2x4 Roller Derby (also Dos por cuatro: /ˌˈdɒs ˈpɒr ˈkwæˈtrɒ/) is a women's flat track roller derby league based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Founded in 2010, the league consists of three teams that play against each other: Bully Chicks, Cowgirls From Hell and Bloody Furias. It is also represented by three travel teams (Team Osom, Lxs Pibxs and Team C) that play against travel teams from other leagues.

2x4 Roller Derby
League logo
Metro areaBuenos Aires
CountryArgentina
Founded2010
TeamsTeam Osom (A team)
Lxs Pibxs (B team)
Team C (C team)
Bully Chicks
Cowgirls From Hell
Bloody Furias
Track type(s)Flat
VenueChacabuco Park
AffiliationsWFTDA
Websitewww.2x4rollerderby.com.ar

The name 2x4 is a reference to Tango, the typical music genre of Buenos Aires. In technical terms, Tango has binary form (theme and chorus) and a quadruple compass, so in Argentina it is known as "the two by four" (in Spanish: "dos por cuatro").[1] Hence, 2x4 Roller Derby.

2x4 Roller Derby is a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA),[2] and as of October 2019, ranked 10th in the world as per WFTDA rankings.[3]

In 2019, 2x4 became the first team from Latin America to qualify for WFTDA Championships.[4]

History

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The league was founded in June 2010 as Roller Derby Argentina, but was soon renamed as the Bully Chicks Roller Derby, then by the end of the year as 2x4 Roller Derby. Bully Chicks was re-used as the name of one of its home teams, representing the city centre.[5]

It is the first roller derby league in Argentina, and when the Argentina All Stars team was created to play in the 2011 Roller Derby World Cup, most of its skaters belonged to the league. The rest of the national squad were skaters based in the United States.[6]

In April 2013, the league was accepted as a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association Apprentice Program.[7] In February 2016, it was promoted to be a WFTDA Class C member,[8] becoming the first WFTDA full member of Argentina.

Team Osom

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In August 2016, Team Osom visited the United States for the first time to play sanctioned bouts, so as to appear in the WFTDA rankings. In October 2016, WFTDA announced its September 30 rankings, where 2x4 Roller Derby debuted in 40th place,[9] meaning a Division 1 debut.

In September 2017, Team Osom became the first Latin American team to participate in the WFTDA Division 1 Playoffs.[10]

In September 2019, they also became the first Latin American team to qualify for WFTDA Championships.[4]

2016

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Season tour: Midwest Road Trip

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During August 2016, Team Osom made their first tour in the United States playing WFTDA sanctioned games to become officially ranked. During the tour they visited Lincoln, Nebraska, Kansas City, Missouri and Oklahoma City. The first bout of the tour was a sanctioned game against No Coast Derby Girls (ranked 25th[11]) for a 176-143 loss.[12] It was the first time in the recorded history of the travel team to have ever lost a game.[13]

In all, Team Osom played three sanctioned games and one Strength Factor Challenge[14] game:

Source: WFTDA[15]
Rival Rank Pts for Pts against GP earned
No Coast Derby Girls 25th 143 176 451.86[16]
Kansas City Roller Warriors 50th 159 140 406.81[17]
Arch Rival Roller Derby 8th 76 340 SFC[18]
Oklahoma City Roller Derby 100th 324 48 402.39[19]

The final game of the tour was the last WFTDA sanctioned bout of the Oklahoma City travel team,[20] which merged with Oklahoma Victory Dolls on January 3, 2017.[21]

As a result of the games played during this tour, 2x4 Roller Derby debuted in 40th place[9] of the WFTDA rankings, meaning a Division 1 debut.

2017

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Season tour: The Big O Tournament 2017

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Following its debut in Division 1, Team Osom received invitations to notable roller derby tournaments, and settled for the early-season Division 1 classic, The Big O Tournament, a roller derby invitational hosted by Emerald City Roller Girls of Eugene, Oregon. During the event, Team Osom played three sanctioned games:

Source: WFTDA[15]
Rival Rank Pts for Pts against GP earned
Boulder County Bombers 57th 273 88 535.41
Windy City Rollers 38th 145 150 439.42[22]
Helsinki Roller Derby 16th 113 203 432.33[23]

