My 1st NSO Role : Line-up Tracker

Roller Derby isn't all about the skaters. You have lots of people who help out who aren't on skates (although, most of them are usually Derby skaters who just aren't playing in that bout) and these people are called NSOs or Non-Skating Officials. It is their job to record what is going on throughout the game whether it be score-keeping, timing, penalty tracking, etc. I've heard it described rather poetically - "The skaters are the people creating the story but somebody needs to be able to write it down".

My first NSO role was Line-up Tracker Assistant at a closed-door bout (not open to the public) and it was my job to assist the Line-up Trackers who have to record the skaters who line up to play each jam and to keep track of when they get sent to the penalty box, etc. I was very nervous as this was my first time at any kind of NSOing but as I was just an assistant, there wasn't too much pressure. The Head NSO came over to explain to me and the two Line-up trackers what we needed to do and we were then given a few minutes to go over it in our heads before the game started.

Unfortunately, one of the Line-up trackers was unable to make the game, so it was my turn to step up. I was terrified; during the time before the game a few people had come up to me and mentioned that I had one of the hardest NSO roles but then I told them I was an assistant and they said that wouldn't be too bad then. However, I now wasn't just the assistant, I was an actual Line-up Tracker. I was a little excited, though, as I do get some thrill from being thrown in at the deep end and, as it was a closed-door bout, it didn't matter too much if it went a little bit awry. I held tightly on the my clipboard while the other Line-Up Tracker quickly went over what I had to do. I felt ready.

It was handy that I was tracking my own team so I knew some of the players already which made recording their numbers a lot easier. Even so, the 30 seconds of line-up went super quickly and I'd missed a couple of players. I also had to keep track of the other teams Jammer in order to record laps but a couple of my team members had been sent off so I was getting in a muddle! Fortunately, the other Line-up Tracker helped me out and told me that was a very complicated start for me. As the game went on, I got in to the rhythm of it and, apart from a couple of illegal Star Passes, I was able to record the game pretty accurately!

Hooray! I'd successfully done my first ever NSO role and I'd loved it!