator: Four points Blue, got it.
Jam Referee Red: holds up two fingers
Scorekeeper Red: holds up two fingers Two points Red.
Scoreboard Operator: Red two, got it.
Jam Referee Blue: four short whistle blasts
... Play stops ...
Scorekeeper Blue: Blue call.
Scoreboard Operator: Blue call, got it. Total score is 109 Blue to 87 Red.
Scorekeeper Blue: 109 blue confirmed.
Scorekeeper Red: 87 red confirmed.

The conversation doesn't have to go exactly like this. Nobody needs to use these exact phrases. The scorekeepers could confirm the total rather than the scoreboard operator. Someone might miss an event and hear it from a colleague. An error might get caught and corrected.

What's important in this illustration is that the two scorekeepers and the scoreboard operator are talking constantly. They make sure that everyone has the information they need to do their jobs. They acknowledge that a game environment is noisy and fast-moving by confirming what they hear. And they make sure to constantly check their most important job, keeping the displayed official score accurate, so that problems are caught right away while the rules still permit a score correction.

Both scorekeepers are also in constant "conversation", via signals, with their jam referees. Their signals might differ slightly; one pair might emphasize eye contact, while another relies on the scoreboard to confirm. What matters is the mutual understanding and rhythm of communication.

Why call out these specific pieces of information?

Once the jam ends and the score table is confident in the current score, the cycle starts over again. The scorekeepers spot and call out the jammers and pivots, the scoreboard operator enters them, the whistle blows, and the game is on.

End-of-Period and End-of-Game Responsibilities

At the end of each period, the scorekeeper should perform a series of steps to validate their points and paperwork.

  1. The jam referees visit the score table to confirm the recording of the last jam's score. Points may be corrected only for the final jam. (Rules 3.5).
  2. The scorekeeper completes all of the total verification steps specified in the Statsbook Manual, page 13. Note that some of the total elements are considered optional. The total columns are particularly helpful to the HNSO when statsbook data entry is done by hand, rather than via export from the scoreboard. In that situation, the total columns act as a check on data entry.
  3. The scorekeeper calculates the total score for the period to provide to the Head NSO for the IGRF.

At the end of the game, the jam referees visit the scorekeepers to confirm final-jam points. This process is often misunderstood. It's not an opportunity for scorekeepers and referees to chat, or for referees to check math. The purpose of the check-in is to ensure that the final-jam points are recorded accurately, because this is the last opportunity to make corrections before the score is finalized. When you and your jam referee are satisfied, give an indication (such as a thumbs-up) to the jam timer, who is responsible for terminating the game with a rolling whistle when the score is final.

Communicating with the Jam Referee

Before the game, your assigned Jammer Referee should meet with you to show you their hand signals. Echo the signals back to them as they make them. Make sure to ask the Jammer Referee what signal they use for "No Initial Trip": there is no standard signal for this, and a number of different conventions are in wide use.

Your Jam Referee will signal points to you starting when the jammer leaves the front of Engagement Zone. That's because completing a scoring trip by leaving the front of the Engagement Zone is when the point total for that trip is finalized (Rules 3.2).

Many Jam Referees will continue to signal until the jammer enters the Engagement Zone for their next scoring trip. You should do the same: continue to echo any points signaled to you for as long as they are signaled. Remember that your signal may be seen by others throughout the venue, not just by your Jam Referee: your paired signaling lets everyone on and off the track see what points were awarded, and that they were captured correctly.

This is a pragmatic and effective convention. The details are not formally specified by any document. The JRDA Officiating Procedures, 6.2, does require that scorekeepers confirm scoring signals but doesn't specify how.

You do not need to echo other signals, such as the Lead sign or No Pass-No Penalty. Some scorekeepers do, but it may provoke confusion.

There is no standard signal for "a star pass occurred". It is very common for referees and NSOs based in the center of the track to signal this by touching their hands and raising their hands repeatedly, sometimes with a plucking motion. This may indicate a star pass for either team. You may echo this signal but aren't required to.

Always make sure that your co-scorekeeper and scoreboard operator are aware of the star pass.

Situations where an illegal or incomplete star pass occurs can be quite confusing. You should always watch and take your cues from your Jam Referee. They have the strongest position and context to parse out who's currently the jammer, whether or not they have the star in their possession. Assume that whomever the jam referee is pointing at is the jammer, until proven otherwise.

