A roll with a revolving hollow cylinder which forms the working roll circumference, and a stationary crosshead penetrating said hollow cylinder lengthwise and leaving clearance all around to the inner circumference of the hollow cylinder in which the hollow cylinder can shift radially as a whole, e.g., can drop under its own weight on to the top side of the crosshead. A damping element is provided to damp this sinking movement before contact is made. It features a piston which plunges into a cylinder filled with hydraulic fluid and initially open to the top. During the plunging action, the hydraulic fluid is displaced out of the cylinder and flows away, in a throttled state, between the piston and the cylinder and/or through especially provided choke bores, so that the damping effect is attained.