Prior to the creation of World Skate in September 2017, the championship was administrated by the Comité International Roller In-Line Hockey (CIRILH), an organization and discipline of Fédération Internationale de Roller Sports (FIRS).

The structure established at the inaugural tournament featured all teams participating in a round-robin stage, followed by single elimination games to determine the champion.

The United States won the tournament a further three times before in 1999 they were beaten by Switzerland in the gold medal game.

The United States went on to win the first edition of the tournament after beating the Czech Republic in the final.

No ties were permitted in medal competitions and were determined by sudden death overtime periods.

When the total team entry made it necessary to use a modified "round robin," teams would be seeded into two or more pools so that each pool would have "equal" strength which was based on their final placement at the previous year's World Championships.

The pre-quarterfinals (if required), quarterfinals, semifinals and final games of medal round competition were conducted as single elimination matches.

When championship round robin play consisted of 3 pools, 12 teams qualify and pre-quarterfinals were required.

If a tie exists between pools, the second place team with the lowest average goals-allowed per game in round robin play would draw the bye.

Where possible, rematches of round robin pool opponents would be avoided in pre-quarterfinal and quarterfinal matches.

Those games would take place in increments of two, three or four team units based upon their equivalent round robin pool rankings.

That procedure of layered competition would be repeated until all teams from the round robin that are no longer competing for championship medals had been placed.

Starting in 2006, when the number of teams entered into the World Championships makes it necessary to use modified round robin pool play, teams will be seeded into pools based on their final placement at the previous year's FIRS World Championships.

The teams finishing one through eight placements will be named to be in Group 1 and arranged therein by two pools of four each, according to serpentine positioning.

National teams that enter the World Championship that did not compete in the previous year will be arranged in alphabetical order according to the English spelling of the country's name and added to the serpentine of Group 2, which continues until all teams are assigned to a pool.