Copied from the rollerderby yahoo group.. Interesting read,, had to share
Posted by: "bitchesbruze"
bbruze@gmail.com bitchesbruze
Mon Nov 7, 2011 6:58 am (PST)
There is a process of taking a knee which can lead to a split pack that is being employed if a team's initial jam start strategy is leading to a stalemate and they want to get the jam going. The whys and wherefores of that will take a few more keystrokes, but envision that you've decided to play to own the back wall, and so has your opponent. Now the jam start whistle has blown, but neither team wants to get across that pivot line because it will give up the rear. The period clock is only running down to the advantage of the team that's ahead, so the team that's behind now really needs to get the jammers released.
So long as there is a pack by definition, as long as a skater taking a knee wouldn't destroy the pack, there is no penalty for taking a knee for any reason.
So the strategy goes thusly:
Some number of skaters from the team that wants to get the jammers released kneel, while their teammate(s) remain upright, in play, and part of the pack. The remaining skaters from the kneeling team then skate forward <10' in front of their opponents. Now there is no pack and both teams - the ones that skated forward AND the ones who refused to skate forward AND the ones on the floor - are responsible for reforming the pack, which will happen as soon as the kneeling skaters stand. In the meantime, the referees will have called "no pack" and the jammer start whistle will have blown.
I can't explain to you why taking a knee to destroy a pack versus skating forward to destroy the pack is any more illegal, except that's how this is being called. I guess, with skating, both the skating forward and the not skating forward teams are equally responsible for pack destruction as a pace has not been set, but kneeling cannot be an established pace, therefore kneeling to destroy the pack is not allowed.
What this strategy does is it legally splits the pack skaters to get the jam started while positionally not (necessarily) giving up the back by all blockers from one team skating forward.
Hope that helps "clear things up."
Bitches Bruze
Pioneer Valley Roller Derby