Lesson #5: Safety gear, skates, and accessories¶
by Stephen Lorimor / Axis of Stevil
Last updated: January 9, 2019
Mandatory Safety gear¶
Required gear: helmet, elbow pads, knee pads, wrist guards, and mouthguard
Mouthguards are not required for referees
Skaters are not required to wear safety gear that provides no medical benefit
Example: a wristguard for a skater with a missing hand
Example: a mouthguard for a skater missing so many teeth it cannot be fitted properly
Helmet, elbow pads, knee pads, wrist guards
Must have a hard shell or insert
Partially cracked shells can be taped over
Fully cracked shells must be replaced and are not allowed
Loose velcro on pads or wrist guards must be taped down at the referee’s discretion.
Helmet
Cage-style face shields are not permitted
Visors are legal provided they are designed for use with the helmet
Visors must be transparent, meaning the wearer can be distinctly seen
Mirrored and iridium visors are not permitted
Visors must be fixed in place during game play (ie; not raised).
Helmet should have little play when moved side-to-side or front-to-back
Chin strap should not impede breathing but should be tight enough to prevent sliding
Straps should form a short V under the ear, not a long V under the neck.
Elbow pads / knee pads
Pads should be secure on the arm/leg when lightly tugged up and down
Pads should be properly centered over the elbow/knee, not overly high or low.
Elbow pads with a padded (not hard) shell are not allowed
This includes pads that are soft until impact (at which point they become a hard shell).
Wrist guards
When palms are up, the hard shells or insert may be on the top, bottom, or both.
Mouth guard
Trimming of mouth guard is allowed, but it must be in one piece.
Optional safety gear¶
May not have a hard shell
Padded shorts
Knee or ankle supports
May have a hard shell
Chin guards
Turtle shell bras
Shin guards
Tailbone protectors
Form-fitting face shields (ex: nose guard)
Skates, accessories, and casts¶
Skates must be quad-style skates. Players are not allowed to use in-line skates, although referees may use them.
Skates are not safety gear. They are entirely the purview of the skater.
Skates must be functional and intact. A jam may be called off or a skater may be ordered from a jam due to equipment failure at the referee’s discretion.
Toe stops are not required equipment.
Accessories are permitted so long as they have no sharp edges, internal wires, or anything capable of harming another skater.
Jewelry, belts, safety pins, spikes, or anything that might pose a hazard to other skaters are disallowed.
Casts are permitted if they do not pose a hazard to other skaters.
They do not require padding.
A wrist guard is not required over a cast that extends to the wrist.
Other rules and requirements¶
Roster numbers
May not be affixed to the uniform with safety pins (hazard) or tape (falls off)
Captains and alternates
The captain and alternate must sport a C (or A) on their uniform, clothing, or arm.
All off-skates personnel (NSOs, photographers, coaches, etc.) must wear closed-toed shoes
Exception: those beyond 15’ from the outside track line or behind a raised barrier.
A skater whose injury alters the flow of the game must sit out the next three jams.
This includes stopping the game clock, causing a jam to prematurely end, or requiring a substitution in the penalty box.
A second occurance from the same skater in a period requires they sit out the remainder of the period.