The highlight of the tournament was the game against Windy City Rollers, which was described as a "nail biter" by the press.[24] This game would eventually be praised, a rematch be expected and eventually fulfilled in the 2017 WFTDA Division 1 Playoffs.[25] Lula Zan was voted the MVP of Team Osom by its rivals,[26] and was invited to play the MVP Game against Team USA. Team Osom's coach was invited as guest coach for the MVP Team.[27]

Postseason: WFTDA Playoffs (Seattle)

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In 2017, 2×4 Roller Derby qualified for WFTDA Division 1 Playoffs for the first time as the eighth seed in Seattle, Washington, and won their opening game against Windy City Rollers, 178-135.[28] They were then eliminated from the medals by a 360-80 loss to the Rose City Rollers,[29] and finished their weekend by winning their consolation game against Ann Arbor Roller Derby 255-105.[30]

2018

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Season tour: Euro Tour

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As most of the skaters of Team Osom also played for Team Argentina, the league decided to coordinate sanctioned games around the dates of the Roller Derby World Cup in Manchester so as to save costs of travel. They scheduled six sanctioned games in total in this tour (for before the World Cup, and two after). These games, added to those played by Team Argentina in the World Cup, meant that many of the skaters played a total of 13 games in a span of just 13 days.[31]

Source: WFTDA[15]
Rival Rank Pts for Pts against GP earned
Rainy City Roller Derby 12th 126 132 722.30[32]
Auld Reekie Roller Derby 68th 316 53 688.52[33]
Dublin Roller Derby 49th 242 64 647.71[34]
Middlesbrough Roller Derby 60th 375 51 736.80[35]
Paris Rollergirls 43rd 182 78 623.70[36]
Bear City Roller Derby 39th 201 193 420.88[37]

By the end of the 2018 regular season, Team Osom settled in the 18th place[38] of the WFTDA Rankings and earned a spot in the postseason Division 1 Playoffs.[39]

Postseason: WFTDA Playoffs (A Coruña)

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In 2018, the team qualified for WFTDA Playoffs as the seventh seed[39] in A Coruña, Spain, and opened their weekend by defeating Sailor City Rollers (10th seed) - also from Buenos Aires - by a score of 210-53.[40] Upon losing the quarterfinals against Angel City Derby 125-218,[41] 2×4 ended their weekend with a 208-172 victory over Helsinki Roller Derby in the consolation round, a very much expected rematch of the 2017 season game at The Big O.[42]

2019

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Season tour: Monsoon Madness

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Team Osom toured Arizona and California for their 2019 regular season games. They participated in the Monsoon Madness Tournament hosted by Arizona Roller Derby, and played an extra game outside the event against Bay Area Derby.

Source: WFTDA[15]
Rival Rank Pts for Pts against GP earned
Rat City Roller Derby 18th 106 90 807.08[43]
Arizona Roller Derby 26th 122 101 686.66[44]
Dallas Derby Devils 39th 295 26 952.09[45]
Bay Area Derby 21st 176 134 748.86[46]

This tour resulted in Team Osom securing an invitation to the 2019 International WFTDA Playoffs as a fourth seed and with a first round bye.[47]

Postseason: WFTDA Playoffs (Winston-Salem)

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In 2019, 2×4 participated in the WFTDA Playoffs as the fourth seed[47] in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, with a first round bye. They played their first game in the quarterfinals against twelfth-seeded Paris Rollergirls in a rematch from their 2018 season European game.[48] Upon winning the round, they lost to Texas Rollergirls 143-58 in the semifinals.[49] They finished the tournament by winning the bronze medal against Rainy City Roller Derby, another rematch from the European tour, with a 172-109 victory.[50] 2×4 Roller Derby thus qualified for the 2019 WFTDA Championships, becoming the first Latin-American team to do so.[4]

WFTDA Rankings

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Season Final ranking[51] Playoffs Championship
2016 40 WFTDA[52] DNQ DNQ
2017 21 WFTDA[53] CR D1[30] DNQ
2018 15 WFTDA[54] CR[42] DNQ
  • CR = consolation round

Other titles

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Competitions outside WFTDA postseason
Year Location Competition Team Standing
2012 Buenos Aires Torneo Violentango 1 Team Osom 1st
2013 Bogotá Torneo Latinoamericano Team Osom 1st
2013 Buenos Aires Torneo Violentango 2 Team Osom 1st
2014 Buenos Aires Torneo Violentango 3 Team Osom 1st
2015 Sao Paulo Torneo Latinoamericano Team Osom 1st
2015 Buenos Aires Torneo Violentango 4 Team Osom 1st
2017 Buenos Aires Torneo Violentango 5 Team Osom 1st
2017 Ushuaia Patagonia Rebelde Team C 1st

