Learning the rules
Other than reading the full WFTDA rulebook (which I have only read half of myself so far), here are a few other things I'd recommend doing to try and retain an understanding of why you're getting a specific penalty and how to develop your understanding of tactics:
Roller Derby TestO'matic - this gives you multiple choice style questions to answer about the different rules you may encounter playing derby. What is great about this is you can also download the APP to do it anywhere :) The test has been updated with the new rules (2013), however I think it is still missing some of the Dec 2014 changes so be aware of that. You can always read the rules change summaries though to catch up on these.
One of the refs in our league finds the the Cat mode to be quite fun, which gives you a happy cat if you answer correctly and a sad cat if you get it wrong.
Another thing I find useful is watching the WFTDA TV archives of old games. This can be a bit more interesting that answering questions - but it is still sometimes hard to see what is going on without some at least initial understanding of the basics. But once you understand the basics this can allows you to see them applied in action. You can also find games of other teams on YouTube - just pay attention to when the game was held as older games are played using different versions of the rules set (with the biggest recent change happening at the start of 2013).
Getting your refs to explain things to you can also be really helpful. I try to do this if I'm confused about why I get called on a penalty. Getting things wrong then making sure I understand why really helps me learn to (eventually) do it less. When talking to refs and asking for their help try to keep in mind how hard their job is and how under appreciated they are i.e. be appreciative of their help.
Giving reffing a go yourself can actually add dynamics to your understanding of derby as a whole and give you an idea of what how rules work in action. I found this particularly useful for my own understanding of pack definition and what the engagement zone actually looks like from the refs point of view.
Roller Derby TestO'matic - this gives you multiple choice style questions to answer about the different rules you may encounter playing derby. What is great about this is you can also download the APP to do it anywhere :) The test has been updated with the new rules (2013), however I think it is still missing some of the Dec 2014 changes so be aware of that. You can always read the rules change summaries though to catch up on these.
One of the refs in our league finds the the Cat mode to be quite fun, which gives you a happy cat if you answer correctly and a sad cat if you get it wrong.
Another thing I find useful is watching the WFTDA TV archives of old games. This can be a bit more interesting that answering questions - but it is still sometimes hard to see what is going on without some at least initial understanding of the basics. But once you understand the basics this can allows you to see them applied in action. You can also find games of other teams on YouTube - just pay attention to when the game was held as older games are played using different versions of the rules set (with the biggest recent change happening at the start of 2013).
Getting your refs to explain things to you can also be really helpful. I try to do this if I'm confused about why I get called on a penalty. Getting things wrong then making sure I understand why really helps me learn to (eventually) do it less. When talking to refs and asking for their help try to keep in mind how hard their job is and how under appreciated they are i.e. be appreciative of their help.
Giving reffing a go yourself can actually add dynamics to your understanding of derby as a whole and give you an idea of what how rules work in action. I found this particularly useful for my own understanding of pack definition and what the engagement zone actually looks like from the refs point of view.