
PRESS RELEASE:
Tampa Bay Derby Darlins qualify for Women’s Flat Track Derby Association Playoffs
AUSTIN, TEXAS – The Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) announces that the Tampa Bay Derby Darlins earned a spot in the 2011 WFTDA South Central Region Playoffs. The top ten teams in the WFTDA South Central Region will head to Kansas City, Missouri, Sept. 30 to Oct. 2 to compete for one of three spots in the 2011 WFTDA Championships. The WFTDA South Central Region includes 27 teams hailing from a region that spans the southern states, from Florida and Georgia west to New Mexico, and extends as far north as Nebraska.
The South Central Region Playoffs, nicknamed “Show Me Der-B-Q” this year, are expected to attract thousands of roller derby players and fans to watch some of the best action the sport has to offer. Fans wishing to cheer on the Tampa Bay Derby Darlins can find ticketing and other information at http://showmederbq.com.
To make it to the Playoffs, the Tampa Bay Derby Darlins first had to earn a top 10 ranking within the South Central Region. WFTDA members vote on rankings quarterly, based on the results of a team’s bouts against other WFTDA teams. Second quarter rankings are used to determine tournament eligibility. As the 6th-seeded team in the tournament, the Tampa Bay Derby Darlins will first play the 3rd seed, Nashville Rollergirls, on Friday, Sept. 30, and will play at least three games over the course of the three-day, multi-level tournament.
The top three finishers at each of the four WFTDA playoff tournaments will advance to compete for the championship title. Consolation brackets for teams that don’t advance in the Playoffs will help determine future rankings within the South Central Region. For more information on the WFTDA “Big 5” tournaments, see http://wftda.com/The-Big-5.
About Tampa Bay Derby Darlins
The Tampa Bay Derby Darlins (TBDD) roller derby league was established in 2005 and is an active member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) as well as the first league in Florida to qualify for WFTDA membership. TBDD has been an exciting force in the Tampa Bay community both on the track and off. The league consists of three intra-league teams (Cigar City Mafia, Switchblade Sisters, Black Widows), a training recruitment program, a developmental practice squad, the Tampa Tantrums (all-star team), and the Tampa Bay Bruise Crew (B team). Within the community, TBDD has been working closely with Big Cat Rescue, The Springs Domestic Violence Center, Lowry Park Zoo, The Ronald McDonald House, Arthritis Foundation, Florida Blood Services, the Heart Gallery, and many more not-for-profit organizations.