New Skater? Start Here.

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PACK
READY.

The complete beginner's guide for new roller derby skaters. Every skill, every rule, and every gear decision you need: from your first practice to the skills test. Written by skaters. Built for real life.

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99
Pages of content
33
Skills test skills covered
4
Printable appendices
Available Now
★ ★ ★
PACK READY
The Complete Roller Derby Starter Guide
◆ ◆ ◆
Gear  ·  Skills  ·  Rules  ·  Culture  ·  Skills Test
99 pages  ·  Instant PDF download
Printable & mobile-optimized
$34.99
The Guide

99 pages.
Nothing missing.

Every question a new derby skater has, answered in plain language with real specifics. No fluff, no filler.

1
Welcome to the Pack
Why derby, the skater mindset, and who this guide is for
2
Gearing Up
Required gear, skate selection, budget tiers, and fitting guides
3
Finding Your League
How to find a league, what to look for, first practice prep
4
Learning to Skate
Week by week guide to stance, stops, falls, crossovers, and transitions.
5
Understanding the Game
Rules, positions, scoring, penalties, and strategy
6
The Minimum Skills Test
Every skill rated by difficulty, with drills and test-day tips
7
Training Smart
Off-skates conditioning, injury prevention, 12-week plan
8
Derby Culture
History, inclusivity, derby names, and the emotional arc
9
Your Derby Journey
What comes next, milestone setting, and a closing note
+
5 Printable Appendices
Minimum skills checklist, glossary, gear guide, resources, derby name worksheet
Pack Ready Guide · Section 6
Section 6 · Minimum Skills
The Plow Stop
Difficulty ★★★☆☆
33
Min. Skills
35+
Glossary terms
12
Week plan
Pro Tip
Practice your plow stop off-skates first. Stand pigeon-toed, push knees outward against resistance. Your inner thighs are doing more work than you think.
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Welcome back,
Crash Bandicoot
LEVEL 3 · BLOCKER
Skills Test Readiness 62%
Plow Stop
★★★★★
T-Stop
★★★★☆
180° Transition
★★☆☆☆
27-in-5 Endurance
★★★☆☆
360° Transition
Not started
🏅
First Fall
⚡
27 Club
🎯
Stop Squad
🔒
Locked
Coming Soon

Track it.
Know it.

The Pack Ready app makes your Minimum Skills journey visible. "I think I'm getting better" isn't the same as knowing. This is how you know.

📋
Minimum Skills Tracker
All 33 skills in one place. Mark progress, rate confidence, leave notes. Tracks both sides of asymmetric skills.
⚡
Gamified Progress
Earn XP, unlock badges, hit streak goals, and level up from Freshie to Jammer. Long training blocks are easier when you can see where you started.
📅
Practice Log
Log every session, tag the skills you worked on, and watch your training history build over time.
📚
Learn Section
Rules quizzes, skill lessons, the full derby glossary, and coaching tips from experienced skaters.
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Free Rules Quiz

How well do you
know the game?

15 scenario-based questions across three categories. Find out where your rules knowledge is solid and where to study before you hit the track.

★ Fresh Meat Basics: gear, penalties, re-entry rules
★ Pack Awareness: No Pack, Out of Play, engagement zone
★ Jammer Strategy: scoring, Lead Jammer, Star Pass
★ Plain-language feedback on every wrong answer
Take the Bout Simulator →
Category 1
FRESH MEAT BASICS
5 questions · gear, penalties, track re-entry
🛼
Category 2
PACK AWARENESS
5 questions · No Pack, Out of Play, engagement zone
📍
Category 3
JAMMER STRATEGY
5 questions · Lead Jammer, Star Pass, Power Jam
⭐
See your category scores and study targets →
Free Tool

Find your derby name.

Four questions. Five name ideas. Built around who you actually are, not just what sounds aggressive.

Step 1 of 4

What's your first name?

Used for phonetic matching and alliteration. Skip this if you want to start from scratch.

Appendix E of the Pack Ready guide is a full derby name worksheet: formulas, number pairing ideas, and a step-by-step naming system. Get the guide →

No Sugarcoating

What nobody tells you first.

Every sport has a version of this. Derby's version is just unusually honest once you're in. Here's what the recruitment flyer leaves out.

💸

THE REAL COST

Starter gear runs $200–$400 before you hit your first practice. Once you're rostered, add league dues ($30–$80/month), travel costs for away bouts, insurance fees, and the reality that wheels wear out.

A realistic first-year total lands somewhere between $800 and $1,500. Budget for it before you fall in love with the sport. You will fall in love with the sport.

⏰

THE TIME COMMITMENT

Two to three practices a week is standard. That's not counting NSO (Non-Skating Official) duties, committee work, or mandatory volunteer hours that most leagues require from all members.

Derby runs on volunteer labor. If you join, you're part of that. Most skaters find it worth it, but go in knowing it's a serious commitment, not a single class.

📉

THE DROPOUT ZONE

Weeks three through six is when most fresh meat quit. You're past the novelty high, your body is sore, veteran skaters look impossibly good, and imposter syndrome is at its loudest.

