Ringette

Gameplay and rules

The objective of ringette is to score more goals than the opposing team by shooting a blue rubber ring into a net identical to an ice hockey goal, measuring 6 by 4 feet. Teams consist of six skaters on the ice at one time: one centre, two forwards, two defenders, and one goaltender. Play is governed by a distinct set of rules that prioritise skill, speed, and strategy over physical contact. Intentional body contact is prohibited, with penalties for body checking and boarding, while stick checking is the only permitted method to dispossess an opponent. The sport uses a 30-second shot clock at most competitive levels to maintain a high tempo of play and prevent deliberate stalling. Games at the recreational level are typically played in two 24-minute halves, while elite competitions like the National Ringette League and World Ringette Championships feature four 13-minute quarters.

Several key rules fundamentally shape ringette's flow and differentiate it from ice hockey. There are no offside or icing infractions in ringette. Instead, the blue line rule requires players to pass the ring over each blue line to a teammate, prohibiting a skater from carrying it across themselves. Play is restarted after stoppages with a free pass taken from one of five circles on the rink, where only the player taking the pass is allowed inside the circle. The player taking the free pass has five seconds after the whistle to pass or shoot and must not exit the circle or cross its bisecting line before doing so. Each end zone features a free play zone, also called the extended zone, where only three players from each team are permitted at one time, or a 'four in' violation is called.

The goaltender is the only player allowed to handle the ring with their hands, but they must do so from within their goal crease, an area only they may enter, and they have five seconds to throw, push, or pass the ring to another player after making a save. If the shot clock expires during play, possession is awarded to the goaltender. An exception to the three-player rule in the free play zone exists when the defending team is serving a penalty. The attacking team may then pull its goaltender and send in an extra attacker, allowing four players in the zone without a violation. Sticks may not be raised above shoulder height, and high-sticking is penalized. The stick check must be an upward sweeping motion to lift the ring or the opponent's stick.

Playing surface and equipment

Ringette is played on a standard Canadian ice hockey rink, typically measuring 85 by 200 feet, with specific modifications to its markings. The rink is augmented with five free pass circles, each with a bisecting line, including one at centre ice and two in each end zone. Additional markings include four free-pass dots in each end zone, two free-pass dots in the centre zone, and a semi-circular goal crease area. Most notably, two free play lines, one in each end zone, demarcate the extended zones. Ice hockey markings like hash marks and face-off dots are not used. European ice hockey rinks used for ringette may be slightly larger than the Canadian standard. The essential piece of equipment is the ring itself, a blue, hollow, rubber pneumatic torus with an official diameter of 16.5 centimetres designed for play on ice.

Player equipment is similar to ice hockey but includes ringette-specific items. All players must wear ice hockey skates, a helmet with a certified ringette facemask, a neck guard, shin pads, elbow pads, gloves, a protective girdle, ankle-length ringette pants, a jersey, and a pelvic protector. Shoulder pads are mandatory for most players up to the junior level (ages 14-15), after which they become optional. The ringette stick is straight with a tapered end and a metal or plastic drag tip designed with grooves to increase lift and shot velocity. Sticks are reinforced to bear a player's weight when leaning on it to protect the ring. Ringette facemasks, such as the traditional North American wire cage, feature triangular bars to prevent a stick tip from entering, and half-visors are illegal.

Goaltenders use equipment comparable to ice hockey goalies, including leg pads, goalie skates, a goalie stick, and a blocker. They must wear a ringette-approved helmet and facemask combination, a throat protector, chest and arm protectors, pants, and genital protection. For their glove hand, goalies may use an ice hockey trapper, a blocker, a player's glove, a lacrosse glove, or a specialized ringette goalie trapper known as the Keely glove, named for former national team goalie Keely Brown who helped design it. A custom prosthetic version of the Keely glove has been developed for a one-handed goalie. Practice variants of the ring include the smaller, open-disk Turbo ring, first designed in Canada in 1997, which is safe for shooting on goalies and comes in high-visibility colours, and the solid orange sponge ring used for gym ringette.

