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New / Change / ClarificationRule Number / LanguageNotes

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Section 1: Teams

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Changed Rule1.3 "During a tournament, leagues may substitute alternates from their team roster. If a skater is pulled from the tournament and replaced with an alternate, she may re-enter the tournament in a subsequent game."
Skaters may now re-enter a tournament if they are substituted out of a specific game's skating roster, which they could not do under the previous ruleset.

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Section 2: Game Parameters

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Added Rule2.1.3 ... "The track boundary line width must be at least 1” and no greater than 3”."Previous rulesets did not specify the width of the boundary line.

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Section 2.2: Game Structure

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Changed Rule2.2.1 "A bout or game is composed of 60 minutes of play divided into two periods of 30 minutes played between two teams." 4.0 only allows for bouts to be played as two periods of 30 minutes each, removing the previous option for them to be played as 3 periods of 20 minutes each.

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Section 2.4: Jams

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Clarified Rule2.4.4.1 "...Jammers are permitted to put on their helmet covers after the jam has started. However, each Jammer must have her helmet cover in hand before the jam starting whistle. A helmet cover cannot enter a jam in progress."
A jammer does not have to have her helmet cover on at the beginning of a jam, but must have it in hand to be considered the jammer (i.e., the cover cannot be given to the jammer after she's on the track and the jam has started.) The same rule is applied to pivots in rule 2.4.4.2 and stated standalone in rule 3.6.6.

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Section 2.5: Overtime

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Clarified Rule2.5.1 "...If the score remains tied, additional overtime jams will be played until the tie is broken. There is one minute between any additional overtime jams." Specifies that one minute elapses after every jam in overtime. This was not clear in the previous ruleset.

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Clarified Rule2.5.1.1 "If an overtime jam ends before two minutes for any reason, the bout ends immediately and the score stands. Additional jams can only be played if the score remains tied."
Specifies that an overtime jam that ends early is considered complete. Previous ruleset was not clear on whether an overtime jam had to run the full 2 minutes to be considered valid.

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Section 2.8: Clocks

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Added Rule2.8.2.4 "The official period clock must be highly visible to referees, teams and fans." Previously not required to be visible.

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Added Rule2.8.3.3 "The jam clock must be highly visible to referees, teams and fans."Previously not required to be visible.

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Clarified Rule2.8.4.3 "Players may request knowledge of how much penalty time they have remaining." Previous ruleset was silent on whether players were allowed to know.

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Section 3.6: Helmet Covers

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Clarified Rule3.6.1 - "A team’s helmet cover colors must meet the definition of high contrast beyond a reasonable doubt or the Head Referee shall request that the team use helmet covers that meet the definition. The Jammer and/or Pivot’s helmet cover colors are of high contrast if there is a large degree of visual difference between the star/stripe color and the base color of the cover such that the star/stripe color stands out from the base color."Adds definition of high contrast that was not in 3.1.

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Added Rule3.6.3. "All helmet covers used by one team must be of the same color scheme. E.g., a team cannot use black base and yellow star/stripe in one jam then yellow base and black stripe in the next jam, or mix color schemes in the same jam."Mixing color schemes was not addressed under 3.1.

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Section 4.1: The Pack

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Clarified Rule4.1.2 "When two or more groups of Blockers equal in number are on the track; are more than 10 feet from one another; and no single group meets the pack definition, no pack can be defined."The concept of "split pack" has been removed from 4.0 -- all situations in which there is no single defined pack are considered "no pack" situations.

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Section 4.2: Pre-Jam Positioning

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Changed Rule4.2.3 "Non-Pivot Blocker Starting Positions: Blockers line up behind the Pivots as demarked by the hips. If a Pivot is not on the Pivot line, Non-Pivot Blockers are not required to line up behind her."There is no longer any requirement for blockers to line up in two rows, though they must still line up with their hips behind any pivot on the starting line.

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Section 4.4: Starts

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Clarified Rule4.4.2 ... "Jammers may not be accelerating at the Jammer starting whistle. They are, however, permitted to be moving, coasting or braking." More specific discussion of what a jammer is allowed to be doing before the second whistle.

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Section 5.2: Contact Zones

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Clarified Rule5.2.3.4 "Mid and upper thigh" added to legal blocking zones.Updated to reflect zones already shown in previous versions of Blocking Zone Diagrams.

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Section 6.5: Out of Play Penalties

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Added Rule6.5.7 "Intentionally destroying the pack. If a player, team, or group of skaters intentionally destroys the pack with a conscious and orchestrated effort, one penalty will be applied to a single player who is most responsible (or the Pivot per Section 7.1.2 and 7.2.4)." Previously it was not illegal to create a no pack situation, but was illegal to fail to immediately reform after one was created. Now both actions are illegal. See 6.5.7.1 and 6.5.7.2 for examples.

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6.5.7.1 "Examples of intentionally destroying the pack, or creating a “no pack” situation, may include but are not limited to: one team running away, one team braking or coasting to fall more than 10ft behind the opposing team, a skater taking a knee, intentionally falling, or intentionally skating out of bounds in such a manner that the legally defined pack is destroyed."
Followup rule 6.5.13 would suggest that this would be a major penalty if it caused a jammer to score where she wouldn't have otherwise: "6.5.13: If the out of play action causes harm or has a measurable consequence for the game, it is treated as a major penalty."

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6.5.7.2 "Forcing an opponent down or out of bounds is NOT to be considered illegal destruction of the pack; however, players still must reform a pack immediately or be subject to out of play penalties per 6.5.4."

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Section 6.8: Cutting the Track

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Changed Rule6.8 "... Downed players that have re-entered the track are subject to applicable cutting the track penalties when they return to an in bounds, upright and skating position." In 3.1, cutting the track penalties were assigned "when any part of the returning skater's skates, body or equipment are touching the floor inside the track boundary."

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Changed Rule6.8.1 " Re-Entering behind the initiator of the block: "A skater may not return in bounds in front of the skater who blocked her out of bounds, except under the following circumstances where no penalty is to be issued: 6.8.1.2 - 6.8.1.4 When the initiating skater [goes out of bounds / downs herself or falls / exits the Engagement Zone] at any time after the initiating block." In 3.1, if a blocker knocked an opponent out of bounds but took herself out of play in doing so, the opponent would still have to enter behind that blocker if the blocker got back in play before the opponent returned from out of bounds. 4.0 updates to essentially say that once that blocker goes out of play in any manner after a block that takes an opponent out of bounds, she is no longer a consideration for a potential track cut by that opponent.

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Changed Rule6.8.2 "Straddling the Track Boundary Line ... Players are straddling the track boundary line when they are simultaneously touching both inside and outside the track boundary line. Straddling players are subject to cutting the track penalties when they are in bounds, upright and skating. "In 3.1, a straddling (partially out-of-bounds) player was supposed to be given a cutting track penalty immediately upon passing another skater; 4.0 states that no penalty is to be given until the skater is fully in-bounds.

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6.8.9 Minor penalty: "An upright player straddling the track boundary who passes one in-play player, and then ceases her out of bounds contact with the floor. "

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6.8.12 Major penalty: "An upright player straddling the track boundary who passes multiple in-play skaters, and then ceases her out of bounds contact with the floor."

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Section 6.12: Illegal Procedures

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Clarified Rule6.12.14 Major penalty for "Violations of the Passing the Star procedures ... the initiator of the star pass receives the penalty for the illegal star pass." Previous ruleset did not specify whether the original pivot or jammer received the major.

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Added Rule6.12.19 Major penalty for "a skater exiting the penalty box before her penalty time finishes" (not applicable if told to do so in error by an official.)

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Added Rule6.12.21 Major penalty for "removing required safety equipment."3.1 allowed for ref discretion as to whether to award a penalty for mouthguard removal -- this is now mandatory.

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Section 6.13: Misconduct and Gross Misconduct

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Added Rule6.13.6 Major misconduct penalty for "the use of obscene, profane, or abusive language or gestures directed at an official, mascot, or audience member."

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Added Rule6.13.7 Major misconduct penalty for "the excessive use of obscene, profane, or abusive language or gestures directed at an opposing player, manager, or coach."Note use of "excessive" here where it does not appear in 6.13.6.

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Added Rule6.13.10 Gross misconduct expulsion for "the repeated use of obscene, profane, or abusive language or gestures directed at an official, mascot, or audience member."

