Roller Derby Leagues and Associations: WFTDA, MRDA, JRDA and the World Cups

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Innsbruck, Austria, July 2025: five tracks running at once inside the Olympiaworld arena, more than a thousand skaters from 48 teams, flags from every corner of the world, and a final where Team USA beat Australia 208–55. Ten months later, the men’s and open-gender game had its own World Cup in Orléans, France. And in a few days, sixteen of the best club teams on the planet meet in Malmö, Sweden. Roller derby’s big stage is surprisingly big, yet almost every one of those skaters started at a local league’s beginner night. This guide to roller derby leagues and associations covers who’s who: the WFTDA, MRDA and JRDA, the World Cups, USA Roller Sports and World Skate, and how to find and join a league near you.

For how the game itself works, start at our roller derby hub or the roller derby rules page.

WFTDA: Women’s Flat Track Derby Association

The WFTDA is the international governing body of women’s flat track roller derby and, as of 2026, represents more than 400 member leagues on 6 continents. It began in 2004 as the United Leagues Coalition and became the WFTDA in 2005. It’s a nonprofit run democratically by its member leagues, with an elected volunteer board.

• The rules: the WFTDA writes The Rules of Flat Track Roller Derby, which the MRDA and junior derby also build on.
• Who plays: the WFTDA’s gender statement welcomes any individual of a marginalized gender, including cis, trans, intersex and gender-expansive women and nonbinary skaters, and says it won’t set “minimum standards of femininity.”
• Minimum skills: charter skaters in sanctioned games must pass the WFTDA Minimum Skills Requirements, including 27 laps in five minutes, and a rules test.
• Age: the WFTDA says most leagues require skaters to be at least 18, and some 21, depending on league policy, local law and insurance.
• Insurance: WFTDA Insurance offers coverage for adult and junior leagues; junior coverage requires background checks for all adults working with the league.

The WFTDA postseason

WFTDA rankings send teams to regional championships in Latin America, North America (playoffs in several cities), Europe and Oceania. The top teams advance to the WFTDA Championships: in 2026, October 15–18 at Baltiska Hallen in Malmö, Sweden, hosted by Crime City Rollers, with 16 teams. It’s the club-level world title of women’s flat track derby.

MRDA: Men’s Roller Derby Association

The MRDA describes itself as a worldwide nonprofit network of over 40 open-gender roller derby teams, with a goal of fostering “community, inclusion, camaraderie and competition for all.” It began in 2007 as the Men’s Derby Coalition, a group of three clubs, and took the MRDA name in 2011. That same year, with the WFTDA’s permission, it released a gender-neutral version of the WFTDA rules, so MRDA and WFTDA games are played the same way. Member teams are in North America, Europe and Australia. Membership brings umbrella insurance (with insurance reciprocity with the WFTDA) and a path to the annual North American and European playoffs and the MRDA Championship.

The Roller Derby World Cups

National teams meet at two World Cups, one for women’s and gender-expansive derby and one for men’s and open-gender derby.

Roller Derby World Cup	Host	Teams	Winner
2011	Toronto, Canada	13	United States
2014	Dallas, USA	30	United States
2018	Manchester, England	38	United States
2025	Innsbruck, Austria	48	United States

The Roller Derby World Cup started in Toronto in 2011. It was first organized by Blood & Thunder magazine and is now run by a Roller Derby World Cup Committee. The 2025 edition, July 3–6 at Olympiaworld in Innsbruck and hosted by the local Fearless Bruisers league, was the biggest yet: 48 teams, 80 games on five tracks, over 1,000 skaters and crews, and 6,000 tickets sold. It was also the first with “borderless” teams such as Black Diaspora and Fuego Latino. Team USA won its fourth straight title, 208–55 over Australia, and England beat France 149–49 for bronze.

The Men’s Roller Derby World Cup, endorsed by the MRDA, was held in Birmingham, England (2014), Calgary, Canada (2016) and Barcelona, Spain (2018), all won by the USA. The 2026 edition ran from April 30 to May 3 in Orléans, France, at the Palais des Sports, and tournament reports have host France beating the USA in the final for its first title.

JRDA: Junior Roller Derby Association

The JRDA works with junior roller derby leagues in the United States to manage the sport’s development for youth, and collaborates with junior organizations in other countries. It covers skaters up to 18 and plays The Rules of Flat Track Roller Derby, JRDA Edition, with three skill levels:

• Level 1: no contact between skaters.
• Level 2: light contact made without accelerating.
• Level 3: full contact, including contact made while accelerating.