History and development in Canada

Ringette was conceived in 1963 by Sam Jacks of North Bay, Ontario, following his earlier creation in 1936 of a floor hockey variant that used bladeless sticks and a flat felt disk. The sport was developed as a civic recreation project for girls under the auspices of the Northern Ontario Recreation Directors Association (NORDA) and the Society of Directors of Municipal Recreation of Ontario (SDMRO), due to a documented lack of growth and acceptance of existing winter team sports for girls like ice hockey and broomball. Red McCarthy of Espanola, Ontario, developed the sport's first set of rules, and the inaugural game was played in Espanola in the fall of 1963 between girls from Espanola High School who had played ice hockey. The idea was first introduced at a NORDA general meeting in Sudbury, Ontario, in January 1963.

NORDA presented McCarthy's rules to the SDMRO on May 31, 1965, which published them for the 1965-66 season. The sport quickly spread to other Northern Ontario communities in the winter of 1964-65. The SDMRO developed and organized the sport on a larger scale, leading to the formation of the Ontario Ringette Association in 1969 as the first provincial governing body. It was founded with a provincial government grant of $229.27 and represented 1,500 players in 14 locations. The sport was introduced to Manitoba in 1967, and the province's first team, the Wildwood, was formed in Fort Garry, Winnipeg, in 1969. Ringette continued to spread to Quebec, Nova Scotia, and British Columbia.

To coordinate national growth, Ringette Canada was founded in 1974. The sport received significant national exposure in 1975 with an intermission feature on Hockey Night in Canada. The copyright to the official rules, transferred from the SDMRO to the Ontario Ringette Association in 1973, was acquired by Ringette Canada in 1983. After Sam Jacks died in May 1975, his wife Agnes Jacks became a prominent ambassador for ringette, work for which she was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2002. She promoted the game until her death in April 2005. Ringette Canada initially operated with little money and no federal government assistance, yet the sport grew significantly throughout the 1970s and 1980s. By 2018, more than 50,000 individuals including over 30,000 players were registered in Canada.

International growth and competition

Ringette's premier international competition is the World Ringette Championships (WRC), organized by the International Ringette Federation (IRF). The first international tournament was held in Finland in 1986, and the World Ringette Council, a precursor to the IRF, was founded that same year. Canada and Finland have historically dominated the world championships, consistently ranking at the top. The sport has seen organized participation develop in several other countries including Sweden, the United States, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia, all of which have national associations. However, Slovakia has not competed at the World Ringette Championships since the 2016 event. The sport's growth internationally has been supported by coaching exchanges and the establishment of national governing bodies that host domestic leagues and tournaments.

Ringette was introduced to Finland in 1979 by former professional ice hockey player and coach Juhani Wahlsten, who used it at girls' hockey practices in the Turku area. The first recorded game in Finland took place on January 23, 1979, and the first tournament was held in early 1980. Independently, Alpo Lindström and his son Jan Lindström brought ringette to Naantali near the end of 1979. Jan Lindström had seen the sport while an exchange student in the United States in 1978 and founded the VG-62 ringette club upon his return. A national association was established in Finland by 1983, organizing tournaments of over a hundred matches by the mid-1980s. The sport spread to Sweden in the early 1980s, leading to the formation of the Sweden Ringette Association and the Ringette Dam-SM league in 1994.

In Canada, the sport is integrated into the Canada Winter Games programme and its premier national competition is the annual Canadian Ringette Championships for elite amateur athletes. At the semi-professional level, the National Ringette League (NRL) operates as the top tier of competition. Similar elite leagues exist in Finland, known as SM-Ringette, and in Sweden, known as Ringette Dam-SM. The sport was introduced to the Midwestern United States, particularly Minnesota, in the mid-1970s and gained popularity in the 1980s. However, participation fell dramatically in the mid-1990s when girls' ice hockey was endorsed as an official high school sport over ringette. Despite this, national organizations like USA Ringette continue to promote the sport. Other countries with active national associations include the Czech Ringette Association.

• 1979: Ringette introduced to Finland. First game January 23.
• 1980: First tournament held in Finland.
• 1983: National ringette association established in Finland.
• 1986: First international tournament and founding of World Ringette Council in Finland.
• 1994: Sweden Ringette Association and Ringette Dam-SM league founded.
• 2016: Slovakia's last appearance at the World Ringette Championships.
• 2018: Over 50,000 participants registered in Canada.