If the communication between you and your Jam Referee breaks down, you need to act quickly at the end of the jam. Stand up, wave your arms, yell: get the attention of one or more referees. This might happen because your Jam Referee neglects to signal points to you, or because you missed the signal for a trip. Because the game impact of missed or incorrect points is so significant, because those errors are highly visible, and because the Rules limit the amount of time available to correct them, you are justified in taking whatever action is required to stop gameplay and bring your Jam Referee to the score table for a conference.

Once you've got a hold of your Jam Referee, you have the 30-second lineup period to resolve your concern before the game flow is disrupted. Be concise and specific! If you need more time to get it right, the referees or the Jam Timer should call an Official Time Out.

Scorekeepers generally shouldn't second-guess their Jam Referees on point totals. The Jam Referee's position is much better for judging passes, and it is the Jam Referee's primary responsibility to count points. You have to interrupt game flow to talk to your Jam Referee if you have a concern, meaning there's some cost to your doing so. However, if you're very sure that the Jam Referee made a mistake (such as losing points after a return from the penalty box), do not hesitate to call them over or call an Official Time Out to discuss the issue.

Validating Star Passes

For reasons we'll discuss under Understanding the Statsbook, it's important for the scorekeepers and the penalty-lineup trackers to stay in sync with one another with respect to Star Passes. There's no standardized way to do this. It is common for scorekeepers to note "Jam X starting on a color line", referencing the alternating shades of the lines on the scorekeeping paperwork, or simply to confirm "X Star Passes so far".

Penalty lineup trackers have other checks to do during most portions of gameplay. When possible, some penalty lineup trackers will confirm star pass counts with the scorekeepers, either verbally or with a non-standard signal such as a number of fingers held against the head. If this doesn't happen, don't worry; it's not required and the impact of a mistake is limited to post-game data entry.

If you find you've missed a Star Pass, don't erase and rewrite paperwork. Make a margin note. See Non-Score Corrections.

Additions to the Scorekeeping Paperwork

Many experienced scorekeepers go beyond what's specified in the Statsbook Manual. The conventions you adopt should always be additive, not contrastive: you can write down more information than the Statsbook Manual requires in the margins or un-marked areas of your paperwork, but do not make non-standard marks in standard spaces. This will produce confusion for your Head NSO when they complete the statsbook.

Writing down the pivot's number in the left-hand margin of your score sheet, to the left of the Jam column, is a very common and useful convention. This ensures that when a star pass occurs, you have the pivot number you need at hand; you may not be able to see the pivot when the star pass actually takes place. It also allows your paperwork to support the Penalty Lineup Tracker's during statsbook data entry.

It may be useful to mark the margin of your paperwork with a symbol, such as a horizontal line, on each jam in which a Star Pass occurs. This makes it easier for you to rapidly count Star Passes to confirm that you are in sync with the other scorekeeper or with a Penalty Lineup Tracker. It also indicates that there is no pivot on the track, if you are recording pivots in your left-hand margin.

Some scorekeepers use "Dot System". Dot System is a way to annotate your paperwork with more information about the progress of the jam, which can help you keep track of scoring trips. This guide deliberately does not cover Dot System. You can read about it here. We neither encourage nor discourage the Dot System. We encourage reviewing it and experimenting to find what makes you most effective.

Scorekeeping Subtleties

Keep in mind that the Statsbook Manual is the reference for how to complete the paperwork. This discussion is intended to add further light on the hows and whys of some common trip-ups in scorekeeping.

Star Passes

Notating Star Passes is often confusing for newer scorekeepers. The key principles to remember are:

  1. The meanings of all of the boxes on your paperwork stay the same.
  2. A completed scoring trip belongs to the jammer who finished the trip.

For example, suppose that White 32 passes the star to the pivot, White 494, during the initial trip. White 494 is unable to clear the pack, and never starts their first scoring trip. You'd record it like this:

JAMJammer's NumberLOSTLEADCALLINJ.N.I. Trip 2Trip 3Trip 4Trip 5Trip 6Trip 7Trip 8Trip 9Jam TotalGame Total
1 32 X 0 0
SP 494 X 0 0

The definition of the "No Initial Trip" box stays the same. Both jammers failed to complete an initial pass, so it's marked for both.

What if White 494 had gotten out of the pack, but the opposing jammer called the jam before they could score any points?

