Join as an Official

The first thing you need to know is that we take pride in knowing and loving the game of Roller Derby, and as such, the Officials of Dublin Roller Derby aim to provide consistent, fair, and high-level officiating for home and visiting teams in Dublin and across Ireland… while still having the craic!

Roller Derby requires two types of Officials working together to facilitate the game:

Skating Officials (Referees), who are on skates
Non-Skating Officials, who are off-skates

We welcome all humans who want to join the officials crew, and will greet you with open and professionally placed arms (with your consent of course)!

However, here are some questions to consider before applying to DRD:

Have you read the rules? We’d expect you to have a basic level of understanding for the Rules of Roller Derby (at the very least, a quick read) and that you would continue to update your knowledge of the game as you develop into a full fledge official. (don’t panic, we’re here to help you every step of the way!).
If you want to be a Referee: Can you skate? If not, are you willing to learn with Dublin Roller Derby Learn to Skate, before you begin referee training? We’d also expect that you strive to improve your skating skills to a high level.
Do you have the time? Officials are expected to attend weekly Sunday scrimmages and bi-monthly weekday scrimmages. New officials will also be expected to attend in-class training sessions.
Do you have the patience? Are you willing to wait, until you’re ready, to officiate an open game?
Do you like to travel? While you can always stay local if that’s your preference, Officials looking to up their game will typically travel across Ireland, and internationally, to crew intraleague games, multi-game events, or tournaments.
Do you love Roller Derby? Can you dedicate much of your time and energy to working with DRD and the Officials Committee to strengthen our programme, build our reputation, and contribute to the quality of officiating that Dublin aim to provide?

Being an official is more than just showing up. Being an official is hard work, and requires patience.

Before you contact us:
Take a few moments to understand what’s in store, and what will be expected of you should you become part of DRDs crew of officials:

Have a look over the Rules: Rules knowledge is essential. Please visit https://rules.wftda.com to gain some understanding around rules of Roller Derby.

Familiarise Yourself with the Standard Procedures: If you would like to learn more about the roles and responsibilities of officiating and what is involved please visit:

https://resources.wftda.org/officiating/

Watch a Game: There are a ton of games online in the WFTDA.tv archives; see how much you understand the game and what the officials are doing: https://wftda.tv/featured-categories/

NEXT STEPS
Skating
If you’re brand new to roller derby and wish to learn how to skate, please contact: learntoskate@dublinrollerderby.com

Dublin Roller Derby run several intakes on the Learn to Skate course each year. We also have an Introduction to Roller Derby course which will help you learn more about the sport (if you're already comfortable on skates). For more information, please visit http://www.dublinrollerderby.com/join-drd/

Non-Skating
Everyone is welcome to participate as an NSO (even if you’re not part of the league). We recommend you NSO even if you’re planning on becoming a referee.

Contact us
If you wish to start your journey to officiating and you: