Amateur roller derby leagues are those in which players are not normally paid to skate. They typically consist of enthusiasts with no connection to the sponsored, televised revivals of the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. As of 2006, most such leagues skate on flat tracks, are owned by women, and consist exclusively of all-female teams.

Professional roller derby leagues are those in which players are normally paid to skate. They typically consist of a small number of teams that compete in, at most, a few exhibition bouts per year, almost exclusively on banked tracks. Their management and members often include promoters and players who were involved in the sponsored, televised revivals of the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.