Roller Derby - Refs and NSOs
The Refs and NSOs, without whom, bouts couldn't happen.
Like skaters, as your skill and knowledge increases the demand on your time gets greater. Many Refs and NSOs, like skaters, put in many hours of time and dedication to help improve the sport, travelling thousands of miles each year to make sure events happen, either locally for their own league or at international events. The World Cup in Manchester, England, welcomed Refs and NSOs from all over the world to staff the crews to make sure each bout was properly staffed and ran to time, no mean feat when you have four tracks on the go and you are relying entirely on volunteers.
Without them the sport could not function and like teams, a certain camaraderie is built up between the officials, many attending the same tournaments, building up their specific skill set.
Some of the officials are ex-skaters, wanting to keep involvement once they have retired, but many just do it for the love of the sport and the community it has built.
The first all-female ref crew for an MRDA sanctioned bout in the UK, 2016
NSO at tattoo Freeze, 2014
NSO at Tattoo Freeze checking that everything is in order
The Enforcer, ref for the Leeds Roller Dolls
NSO at the Roller Derby World Cup, flown in from Australia
NSOs having fun
Cherry Fury at the first Roller Derby World Cup
Announcers for the London Rollergirls
Quadrigez announcing on the 'Live stream' at the London/Gotham bout
X-Con Vick, ref for Leeds Roller Dolls
Cherry Fury and Toxic Pink Stuff NSOing at a Leeds Roller Dolls bout with El Toupe (announcer) in the background
Cherry Fury and Fluke Skywalker strike a pose before the London/Gotham bout
A ref composes themself at half-time
Checking the final scores at the end of a bout
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