Falling is data, not failure. Every bad practice is practice. The skaters who look effortless now looked exactly like you six months ago. Stay through week six.

🏁

THE POST-FRESH MEAT LIMBO

Passing your skills assessment (MSR) doesn't mean you're immediately on a team. Most leagues have a draft process. You may wait months, skate non-contact scrimmages, or join a B team before getting rostered.

Use the limbo period. It's when you get real game time without pressure. Most skaters look back on it as some of their best skating.

Pack Ready covers all of this in detail: the costs, the timeline, the mental side, and what to do when it gets hard. Because it will get hard.

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Who It's For

Sound like you?

Pack Ready was built for people at the start of the journey, whatever that looks like. Most beginners don't know what they don't know yet. This fixes that.

🌱
The Total Newbie
Never been on skates, maybe never played a sport. You have a thousand questions and no idea where to start. Start here.
💪
The Fitness Curious
You want a workout that doesn't feel like punishment. Derby qualifies, but it's a sport first. Know what you're getting into.
🤝
The Plus-One
You showed up to be supportive. Now you're genuinely considering it. That's exactly how most skaters start.
↩️
The Returning Skater
You used to skate. You've been away. The muscle memory is still in there, but the gear prices are not what you remember.
From the Pack

What skaters say.

★★★★★

I had so many questions before my first practice and couldn't find a single resource that answered all of them. Pack Ready is genuinely everything I needed in one place. The minimum skills breakdown alone is worth the price.

S
Sylvia Wrath
★★★★★

The 27-in-5 section is a total cheat code. I'd been dreading that test for months. The pacing strategy and off-skates conditioning plan actually made it feel achievable. Passed it on my second attempt. Sent it to everyone in my fresh meat cohort.

T
Torque Tornado
★★★★★

I came from zero athletic background and was convinced derby wasn't for me. This guide convinced me otherwise. The culture section especially made me feel like I actually belonged before I'd even laced up my skates.

S
Slamantha Fox
App Waitlist

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Pricing

Simple. Honest. Worth it.

No subscriptions required to get started. Just buy the guide and go.

The Guide
$35 one-time

The complete 99-page PDF guide. Instant download, yours forever.

✓ 99 pages of beginner content
✓ Full minimum skills breakdown (33 skills)
✓ Gear buying guide with budgets
✓ 12-week training plan
✓ Printable skill checklist
✓ Derby glossary A-Z
✓App access (not included)
Get the Guide
Most Popular
Bundle
$135 separately
$100 save $35

The guide plus a full year of app access when it launches. The complete Pack Ready experience.

✓ Everything in The Guide
✓ 1 year of app access
✓ Minimum skills tracker (33 skills)
✓ Gamification: XP, badges, levels
✓ Practice log
✓ Learn section with quizzes
✓ Priority early access to app
Get Bundle (Coming Soon)
App Only
$13 /month

App access for skaters who already have the guide or just want the tracker and tools.

✓ Full minimum skills tracker
✓ Gamification system
✓ Practice log
✓ Learn section
✓ Rules quizzes
✓ Cancel any time
✓Guide not included
Join Waitlist

App pricing is for when the app launches. Get on the waitlist to lock in your early-bird rate.

Got questions?

I've never skated before. Is this too advanced? +
The guide starts from scratch. Section 2 assumes zero gear knowledge. Section 4 starts with how to stand in skates. If you've never been on wheels in your life, this was written for you specifically.
Is the guide designed for women only? +
Absolutely not. Derby is for everyone. Pack Ready reflects the full inclusivity of the sport, including WFTDA's gender-inclusive policies, the MRDA (Men's Roller Derby Association), and the Open Division. If you skate, this guide is for you.
Do I need to join a league to use this? +
Nope. The guide is designed for skaters at every stage, including those still figuring out if derby is for them. That said, Section 3 will help you find and evaluate a league when you're ready.
How much does roller derby actually cost? +
More than most people expect. Starter gear runs $200–$400. Once you're rostered, add league dues ($30–$80/month), travel to away bouts, insurance, and replacement gear as it wears out. A realistic first-year total is $800–$1,500. The guide has a full cost breakdown in Section 2, plus tips on buying used gear safely.
How long does fresh meat usually take? +
Anywhere from 2 to 6 months depending on your league's schedule and how often you can train. Some leagues run fresh meat as a structured program with a fixed end date. Others are more open-ended. The guide covers what to expect at each stage so you're not guessing how far along you are.
Is the WFTDA Minimum Skills Requirement (MSR) still required? +
WFTDA removed the Minimum Skills Requirement (MSR) as a mandatory standard in 2020 and replaced it with a more flexible framework called "This is Roller Derby." Many leagues still use the 2017 MSR as a benchmark. The guide covers both frameworks so you're prepared either way.
How do I get the guide after purchase? +
Instant PDF download via Gumroad. Once you complete your purchase you'll receive a download link immediately. The PDF is optimized for both screen reading and printing.
When does the app launch? +
The app is in active development. Join the waitlist above to get notified first and lock in an early-bird rate when we go live.
Ready?

Your pack
is waiting.

Every skater who made it through fresh meat started with one decision to show up. This is yours.

Get the Guide · $34.99 Join the App Waitlist