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Added Rule6.13.11 Gross misconduct expulsion for "the repetitive and excessive use of obscene, profane, or abusive language or gestures directed at an opposing player, manager, or coach.As in 6.13.7, the trigger is set slightly higher for members of the opposing team.

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Section 7.4 Both Jammers Penalized / Both Jammers Off The Track

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Changed Rule7.4: "Concurrent Jammer penalties shorten the penalty time of both Jammers. Both Jammers will serve the same exact amount of time before they are each allowed back into play. When the second Jammer is seated in the penalty box, the first Jammer, who has already been serving her time, is released back into play by the penalty box official. The exact amount of time the first Jammer served before she was released will be the exact amount of time the second Jammer will serve before she is released back into play." Replaces the previous procedure in which the penalized jammers would give their stars with players on the floor and become blockers in the next jam. This is the only situation in which a skater will sit out less than a minute when sent to the penalty box. Sub-rules of 7.4, listed below, specify what happens to the jammers in an number of slightly different scenarios.

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7.4.1 "If the first penalized Jammer is sent back to the box after being released from the penalty box while the second penalized Jammer is still serving her required time, the game will continue without a Jammer on the track for the duration of any penalty time that is required to be served."Under 2.1 to 3.1 ruleset, both jammers in the box caused a jam to be blown dead. This is no longer the case under 4.0.

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7.4.1.1 "If the jam clock expires with both Jammers in the box serving their required time, a new jam will begin without Jammers on the Jammer line. Both Jammers will return to play following completion of any required penalty time. They cannot enter the jam until the Jammer starting whistle." A jam can start with no jammers on the line (also possible via 7.4.3 below.)

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7.4.3 "If any jam ends with one Jammer in the box and the second Jammer on her way to the box after being sent off the track, the penalty time for the Jammer that is already in the box will end with the jam ending whistle. She will start the new jam from the penalty box as her team’s Jammer, and will be allowed to re-enter play behind the pack after the second whistle in the new jam. The second Jammer will begin the new jam in the box to serve her required time."

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7.4.5. "If one team’s Jammer does not make it on to the track in time to participate in the jam and during the course of that jam the opposing team’s Jammer is sent off for a penalty, the jam will be whistled dead when the penalized Jammer is seated in the penalty box. She will begin the new jam in the box, and the team that did not field a Jammer in the previous jam will be allowed to field a Jammer in the new jam."

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7.4.6 "With one Jammer already in the box, if the opposing team’s Jammer removes herself from the jam due to an injury, equipment failure, or because she has decided to quit, the jam will be whistled dead after it has been determined by the referee that she will not again be re-entering play. A new jam will be started with the penalized Jammer still in the box serving the remainder of her required penalty time, and the opposing team fielding a new Jammer."

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7.4.7 "If the first penalized Jammer has been ejected from the period or expelled from the game, when the second penalized Jammer is seated in the box the jam will be whistled dead. The first penalized Jammer’s team will field a new Jammer in the new jam, and the second Jammer will remain in the box at the start of the new jam and she will serve an amount of time equal to the first."

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7.4.8 "When a penalized Jammer is serving more than one consecutive minute in the penalty box, and the opposing Jammer arrives in the penalty box when the first penalized Jammer has more than a minute of penalty time remaining to serve, the arriving Jammer will be released back into play by the penalty box official immediately after she has taken her seat in the penalty box. The remaining penalty time of the first Jammer is reduced by one minute." [7.4.8.1] "If the opposing Jammer arrives during the timing of the final minute of the first penalized Jammer’s consecutive penalty minutes, normal rules apply to the second penalized Jammer."

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Section 7.5: Expulsion and Fouling Out

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Changed Rule7.5.1.1.1 "A player is ejected from the period for five penalty turns in the penalty box in that period."
Unlike the previous ruleset, 4.0 does not differentiate between time served for minors and majors for purposes of fouling out -- all turns served in the box count equally.

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Added Rule7.5.2.5 "Coaches and managers are held to the same standard of sportsmanlike behavior as players. If a coach or manager is expelled, that team’s Captain will serve a one minute penalty. However that penalty does not count towards the player’s penalty cap in Section 7.5.1." Coaches and managers could be expelled under previous rulesets, but the requirement for the team captain to serve a penalty if this happens is new in 4.0.

