The Big Questions

It's the heart of the tournament, and it's never been done in roller derby before. After the draft, you play teams with a similar win/loss record. Every time your team wins, the winning captain chooses two players from each team to swap between the two rosters. That constant remixing is what makes it Tokyo Switch.

No — and here's the honest truth: getting switched is a compliment, not a punishment. A captain picks you because you make a team better. Here's why every kind of skater comes out ahead under the Switch:

• ▸Elite skaters get the challenge they've aways wanted. They'll get pushed increasingly as the tournament goes on.
• ▸Developing skaters get more play time, more responsibility and get to learn lessons from AA skaters and implement them in later bouts with skaters at their level!
• ▸Skaters who've never had to lead suddenly get the chance to step up once the more experienced skaters start moving around
• ▸Everyone makes more friends — the more you move, the more of the derby family you actually skate with.
• ▸You can lose all five of your games and still end up in the championship.

So if you get switched off a winning team, wear it with pride — you earned the move.

Every skater registers into one pool. Captains apply ahead of time and draft their starting rosters using the self-ratings, play style, and notes you fill out when you sign up. From there, the Switch keeps the rosters evolving all weekend long.

Think you'd make a great captain? Apply on the Captains page.

Yes — it's one of the wildest quirks of the format. Because the Switch keeps moving players between teams, your weekend isn't defined by any single team's record. (Full championship-qualification details will be posted right here.)

Every skater's $120 entry covers:

• ▸6 games
• ▸Your tournament jersey
• ▸A ticket to The Meat Ball — our Saturday-night dance & awards ceremony

Easter Weekend 2027 — Friday, March 26 through Sunday, March 28, wrapping up by 4 PM Sunday — in Kansas City. We're finalizing the exact venue and will post it here the moment it's locked in.

Our Saturday-night blowout — a dance and awards ceremony to celebrate the weekend together. Your ticket is included with registration.

We make a collectible trading card for every single skater. The derby name, number, stats, photo, and details you submit during registration are exactly what end up on yours.

Yes. The Switch is built to help developing skaters grow — you'll get real playing time and improve fast alongside rotating teammates. (Any minimum-skills requirements will be listed here.)

Venmo is our main method — send your $120 to @meettobeat and put your derby name in the payment note so we can match it to you. No Venmo? Reach out and we'll get you a PayPal option.

Yes. You can get a refund — minus the ~3% transaction fee Venmo charges us — up until January 1, 2027. After that, you can transfer your spot to another skater and arrange reimbursement with them privately.

Please do — officials and volunteers make the whole weekend run, and you're every bit as much a part of the tournament family. Sign up on the Volunteer page.

Standard, safety-legal derby gear is required — helmet, mouthguard, and knee, elbow, and wrist protection. The full breakdown — both official rulesets, our tournament-specific rules, and how the bracket works — lives on the Rules page.