Variants and related sports

Two primary off-ice variants of ringette have been developed, primarily for training and recreational play. Gym ringette was developed in Canada in the 1990s as an official floor variant, largely through the efforts of Ringette Canada. It is played in gymnasiums wearing shoes and uses an orange, solid sponge ring instead of the blue pneumatic ice ring. The game serves as both a standalone activity and a form of dry-land training to develop skills transferable to the ice sport, such as passing, shooting, and spatial awareness. In-line ringette is an informal alternative played on in-line skates, often on sport court tiles or asphalt. However, a consistent set of formal rules has not been codified for in-line ringette, and no major organizing body oversees its play. Unlike some other sports, ringette does not currently have an officially recognized parasport variant.

The equipment for these variants differs from the ice game. Gym ringette uses the sponge ring that does not collect snow and is designed for dry floors. The Turbo ring, a small open disk or toroid, is used for on-ice practice to help players hone pass-receiving skills. It is half the size of an official ring, slides similarly, and comes in high-optic colours like orange or blue. These practice rings are also safe for shooting on goaltenders and are durable. The existence of these variants demonstrates the sport's adaptability and the focus on skill development across different environments, though the ice-based version remains the primary and most widely organized form of competition. The Turbo ring was first designed in Canada in 1997 to help players develop and hone pass receiving skills on ice.

Governing bodies and participation

Ringette in Canada is governed by Ringette Canada, which was founded in 1974 and creates the Official Rules and Case Book of Ringette used nationwide. Provincial associations, such as Ringette Ontario and Ringette Alberta, oversee the sport at the regional level. According to 2018 registration data, more than 50,000 individuals including players, coaches, officials, and volunteers were involved in ringette in Canada, with over 30,000 registered players. The sport is especially popular in the provinces of Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, and Manitoba. Internationally, the International Ringette Federation (IRF) governs the sport and sanctions the World Ringette Championships. National federations include Ringette Finland, the Sweden Ringette Association, USA Ringette, the Czech Ringette Association, and the Slovakia Ringette Association.

The sport's development has been marked by key organizational milestones. The Ontario Ringette Association, founded in 1969, was the first provincial body and received a $229.27 grant. Ringette Canada acquired the copyright to the sport's rules in 1983. The introduction of the 30-second shot clock in Canada in 2002 for junior, belle, and open divisions was a significant rule change now used almost universally in all age groups and internationally, including at the World Ringette Championships. The shot clock's purpose is to improve game flow and increase the speed of play. The sport's structure supports participation from youth recreational leagues up to elite semi-professional competitions, with a clear pathway through provincial championships, the Canadian Ringette Championships, and national team selection for the World Championships.

Key rules and their impact on play

The unique rules of ringette are designed to create a fast, strategic, and non-confrontational game that emphasizes teamwork and puck-handling skills. The prohibition on body checking fundamentally changes defensive strategy, requiring players to rely on positioning, stick checks, and anticipation to regain possession. The mandatory pass over the blue lines, known as the blue line rule, forces continuous puck movement and prevents individual players from dominating possession through solo rushes. This rule necessitates precise passing and constant communication among teammates, making ringette a highly collaborative sport. The 30-second shot clock, introduced in Canada in 2002 and now standard in elite play, pressures the attacking team to create a scoring opportunity quickly, which increases the number of shots on goal and reduces deliberate stalling tactics.

The free pass system for restarting play ensures a controlled and fair resumption after stoppages. The rule that only the player taking the free pass can be inside the circle, and that they have five seconds to act, creates a moment of isolated pressure and requires quick decision-making. The free play zone rule, limiting each team to three players in the attacking end zone, opens up the ice surface and prevents congestion in front of the net, promoting wider offensive plays and more skating. The exception allowing a fourth attacker when the defending team is penalized adds a strategic layer for power plays. Goaltenders being the only players allowed in the crease and having a five-second limit to play the ring encourages rapid transitions from defence to offence and prevents goalies from freezing the game.