References

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  1. ^ Di Pasqua, Damián (2011). "La imagen del Tango. Identidad, marca y valor del 2x4". Reflexión Académica en Diseño y Comunicación. XV. Buenos Aires, Argentina: Universidad de Palermo: 216. ISSN 1668-1673.
  2. ^ "2 x 4 Roller Derby – WFTDA". wftda.com. WFTDA. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
  3. ^ Watson, Michael. "Current International WFTDA Rankings". WFTDA Stats Home. Retrieved 2019-10-15.
  4. ^ a b c Straw, Deanna GW (9 September 2019). "Sunday Recap: More Upsets in the Final Games of the 2019 International WFTDA Playoffs: Winston Salem". WFTDA. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
  5. ^ "Nuestra Historia Archived 2014-06-05 at the Wayback Machine", 2x4 Roller Derby (in Spanish)
  6. ^ "Team Argentina-Roller Derby World Cup 2011", Scottish Roller Derby Blog, 12 October 2011
  7. ^ "WFTDA Welcomes 16 Apprentice Members Archived 2013-09-02 at the Wayback Machine", WFTDA, 26 April 2013
  8. ^ "WFTDA Welcomes 26 New Member Leagues - Latest News - Women's Flat Track Derby Association". www.wftda.com. Archived from the original on 2016-01-26. Retrieved 2016-05-04.
  9. ^ a b "Rankings: September 30, 2016 – WFTDA". wftda.com. 30 September 2016. Retrieved 2017-01-25.
  10. ^ "Seattle – WFTDA". wftda.com. Archived from the original on 2017-10-19. Retrieved 2017-10-18.
  11. ^ "Rankings: June 30, 2016 – WFTDA". wftda.com. July 2016. Retrieved 2017-01-25.
  12. ^ "8/5/16: 2x4 (143) @ No Coast (176) | Roller Derby Stats & Rankings | Flat Track Stats". flattrackstats.com. Retrieved 2017-01-25.
  13. ^ "2x4 Roller Derby | Roller Derby Stats & Rankings | Flat Track Stats". flattrackstats.com. Retrieved 2017-01-25.
  14. ^ "Strength Factor Challenge (SFC) Program – WFTDA". wftda.com. Archived from the original on 2017-02-02. Retrieved 2017-01-25.
  15. ^ a b c d Watson, Michael. "Sanctioned Results". WFTDA Stats Home. Retrieved 2019-09-11.
  16. ^ Watson, Michael. "No Coast 176 vs 143 2 x 4 on 05 Aug 2016". WFTDA Stats Home. Retrieved 2019-09-11.
  17. ^ Watson, Michael. "Kansas City 140 vs 159 2 x 4 on 06 Aug 2016". WFTDA Stats Home. Retrieved 2019-09-11.
  18. ^ Watson, Michael. "2 x 4 76 vs 340 Arch Rival on 06 Aug 2016". WFTDA Stats Home. Retrieved 2019-09-11.
  19. ^ Watson, Michael. "OK City 48 vs 324 2 x 4 on 10 Aug 2016". WFTDA Stats Home. Retrieved 2019-09-11.
  20. ^ "Oklahoma City Roller Derby | Roller Derby Stats & Rankings | Flat Track Stats". flattrackstats.com. Retrieved 2017-01-25.
  21. ^ "Oklahoma City, OK – Oklahoma City Roller... - Oklahoma City Roller Derby | Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2017-01-25.
  22. ^ Watson, Michael. "Windy City 150 vs 145 2 x 4 on 06 May 2017". WFTDA Stats Home. Retrieved 2019-09-11.
  23. ^ Watson, Michael. "Helsinki 203 vs 113 2 x 4 on 07 May 2017". WFTDA Stats Home. Retrieved 2019-09-11.
  24. ^ Prime (2017-06-09). "FOOTAGE: The 2x4/Windy City Nail Biter (FIRST HALF)". The Apex. Retrieved 2017-10-17.
  25. ^ "9/1/17: Windy City (135) @ 2x4 (178) | Roller Derby Stats & Rankings | Flat Track Stats". flattrackstats.com. Retrieved 2017-10-17.
  26. ^ "2017 Big O MVPs". Big O Tournament. Archived from the original on 2017-10-18. Retrieved 2017-10-17.