JAMJammer's NumberLOSTLEADCALLINJ.N.I. Trip 2Trip 3Trip 4Trip 5Trip 6Trip 7Trip 8Trip 9Jam TotalGame Total
1 32 X 0 0
SP 494 0 0 0

The definitions stay the same: White 32 had no initial trip, but White 494 did complete the initial trip. White 494 started the scoring trip, so the 0 belongs to them and goes on the Star Pass row.

Take a different scenario. Blue 02 gets Lead status. They score 4 points on the first scoring trip. During the second scoring trip, they get stuck and pass the star to Blue 999, who completes the second and third scoring trips. We'd complete the paperwork thus:

JAMJammer's NumberLOSTLEADCALLINJ.N.I. Trip 2Trip 3Trip 4Trip 5Trip 6Trip 7Trip 8Trip 9Jam TotalGame Total
1 02 X X 4 4 4
SP 999 4 3 7 11

Definitions stay the same. Jammer 02 got Lead, and then Lost Lead by removing their helmet cover. Both of those marks belong to the row for Jam 1. The Jam Total and Game Total columns function just like they do elsewhere: total up the points for each row, and maintain the running total.

Jammer 02 completed the first scoring trip before they passed the star, so the first 4 belongs to their row. However, Blue 02 did not complete the second scoring trip; Blue 999 did. The points for scoring trips 2 and 3 both go in the row for Blue 999, the Star Pass row. It's irrelevant if Blue 02 actually earned some points before handing off the star. The record of the scoring trip belongs to the skater who completed the trip.

The Statsbook Manual offers many examples of how to complete Star Pass paperwork correctly. Apply these two principles consistently and you'll be able to handle any in-game situation.

Learn more about the why of recording Star Passes in Understanding the Statsbook.

Closing Zero Trips

Rules 3.2 describes how points are grouped into Scoring Trips:

One trip through the Pack ends, and the next begins, when the Jammer exits the front of the Engagement Zone

When a jam ends, you and your Jam Referee determine whether your jammer started the next trip before the jam ended. You represent those started-but-not-scoring trips with a trailing zero on your paperwork.

If the jammer called off the jam while in the pack, they'll receive whatever points they earned on that trip (which could, of course, be zero). But since they never left the front of the Engagement Zone, the next trip did not start, so there is no need to add a further trailing zero.

JAMJammer's NumberLOSTLEADCALLINJ.N.I. Trip 2Trip 3Trip 4Trip 5Trip 6Trip 7Trip 8Trip 9Jam TotalGame Total
1 32 X X 4 4 4

If, however, the jammer moves through the pack, collects points, leaves the Engagement Zone, and then calls off the jam, they've actually started the next trip. That means you'll record the trailing zero for that started trip, as well as the points accumulated on the completed scoring trip. (In very rare circumstances, this could actually produce two consecutive zero trips!)

JAMJammer's NumberLOSTLEADCALLINJ.N.I. Trip 2Trip 3Trip 4Trip 5Trip 6Trip 7Trip 8Trip 9Jam TotalGame Total
1 32 X X 4 0 4 4

The Jam Referee should signal a trailing zero to you. Ask your Jam Referee when you meet before the game to show you how they signal that situation. Be aware that less-experienced Jam Referees may forget to signal trailing zeros; you can initiate the signal if you've clearly observed the trip transition.

Some versions of the CRG Derby Scoreboard will automatically add trailing zeroes based on time. That is, a certain duration after the previous trip is completed, it will automatically add a trailing zero. This is not strictly correct, but is in practice right most of the time.

The Five Flags and Trip 2

What's the largest set of LOST, LEAD, CALL, INJ, and NI boxes you can check in one jam?

It's four. CALL and INJ are mutually exclusive. But you can mark all of the other four:

You cannot also mark the Trip 2 box with any value in this situation. The NI column and the Trip 2 column are mutually exclusive. But you could mark three of the other flags (LEAD, LOST, and either CALL or INJ), plus a value in Trip 2.

This illustration points to an interesting subtlety. Some elements of the scorekeeping paperwork (LEAD, CALL, INJ) refer to specific, jam-wide events. Some (NI, the Trip 2 column and following columns) refer to trips within the jam. And one, LOST, can refer to any of several different jam-wide events that result in the outcomes of having and losing lead or losing the ability to become lead. These intricacies can be tough for newer scorekeepers. Getting comfortable with how the Rules define the structure of a jam makes them more intuitive.

The Statsbook Manual provides details about how to use the five flags, which all scorekeepers should read carefully alongside Rules section 3, Scoring.

