The Women's Flat Track Derby Association Division 1 (WFTDA Division 1) is the highest level of play in women's flat track roller derby.
Organisation
The division consists of the 36 highest-ranked members of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association, based on performance over the previous year, who compete across three Playoff tournaments with 12 teams at each Playoff.
Historically, the WFTDA instead operated four regions: East, North Central, South Central and West. At the start of 2013, these were redivided into three divisions, each operating worldwide. However, foreseeing continued growth in membership, the WFTDA stated that future developments were likely to include new regional structures alongside the divisional system. Through 2016, under the original divisional system, Division 1 comprised the top 40 eligible teams, with the next 20 eligible teams qualifying for Division 2 Playoffs.
Teams in Division 1 play in bouts through the year, aiming to qualify for one of the three Division 1 Playoffs. Starting with 2015, sanctioned-game play requirements were modified to be simply any 4 WFTDA-sanctioned games played between December 1 of the previous calendar year and June 30, without a requirement to play a certain number of games against similarly-ranked opponents. Teams which do not play a minimum number of sanctioned bouts are not permitted to compete at the Playoffs. The next 16-ranked teams as of June of the calendar year remain eligible for Division 2 Playoffs.
Member leagues
The 2017 Division 1 member list was announced by the WFTDA on July 14. Two teams that were in the top 36 on June 30 - #23 Adelaide Roller Derby of Adelaide, Australia, and #26 Team United Women's Roller Derby of Des Moines, Iowa - did not meet gameplay requirements to qualify for WFTDA Playoffs. Two eligible leagues, #31 Rocky Mountain Rollergirls of Denver, Colorado and #33 Blue Ridge Rollergirls of Asheville, North Carolina both declined, and this allowed teams as low as #40 Wasatch Roller Derby to participate. As a result, the table below features 38 teams, including the two that declined participating in the 2017 Division 1 Playoffs.
Notes
Past members
The initial Division 1 membership list for 2013 was based upon the team's rankings as of June 30, 2012. The 2014 Division 1 membership list was announced on 9 December 2013, based on the overall rankings that took effect as of 30 November 2013. The same methodology was employed in 2014, and membership of Division 1 that year mostly comprised teams from the United States, but also Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom. Eight teams which were original members dropped out of Division 1 membership at the conclusion of the 2013 WFTDA season. Since then, additional teams have dropped out of Division 1.
Starting in 2015, division assignments were announced based on June 30 rankings, and in-division gameplay requirements were removed. As the annual June 30 rankings now determines Playoff position, and as the divisional definition is only used for playoff assignments, the rankings as of June 30, 2016 determine Division 1 membership. Membership includes all teams that are eligible for Division 1 Playoffs, even if a team declines their invitation to Playoffs, as well as teams ranked beyond the usual Division 1 cutoff who are invited due to higher-ranked teams not competing. Teams that do not meet minimum gameplay requirements are ineligible to receive a Playoffs invitation and therefore not included as Division 1 members. In 2016 Division 1 also included members from Finland and Sweden.
Notes
Division 1 Playoffs
Prior to 2015, teams in Division 1 played in bouts through the year, aiming to qualify for one of the four Division 1 Playoffs. Each Playoff includes ten teams. However, Division 1 teams are not guaranteed a playoff spot, as teams in lower divisions can qualify by being ranked among the top forty WFTDA members. Additionally, teams which do not play a minimum number of sanctioned bouts are not permitted to compete at the Playoffs, with Division 1 teams required to play at least 4 WFTDA-sanctioned bouts following the previous year's championship and the current year's June 30, with at least 3 of those being against other D1 teams.
After 2015, in-division gameplay requirements for playoff consideration were dropped, leaving the June 30 rankings as the sole determinant of division eligibility.