Roller Derby Contact May Soon Become Legal In Maine

A panel of Maine lawmakers has advanced a bill that would end a ban on physical contact during roller derby.

The Legislative Council voted on Thursday to accept the bill into the second session that begins in January.

A prohibition on contact in roller derby was adopted in 1991 in an apparent attempt to limit the rink owners' liability and shift it to skaters. Leagues have continued to operate across the state, with many forming the past 15 years, but without official sanction of physical contact between players.

Opponents say the issue lies within a provision of the law stating that skaters attempting to overtake other skaters must do it in a manner that avoids colliding with other skaters or objects.

The Aroostook Roller Derby League is a major proponent of the sport in northern Maine and will be entering their third year of operations in January.

Roller derby is a nearly 100 year-old sport which saw resurgences in the 1970's and again in recent years.