Overtime Jams and More-than-Nine-Trips Jams

Overtime Jams happen very rarely. Most scorekeepers only get to see one or two in their derby careers. Jams with more than 9 scoring trips are even rarer. Make sure you're ready for these rare and exciting events by reading the two bullet points on page 13 of the Statsbook Manual carefully!

JRDA: Sudden Scoring and Injury Continuations

JRDA play includes two rules, Sudden Scoring and Injury Continuations, that impact the scorekeeping paperwork. If you officiate JRDA play, make sure to carefully read the JRDA Statsbook Manual section 2.2 and Appendix A. Sudden Scoring is similar to Overtime Jams, but uses a different notation for initial-trip points, while Injury Continuations largely follow the pattern of Star Passes.

Score Corrections

Mistakes happen all the time. Roller derby is not a precise science! As a scorekeeper, it's critical to understand when and how you may correct mistakes, and when they remain part of the game record.

Rules 1.4 is a brief but critical reference:

Critical game information must be displayed in a manner that is highly visible to teams, officials, and spectators. This displayed information is considered official...

which is elaborated in Rules 3.5:

The Official Score is that which is reported and visible to teams, Officials, and spectators.
Errors with Points Awarded Incorrectly
If a point is awarded (or denied) in error, or if a Jammer Referee has reported a score incorrectly, the score may be corrected no later than the end of the Jam after the one in which the error occurred. If there are fewer than 2 minutes in the game remaining on the period clock, score corrections must be made before the start (rather than the end) of the Jam after the one in which the error occurred.

Read the text of the Rules carefully, including the linked glossary entries. Awarding of points is one of the most critical facets of officiating.

The official score is the score displayed on the scoreboard, not the score shown on your paperwork. While the two should always coincide, the fact that they might in the moment be different is important in considering how to respond to an error.

You're also limited in the time that you can make a change to the official score (not to your paperwork!)

Let's look at some specific scenarios.

Points AwardedScoreboardPaperwork
CorrectMatchesDoes Not Match

This situation might happen if your Jam Referee correctly reported two 4-point passes to you, the Scoreboard Operator correctly recorded 8 points, but you accidentally wrote down only one 4 point-pass. The Official Score is correct, so just fix your paperwork.

The same guidance applies if you have a math error, but the scoreboard shows the correct value. Because you should be checking your totals every jam, a math error should never persist beyond the point where you can easily adjust it without needing to alter later jams.

You should never erase your paperwork to correct an old error. You're much more likely to introduce a new error that way. Instead, make a marginal note to explain the error, and let your Head NSO know so that they can handle it appropriately with a score offset.

Points AwardedScoreboardPaperwork
CorrectDoes Not MatchMatches

This situation might occur if your Jam Referee correctly reported a 3-point trip to you, you recorded it correctly, and the Scoreboard Operator accidentally pressed the 4 key instead. In this case, the Official Score is incorrect, and Rules 3.5 applies. You and the Scoreboard Operator may adjust the Official Score only if you remain within the allowed time window.

If you're already past the allowed time window, do not change your paperwork. Note in the margins that the Official Score has an error for that jam. After the game, your Head NSO will complete Offset paperwork to reconcile the scores.

Points AwardedScoreboardPaperwork
IncorrectMatchesMatches

This situation might occur if your Jam Referee reported a 4-point trip, you and the Scoreboard Operator both recorded it faithfully, but the Jam Referee realizes that it actually should have been 3 points and a no pass-no penalty. In this case, the Official Score is incorrect, and Rules 3.5 applies. You and the Scoreboard Operator may adjust the Official Score only if you remain within the allowed time window.

If you're already past the allowed time window, do not change your paperwork. The Official Score stands, and your paperwork is in agreement with it.

Non-Score Corrections

The Rules only dictate when you can make changes to the Official Score. If you find you have a mistake in other elements of your paperwork, like failing to mark Lost Lead in the previous jam, you're free to correct it at any time.

If you have such an error to correct, remember that your paperwork doesn't stand alone in representing game data. You may need to communicate the issue to the other scorekeeper, the scoreboard operator, or even to the penalty-lineup trackers in the case of a missed Star Pass. Think carefully about whether the impact of your mistake justifies the effort and confusion of fixing it, as opposed to noting it for correction during post-game data entry.

It's unusual for scorekeepers to lose track of the jam number, because their paperwork involves making an entry every single jam. If you do, however, check against the scoreboard to get back on track.

