Testing, Testing (Fun with Beta)

What you won’t hear as much under the new rule set:  “Slow Derby Sacks!”

It’s not that slow derby doesn’t Sack.  Seriously, watching people stand behind the pivot line for two minutes could’ve Sacked Rome, it Sacked so much.  It’s just that the one whistle start makes slow starts a heck of a lot less likely.

It didn’t look offhand as if the new starts would cause any paradigm shift in how the game is played.  Both teams wanted blockers on the jam line, but that’s hardly news anymore.

*  Insert crowd cheering noises *

… Legal Disclosure … these observations were made using the Beta rules, as the author is not sufficiently ImPoTant to have seen the final rules but did Boot Camp with the beta rules.  … You are now returned to your regularly scheduled blog.

What you will hear under the new rule set:  “Tweet! Black I81!  CUT!”

It was carnage for those jammers who are used to ‘paying the minor’ to bypass the soul-crushing blocker who knocked them out to gain the advantage.  Plenty of 1 minute vacations were enjoyed by all.  Cutting even one opponent ever, trip to the box.  Cutting two or more teammates, trip to the box.  And jammers (and vocal fans), please keep in mind that if the momentum of a hit forces you out, you are obliged to go behind the hitter even when your hips actually got by them before your trajectory landed you in the ref lane.

What you will see/feel/probably Do under the new rule set:  more physical play.  Elbows, forearms, and backblocks, still in violation of the rules but now ‘No Impact’.  It was rough and tumble out there this weekend, boys and girls.  I hope that doesn’t get out of hand…

What may trip you up: 

Multiplayer blocks:  you don’t get three seconds, or even one, of grace if an opponent is trying to get through.

Direction of play:  Almost everything has been upgraded to a major.

Forearms:  Jammers, any touching of three seconds or more with hands and forearms will be followed by the sound of a whistle, even if you don’t cause movement.  Watch where those hands are when you’re stuck behind the wall.

False start:  If you hear the call without the whistle, stop and let yourself get passed.  The first call wasn’t an impact penalty, but failure to yield will be.

Overall impressions:  Faster, more physical, more likely to be moving counter-clockwise.  Fun!