False start?

[kornable]

it is generally accepted that being in the process of taking a step over the line AT the jammer start whistle isn't considered accelerating AT the jammer start whistle.

[Bratty Cardia]

The end-of-jam whistle is four short tweets, and the jam ends on the fourth one of those. Is it too much to assume by analogy that the second tweet of the Jammer start whistle is when the Jammers are allowed to start accelerating past the line? I ask this because I see a lot of Jammers start stepping at the first tweet and I've been all kinds of unsure as to whether this would count as a false start, because they are accelerating at the moment of the second tweet.

You'd think the term "Jammer Start Whistle" would be enough, but my confusion remains...

[The Gorram Reaver]

The end-of-jam whistle is four short tweets, and the jam ends on the fourth one of those. Is it too much to assume by analogy that the second tweet of the Jammer start whistle is when the Jammers are allowed to start accelerating past the line? I ask this because I see a lot of Jammers start stepping at the first tweet and I've been all kinds of unsure as to whether this would count as a false start, because they are accelerating at the moment of the second tweet.

You'd think the term "Jammer Start Whistle" would be enough, but my confusion remains...

Exactly the opposite.  The jam runs until the end (fourth whistle) of the Jam Ending Signal.  The Jammers are released at the beginning (first whistle) of the Jammer Start Whistle.  Start at the beginning, end at the end.

[Black Adder]

The end-of-jam whistle is four short tweets, and the jam ends on the fourth one of those. Is it too much to assume by analogy that the second tweet of the Jammer start whistle is when the Jammers are allowed to start accelerating past the line? I ask this because I see a lot of Jammers start stepping at the first tweet and I've been all kinds of unsure as to whether this would count as a false start, because they are accelerating at the moment of the second tweet.

You'd think the term "Jammer Start Whistle" would be enough, but my confusion remains...

Exactly the opposite.  The jam runs until the end (fourth whistle) of the Jam Ending Signal.  The Jammers are released at the beginning (first whistle) of the Jammer Start Whistle.  Start at the beginning, end at the end.

Those first jammer start whistles should be so close together it shouldn't really make a difference.

[Stegoscorus]

Also, I wouldn't consider stepping necessarily accelerating.  The "no accelerating" rule was put in place to keep Jammers from starting way behind the Jammer line and racing up to it in order to cross the line at full speed.

[Riff Reff]

Let me get more specific:
No Pack start. Jammer is on the line. Refs call "No Pack". Jammer takes off and the jammer whistle sounds just before Jammer touches the track beyond the Jammer line. Is that a false start?

[The Gorram Reaver]

Let me get more specific:
No Pack start. Jammer is on the line. Refs call "No Pack". Jammer takes off and the jammer whistle sounds just before Jammer touches the track beyond the Jammer line. Is that a false start?

If she is on her first step (not taking a running start) and no part of her person or equipment touches the floor forward of the Jammer line before the Jammer whistle sounds, no, it is not a false start.

[Riff Reff]

If she is on her first step (not taking a running start) and no part of her person or equipment touches the floor forward of the Jammer line before the Jammer whistle sounds, no, it is not a false start.

Awesome. That's comprehensible! Thanks!

[Megapickle]

If she is on her first step (not taking a running start) and no part of her person or equipment touches the floor forward of the Jammer line before the Jammer whistle sounds, no, it is not a false start.

This IS definitely how it's currently being called, but I find the reasoning utterly incomprehensible. The first step is when the vast majority of the acceleration (="increase of speed") happens, and that's what's explicitly disallowed by 4.4.2.

Can anyone think of another sport in which players are allowed to step or jump forward (but not touch the ground) before their 'start' signal? I'm curious, because I'd like to read the wording of such a rule, to get a proper suggestion into the WFTDA pipeline.

[J. Ref K.]

Deja vu...

Actually, there's an old clarification that "stepping" isn't "accelerating". It got taken down at the last rules update, annoyingly, but it's still how the rule is called. (You're thinking "How can stepping not be accelerating?" The answer is "Because WFTDA said so. And eat your vegetables".)

Agreed, taking that Q&A down is just plain annoying. This point is *not* clear in the rules themselves, and completely deserves this clarification, especially since their answer defies the physical definition of "accelerating":

WFTDA Rule/Clarification:

Question:
Does a Jammer jumping or stepping from a standstill over the Jammer line, but not touching the floor beyond this line, qualify as “accelerating” for the purposes of determining false start?
Answer:
No. To be accelerating, a skater needs to be running or skating. Stepping or jumping from a standstill is not accelerating, and is not to be penalized.

(Found here: http://www.zebrahuddle.com/index.php?topic=9.0, or at http://web.archive.org/. These obsolete documents are potentially dangerous, but as Bang said, this particular one is still in application.)

[FNZebra]

Can anyone think of another sport in which players are allowed to step or jump forward (but not touch the ground) before their 'start' signal? I'm curious, because I'd like to read the wording of such a rule, to get a proper suggestion into the WFTDA pipeline.

In-bounding the ball in basketball. The player passing the ball is permitted to be moving forward, as long as no part of their feet are touching in-bounds.

Honestly, the skaters have already decided they like this, the refs know how to call it (yes, the physics of acceleration/deceleration has been mentioned numerous times by both parties over the years), so attempts at invoking change elsewhere are faaaaarrrrr more likely to bear fruit.

[mick hawkins]

If she is on her first step (not taking a running start) and no part of her person or equipment touches the floor forward of the Jammer line before the Jammer whistle sounds, no, it is not a false start.

This IS definitely how it's currently being called, but I find the reasoning utterly incomprehensible. The first step is when the vast majority of the acceleration (="increase of speed") happens, and that's what's explicitly disallowed by 4.4.2.

Can anyone think of another sport in which players are allowed to step or jump forward (but not touch the ground) before their 'start' signal? I'm curious, because I'd like to read the wording of such a rule, to get a proper suggestion into the WFTDA pipeline.

The first time I watched American football, I couldn't believe they could score (touchdown) just by getting the ball over the line IN THE AIR. It doesn't need to touch the ground. It made no sense.

Football in this part of the world requires the ball to be grounded to score.

Different sports are... well... different.

[Eject You Later]

The first time I watched American football, I couldn't believe they could score (touchdown) just by getting the ball over the line IN THE AIR. It doesn't need to touch the ground. It made no sense.

That is not entirely accurate.  You can't just throw it over the line.  It has to be in the possession of someone air born breaking the plane of the end zone, or caught within the end zone.  Or just run across the goal line as well.

[mick hawkins]

Oh I know that  
You can't throw the ball over the goal line in League either.


Thinking more about the starts in Derby, I much prefer that skaters can move, step, whatever, before the whistle.
This is so much better than in swimming or athletics when everyone must be stationary and a false start is awarded for starting/moving before the whistle.

Story on athletics starts

[Rowan De Boate]

Soccer and Afl, both do not require the ball being grounded over the line, just over (according to that codes rules) the line.