Understanding the Statsbook

The scorekeeping paperwork can feel mysterious and rote without an understanding of why it's structured the way it is. While it doesn't explain everything, knowing the structure of a Statsbook clarifies why we record jams, trips, and Star Passes the way we do. (See the Statsbook Manual for details and scenarios on recording Star Passes).

The reason for each scorekeeper capturing Star Passes for both teams is that score data is entered into the Statsbook (an Excel workbook) with a single spreadsheet row representing the data for both teams in each jam. Recording the other team's Star Passes ensures that jams continue to "line up" horizontally when entered into the Statsbook.

While your paperwork looks like this, during a Star Pass for your own team:

JAMJammer's NumberLOSTLEADCALLINJ.N.I. Trip 2Trip 3Trip 4Trip 5Trip 6Trip 7Trip 8Trip 9Jam TotalGame Total
1 32 X 0 0
SP 494 X 0 0

when entered into the Statsbook, it'll look like this (truncated after Trip 3 to show the structure more clearly). Note how the data for a single jam occupies a full row, with one team (yours, in this example) on the left and the other team on the right.

JAMJammer's NumberLOSTLEADCALLINJ.N.I. Trip 2Trip 3Jam TotalGame Total JAMJammer's NumberLOSTLEADCALLINJ.N.I. Trip 2Trip 3Jam TotalGame Total
1 32 X 0 0 1 999 0 0
SP 494 X 0 0 SP* 0 0

If a Scorekeeper misses the Star Pass, the result rapidly becomes confusing:

JAMJammer's NumberLOSTLEADCALLINJ.N.I. Trip 2Trip 3Jam TotalGame Total JAMJammer's NumberLOSTLEADCALLINJ.N.I. Trip 2Trip 3Jam TotalGame Total
1 32 X 0 0 1 999 0 0
SP 494 X 0 0 2 48 0 0
2 33 X 0 0 3 543 0 0

In this situation, the data for Away Team's Jam 2 is conflated with the Home Team's Star Pass in Jam 1. Further jams will continue not to line up correctly, until the situation is corrected by the Head NSO or stats crew.

If you do miss a Star Pass, it's not the end of the world. Make a margin note in your paperwork so that this is easily caught. It's generally not a good idea to try to erase and rewrite substantial data on the paperwork.

The verification elements of the scorekeeping paperwork can also seem rote or unnecessary. They make more sense when you think about the process of entering score data into the Statsbook by hand, something that is no longer common with the use of the electronic scoreboard. Imagine you've got the Excel workbook open, and you've just typed 22 jams into the spreadsheet by hand.

JAMJammer's NumberLOSTLEADCALLINJ.N.I. Trip 2Trip 3Trip 4Trip 5Trip 6Trip 7Trip 8Trip 9Jam TotalGame Total
1 32 X 0 0
SP 494 X 0 0
2 32 X X 4 4 0 8 8
3 989 X X 4 2 6 14
4 01 X 0 14
5 32 X X 4 4 8 22
SP 494 3 3 25
6 01 X X 3 3 28

... and so on. When you get to the end, how do you feel confident that you've faithfully entered the data from the paper sheets?

You look at the verification columns!

JAMJammer's NumberLOSTLEADCALLINJ.N.I. Trip 2Trip 3Trip 4Trip 5Trip 6Trip 7Trip 8Trip 9Jam TotalGame Total
22 3 9 8 0 5 58 20 12 3 93 93

In the Excel workbook, the verification columns are calculated from the actual data entered. If they match what the scorekeeper wrote on the paperwork, you can be confident that your data entry matches what they wrote down. You didn't skip an X in the Lost column, for example, or accidentally transpose points from one trip to another.

The verification elements are explicitly optional in the Statsbook Manual. Some Head NSOs like to see them; other's don't worry about them. If you have doubts, ask.

Short Staffing

As with other NSO roles, the staffing standard of one scoreboard operator and two scorekeepers is not rules-mandated. The Rules require that enough NSOs be staffed to implement the Rules and provide the required Statsbook data.

In short-staffing situations, particularly in nonsanctioned play, the score table might be staffed with only one scorekeeper. The scoreboard operator then catches points for one team, and likely does not complete the paperwork, relying instead on the scoreboard software.

In theory, it's even legal to staff only a single scoreboard operator and no scorekeepers. That sole official would then catch points for both teams and perform all scoreboard entry. As staffing shrinks, though, so does redundancy and the ability to communicate clearly with the jam referees. Short staffing significantly increases the odds of a mistake, and reduces the ability of the crew to fix that mistake.