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Section 8.5: Scoring

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Clarified Rule8.4.6 "Points for opponents who have not yet been scored upon in an incomplete scoring pass by a penalized Jammer, who themselves are penalized while the Jammer is serving penalty time, will be awarded to the penalized Jammer upon her legal in bounds onto the track in the same jam. If the jam ends before the Jammer legally re-enters the track in bounds, points for those opponents will not be awarded." Intimated but not explicitly stated in previous ruleset. A jammer does not have to re-enter the pack after a penalty to pick up new penalty box points, only needs to legally re-enter the track.

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Section 9.1: Officials

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Added Rule9.1.1.1 "In tournament play each bout must have at least one WFTDA Certified Referee."This is the first time presence of a WFTDA Certified Referee has been required for tournament play; for non-tournament bouts, certification remains "highly encouraged" but not required.

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Added Rule9.2.1.1.3 "Referees do not warn teams when too many skaters line up on the track."
Previous rulesets were silent on whether teams would be warned about potential illegal procedures before a jam started.

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Added Rule9.2.1.1.4 "Referees do not warn players or teams when they line up out of position (e.g. Blockers lining up in front of the Pivot line)."

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Added Rule9.2.5.2 "Referees will ... [9.2.5.2.4] Exclusively use a player's team color and charter number for calling penalties on that player."Previous rulesets allowed for penalties to be called by name.

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Added Rule9.2.5.3 "Referees will not ... [9.2.5.3.1] Use officiating numbers or other abbreviations or systems outside of a player’s charter name and number and team color. "

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Added Rule9.2.6.1 "A referee may call off a jam for any of the following reasons ... [9.2.6.1.8] Too many skaters on the track. After the jam has started referees should expeditiously pull any extra skaters so that the jam does not have to be called off (See Section 9.2.6.2.6)."

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Added Rule9.2.6.2 "A referee must call off a jam for any of the following reasons ... [9.2.6.2.8] Too many skaters on the track that gives a team a competitive advantage."

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Added Rule9.2.7.1 The Head Referee may call a forfeit for the following reasons: [9.2.7.1.1] A team has five or fewer un-injured rostered skaters remaining due to expulsions. [9.2.7.1.2] A team refuses to field skaters on the track to continue play. This is the first time forfeit guidelines have been discussed in a WFTDA ruleset. Note that 9.2.7.1.1 specifies "expulsions" as the reason for a diminished roster. A referee does not have the option to call a forfeit if a team has been diminished to 5 or fewer via injury, penalty ejections, etc.

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Added Rule9.2.7.2 "The Head Referee must call a forfeit for the following reasons: [9.2.7.2.1] A team fails to show up to a WFTDA sanctioned bout or tournament. The Head Referee must make this decision in conjunction with WFTDA Game Committee Representatives. [9.2.7.2.2] A team elects to forfeit rather than continue play."

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Added Rule9.2.13 "Official Reviews must be requested before the following jam starts. Only the immediately preceding jam is subject to Official Review."Previous ruleset had no restrictions on which jams could be contested by an Official Review.

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Section 10: Protective Gear

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Changed Rule10.1.1 "Protective gear must be worn while skating in a jam, including to and from the penalty box. Failure to wear required protective gear or removal of protective gear, such as a mouth guard, will result in a penalty (see Section 6.12.22)."
In previous rulesets, referees had discretion on whether to assign a penalty for failure to wear required protective gear or removal of protective gear. This is now always an automatic major.

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Added Rule10.1.2.1 "Wrist guards, elbow pads, knee pads and helmets must have a hard protective shell or inserts." Adds detail not in previous ruleset.

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Added Rule10.1.3.1 "Chin guards, form fitting shields such as nose guards, turtle shell bras, tailbone protectors and shin guards may have a hard protective shell. No other optional protective gear may have hard protective shells." Adds detail not in previous ruleset.

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Added Rule10.1.3.2 "Non-form fitting face shields such as hockey style full face shields, half face shields or face cages are strictly prohibited."This prohibition did not appear in previous rulesets.

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