• Blue Line Rule: Players must pass the ring over each blue line. Carrying it over is prohibited.
• No Body Checking: Intentional body contact is penalized. Only stick checks are allowed.
• 30-Second Shot Clock: The attacking team must attempt a shot on net within 30 seconds of gaining possession in the offensive zone.
• Free Play Zone: Only three players from each team allowed in the end zone at one time.
• Free Pass: Play restarts with a pass from a designated circle. Only the passer may be inside.
• Goaltender Crease: Only the goaltender may enter. They have five seconds to play the ring after a save.
• No Offsides/Icing: The game does not include these common hockey infractions, promoting continuous flow.

These rules collectively shape a game that is distinct from ice hockey, lacrosse, and basketball, though it shares strategic elements with the latter two in its use of zones and passing requirements. The focus on skating, passing, and tactical positioning over physical size or strength has been a central part of the sport's identity and its appeal as an inclusive athletic activity. The evolution of these rules, such as the adoption of the shot clock, demonstrates the sport's commitment to maintaining an exciting and dynamic spectator experience while upholding its core principles of skill and sportsmanship. The rules requiring specific equipment like the ringette facemask with triangular bars and the pelvic protector further reinforce the sport's dedication to player safety within its unique framework.

Questions about Ringette

Who invented ringette and when?

Ringette was invented in 1963 by Sam Jacks from North Bay, Ontario, who conceived the idea for a winter team sport for girls. Red McCarthy from Espanola, Ontario, developed the sport's first set of rules. The very first game was played in Espanola in the fall of 1963. The official rules were published by the Society of Directors of Municipal Recreation of Ontario in 1965 for the 1965-66 season, following a presentation by the Northern Ontario Recreation Directors Association.

What are the main differences between ringette and ice hockey?

Ringette differs from ice hockey in several fundamental ways. Body checking is strictly prohibited in ringette, with only stick checks allowed. Players cannot carry the ring over the blue lines and must pass it to a teammate to advance. The game uses a 30-second shot clock to speed up play and has no offside or icing rules. The rink features unique markings like free pass circles and free play lines, and the equipment includes a straight stick with a drag tip and a hollow blue rubber ring instead of a puck. The formations and zone rules also encourage a style of play more similar to basketball or lacrosse.

Is ringette only for girls and women?

While ringette was originally created exclusively for female participants, the sport has expanded and now officially includes participants of all gender identities. National and international governing bodies welcome players regardless of gender. The sport's growth has seen increased participation from boys and men, particularly in recent years, though it remains predominantly played by women and girls at most competitive levels. The founding mandate was to provide a winter team sport on skates for girls, but modern interpretations of the sport are inclusive.

What equipment is needed to play ringette?

Essential equipment includes ice hockey skates, a ringette stick with a drag tip, and full protective gear. This consists of a certified helmet with a ringette facemask (with triangular bars), a neck guard, shin pads, elbow pads, gloves, a protective girdle, ankle-length ringette pants, a jersey, and a pelvic protector. Shoulder pads are mandatory for younger players up to the junior level (age 14-15). The playing object is a blue, hollow, rubber pneumatic ring. Goaltenders use equipment similar to ice hockey goalies but must wear a ringette-approved helmet and facemask, and may use a specialized trapper called the Keely glove.

What is the highest level of ringette competition?

The highest international competition is the World Ringette Championships (WRC), organized by the International Ringette Federation and first held in 1986. At the national level in Canada, the premier competition for elite amateur athletes is the Canadian Ringette Championships. The top semi-professional league in Canada is the National Ringette League (NRL). Similar elite leagues exist in Finland (SM-Ringette) and Sweden (Ringette Dam-SM). The sport is also part of the Canada Winter Games programme. Success at the World Championships has historically been dominated by Canadian and Finnish teams.

Where is ringette most popular outside of Canada?

Finland is the second major stronghold for ringette, where it was introduced in 1979 and has become a popular national pastime, with a national association formed by 1983. The sport also has organized participation in Sweden, where a national association and elite league were founded in 1994, as well as the United States, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia. Finland and Canada are the dominant forces in international competition, regularly finishing at the top of the World Ringette Championships. Other countries with national associations include Sweden, the United States, and the Czech Republic, though Slovakia has not competed at Worlds since 2016.

Sources and further reading

• Ringette (Wikipedia)
• Tournament Listings (MB) (ringettemanitoba.ca)

Checked by the Your Space Hamilton desk. Last updated 2026-10-23.