About
About Tampere Roller Derby
TRD was founded in 2009 and continues to grow fast. We are a skater-owned and operated non-profit organization. Our league consists of travel teams Tampere Roller Derby All-Stars and Tampere Howlin’ Rolls, rec team All Inc, a large group of unlisted skaters, and officials from referees to non-skating officials.
TRD competes at the highest national level in the Finnish Roller Derby Championships. TRD’s travel teams and experienced officials also tour internationally on a regular basis.
Tampere Roller Derby is a member of the Finnish Speed Skating Association, HLU, and Women’s Flat Track Association (WFTDA).
We are DIY league, and this is why every member helps out in running the league. Our league comprises of a board and teams and individuals with designated tasks and duties. Our teams include a venue team, sponsorship and merch team, media team, coaching team, welfare team, officials team, and first-aid team.
We currently communicate mainly using closed Facebook groups. You’ll be automatically added to them after paying our membership fees.
What is roller derby?
Roller Derby is a full contact team sport that originated in the U.S. In Finland, modern roller derby is played on a flat track with quad roller skates. Other compulsory safety gear include knee, elbow, wrist and mouth guards, and of course a helmet.
Modern roller derby is a fast-paced and strategic sport with a fast-growing fan and member base. There are currently around 20 roller derby leagues in Finland and the sport has its own national team and a national series.
TRD wants to offer a safe and meaningful space to train, evolve and thrive – for everyone. We do not tolerate any racism, or homo- or transphobia in TRD. We respect our members’ diversity and treat it as an asset. You choose, whether you identify more with and wish to join TRD or Tampere Rollin’ Bros which is a men’s league. Our two leagues are separate entities but we work together in close cooperation.
SKATER?
To skate with us, you must be at least 18 years old. This is a full-contact sport with a risk of injury, so we also require our skaters to have an insurance that covers roller derby. When you join TRD, you can buy your license and insurance from the national skating association. A license is compulsory for all skaters who take part in competitions.
You can take part in our on skating training sessions after completing the beginners’ course. You’ll learn the basics of skating and derby during the course, no prior skating experience or a background in sports is required. You don’t have to master the sport after the course, you’ll keep on training at our rec level practices that are normally held twice a week.
When you’re ready with your basic derby skills (skating skills, agility, endurance) and knowledge (rules of the sport), you can apply to our travels teams and take part in full-contact games.
Our travel teams play official games (bouts) and scrimmages with other Finnish and international leagues. We pay for our uniforms and travel costs ourselves. You can also take part in our rec level training sessions.
REFEREE?
TRD’s referees are free to take part in our on skates training sessions and games and they pay a reduced practice fee. Referees are also required to wear skates and safety gear. In an official game, there are seven referees with individual tasks. They keep score of points and ensure that skaters are playing by the book. TRD follows the WFTDA rule set. Most referees in Finland travel regularly to games in and outside of Finland and have a tight community.
NSO?
Non-Skating Officials are called NSOs. They officiate games and attend practices without skates and safety gear. There are several different NSO positions, like the Penalty Box staff, Jam Timer (game clock, jam starts), Penalty Tracker, Score Keeper, and so on. NSOs and referees are a vital part of TRD and we wouldn’t be able to play without them. We are proud of our high-class officials and also train officials from other leagues.
Derby games are action-packed and full of unexpected events. Officiating games is a world of its own and you can only learn it by doing. NSOs are also free to take part in our training sessions and games, and they pay a reduced practice fee.
PRACTICES?
We train on and off skates. Our on skates training sessions are held at Kauppi Sports Center three times a week. Our skaters mainly train with their own skill level group. Our unlisted skaters, All Inclusive, B team and A team have their own training times and sometimes we all train together. Our training sessions usually last from one hour to a couple of hours.
During the summer months, we have off skate practices outdoors. We train our muscle strength, agility, and endurance. There are less on skates practices during the summer, so we sometimes have 3-4 off skate practices per week.
Our coaches are mostly travel team skaters. We keep track of everyone’s attendance and use attendance as one of the tools for making travel team charters and game rosters. You’ll get access to our calendar after joining our league.
FEES?
Our membership fee is paid once a year (€50 for 2023). Our additional practice fees are paid every three months. Currently, the practice fee for skaters is €20 per month, and €0 for officials. If you’re late with your practice fees, you pay an additional €5. If you neglect to pay your fees altogether, you are no longer entitled to attend our practices. Our practice fee is based on our venue costs and might go up or down depending on where and how often we have practices.