Skaters pass written and physical assessments to move up. Member leagues show proof of accident insurance for all players, coaches and officials, and every JRDA volunteer completes the CDC HEADS UP concussion course, renewed every two years. Many junior programs are run by an adult league; Detroit’s, for example, takes skaters 7 to 17. More in our junior roller derby guide for parents.

USA Roller Sports and World Skate

USA Roller Sports (USARS) is the national governing body for competitive roller sports in the United States, recognized by World Skate and the US Olympic & Paralympic Committee, and roller derby is one of its disciplines alongside speed, artistic, hockey and extreme roller sports. It’s based in Lincoln, Nebraska.

World Skate, which traces back to the Fédération Internationale de Roller Sports founded in Montreux, Switzerland, in 1924, is the international federation for roller sports and skateboarding. Roller derby is one of the 12 sports at its World Skate Games, which in 2026 are in Asunción, Paraguay, in October; the 2024 Games in Italy drew 10,800 athletes and staff from 90 countries. Roller derby isn’t on the Olympic program; skateboarding is World Skate’s only Olympic sport.

Finding and joining a local league

This is where almost everyone starts. Search for roller derby in your city, check the WFTDA and MRDA member lists, or ask at your local rink. A few things to know:

• Beginner intakes. Most leagues run “fresh meat” or “rookie” programs that teach skating, falls and stops before any contact. You don’t need to be able to skate to sign up.
• Costs. Expect league dues and skater insurance, and ask whether the league lends skates and pads for the first sessions.
• Teams within a league. Bigger leagues have a travel (charter) team that plays sanctioned games, B teams, home teams and recreational sessions for skaters who don’t want to compete.
• Not just skaters. Leagues need referees, non-skating officials, coaches, announcers and volunteers. Officiating is a great way into the sport if you’d rather not hit.
• Skater-run. Many leagues are run by their members, so joining often means helping on a committee too.

You’ll want your own protective gear within a few weeks: a certified helmet, wrist guards, elbow and knee pads, and a mouthguard. The Impala Quad Skate is a common first pair, with aluminum trucks and plate, 58 mm 82A wheels and ABEC 7 bearings (about $97 in October 2026), and the Triple Eight Saver Series 3-Pack covers knees, elbows and wrists in one box (about $50). Once you’re sure derby is for you, many skaters move to a sturdier skate such as the Riedell R3 (about $199). See our roller derby gear page.

Your first scrimmage or tournament

• Know the rules. WFTDA charter skaters pass a rules test; everyone benefits from reading our rules page.
• Check your gear the night before: helmet straps, pad Velcro, wheels and toe stops tight, mouthguard in the bag.
• Pack food and water. Tournament days are long; our bout day page has the timeline.
• Plan the day after: sleep, food and easy movement. Our roller derby recovery page has the routine.

After a tournament weekend, many skaters reach for a foam roller such as the TriggerPoint GRID 1.0 (about $40) or a small massage gun like the Hypervolt Go 3 (about $149); see our massage gun guide. They’re for comfort, not treatment. Interested in rink, artistic or speed skating instead? Our roller skating section covers USARS competition in those disciplines.

Roller derby leagues and associations FAQs

What is the WFTDA?

The Women’s Flat Track Derby Association, the international governing body of women’s flat track roller derby. It writes the rules most of the sport uses and, as of 2026, represents more than 400 member leagues on 6 continents.

Is there men’s roller derby?

Yes. The Men’s Roller Derby Association governs men’s and open-gender flat track derby with over 40 teams, plays a gender-neutral version of the WFTDA rules, and holds playoffs, a championship and the Men’s Roller Derby World Cup.

Who has won the Roller Derby World Cup?

The United States has won all four editions (2011, 2014, 2018 and 2025). In 2025 in Innsbruck, Team USA beat Australia 208–55 in the final.

Is there roller derby for kids?

Yes. The Junior Roller Derby Association works with junior leagues in the US for skaters up to 18, with three levels from no contact to full contact. Many adult leagues run a junior program.

How old do you have to be to join an adult roller derby league?

The WFTDA says most leagues require skaters to be at least 18 and some require 21, depending on league policy, local law and insurance. Ask your local league.

Is roller derby in the Olympics?

No. Roller derby is part of World Skate and is played at the World Skate Games, but skateboarding is the only World Skate sport on the Olympic program.