  27. ^ Emerald City Roller Derby (2017-05-07), Big O 2017: Big O Women's MVPs vs. USA Roller Derby [Women's Exhibition] (T1G19), retrieved 2017-10-17
  28. ^ Deadwards, Lisa (1 September 2017). "D1S: #8 2x4 takes revenge on #9 Windy City, 178-135". Derby Central. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  29. ^ Deadwards, Lisa (2 September 2017). "D1S: #1 Rose City stops #8 2x4, 360-80". Derby Central. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  30. ^ a b Deadwards, Lisa (3 September 2017). "D1S: #8 2x4 muscles past #10 Ann Arbor, 255-105". Derby Central. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  31. ^ Apex, The (2018-01-23). "2x4 and Team Argentina to Embark on the Most Ambitious Trip in the History of Roller Derby 🇦🇷". Medium. Retrieved 2019-09-11.
  32. ^ Watson, Michael. "Rainy City 132 vs 126 2 x 4 on 25 Jan 2018". WFTDA Stats Home. Retrieved 2019-09-11.
  33. ^ Watson, Michael. "2 x 4 316 vs 53 Auld Reekie on 27 Jan 2018". WFTDA Stats Home. Retrieved 2019-09-11.
  34. ^ Watson, Michael. "Dublin 64 vs 242 2 x 4 on 27 Jan 2018". WFTDA Stats Home. Retrieved 2019-09-11.
  35. ^ Watson, Michael. "Middlesbrough 51 vs 375 2 x 4 on 30 Jan 2018". WFTDA Stats Home. Retrieved 2019-09-11.
  36. ^ Watson, Michael. "Paris 78 vs 182 2 x 4 on 06 Feb 2018". WFTDA Stats Home. Retrieved 2019-09-11.
  37. ^ Watson, Michael. "Bear City 193 vs 201 2 x 4 on 07 Feb 2018". WFTDA Stats Home. Retrieved 2019-09-11.
  38. ^ Watson, Michael. "Current International WFTDA Rankings". WFTDA Stats Home. Retrieved 2019-09-12.
  39. ^ a b "A Coruña". WFTDA. Retrieved 2019-09-11.
  40. ^ "2018 Playoffs A Coruña Game 4: 2×4 vs. Sailor City – WFTDA". wftda.com. WFTDA. 31 August 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
  41. ^ Watson, Michael. "Angel City 218 vs 125 2 x 4 on 01 Sep 2018". WFTDA Stats Home. Retrieved 2019-09-11.
  42. ^ a b "2018 Playoffs A Coruña Game 14: Helsinki vs. 2×4 Roller Derby – WFTDA". wftda.com. WFTDA. 2 September 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
  43. ^ Watson, Michael. "Rat City 90 vs 106 2 x 4 on 01 Jun 2019". WFTDA Stats Home. Retrieved 2019-09-11.
  44. ^ Watson, Michael. "Arizona 101 vs 122 2 x 4 on 02 Jun 2019". WFTDA Stats Home. Retrieved 2019-09-11.
  45. ^ Watson, Michael. "Dallas 26 vs 295 2 x 4 on 02 Jun 2019". WFTDA Stats Home. Retrieved 2019-09-11.
  46. ^ Watson, Michael. "Bay Area 134 vs 176 2 x 4 on 05 Jun 2019". WFTDA Stats Home. Retrieved 2019-09-11.
  47. ^ a b "2019 International WFTDA Playoffs: Winston-Salem". WFTDA. Retrieved 2019-09-11.
  48. ^ Watson, Michael. "Paris 78 vs 182 2 x 4 on 06 Feb 2018". WFTDA Stats Home. Retrieved 2019-09-11.
  49. ^ Watson, Michael. "Texas 143 vs 58 2 x 4 on 07 Sep 2019". WFTDA Stats Home. Retrieved 2019-09-11.
  50. ^ Watson, Michael. "Rainy City 109 vs 172 2 x 4 on 08 Sep 2019". WFTDA Stats Home. Retrieved 2019-09-11.
  51. ^ "Current Rankings", WFTDA
  52. ^ "Rankings: December 31, 2016 – WFTDA". wftda.com. WFTDA. 6 January 2017. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
  53. ^ "Rankings: December 31, 2017 – WFTDA". wftda.com. WFTDA. 5 January 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  54. ^ "Rankings: December 31, 2018 – WFTDA". wftda.com. WFTDA. 7 January 2019. Retrieved 11 January 2019.