Nepedia
Back to Discover
Advanced Reader
📖

Ringette

sports Maturity 7-9 Next article →

Ringette is a fast-paced winter team sport played on ice rinks.

National Ringette League 03
National Ringette League 03

While it shares a rink with ice hockey, the gameplay is quite different. The style of offensive and defensive play actually resembles lacrosse or basketball more closely. Teams compete to score goals by shooting a blue, rubber, pneumatic ring into the opponent's net. A pneumatic object is one that is hollow and filled with air. Although the sport was originally created exclusively for female competitors, it has expanded to include participants of all gender identities. Today, it is a celebrated sport built on speed, skill, and teamwork.

To understand how ringette works, one must look at the specific equipment used. Players wear ice hockey skates and extensive protective gear. This includes shin pads, a protective girdle, and a pelvic protector, which is also called a jill or a jockstrap. The most unique tool is the ringette stick. These are straight sticks with tapered ends featuring metal or plastic drag-tips. These drag-tips have grooves designed to increase the lift and velocity of a wrist shot.

Ilves vs Lahti ringette
Ilves vs Lahti ringette

The ring itself is a blue, rubber torus with a diameter of 16.5 cm. For practice, players may use a "Turbo ring," which is a smaller, half-sized disk used to hone passing skills.

Each team consists of six players on the ice at one time. These players fill specific roles: one centre, two forwards, two defenders, and one goaltender. The goaltender is unique because they are the only players permitted to play the ring with their hands. However, they must remain within the goal crease, a semi-circular area.

Montreal Mission 12 février 2012 121
Montreal Mission 12 février 2012 121

The rules regarding physical contact are very strict to ensure safety. Intentional body contact is not allowed, and body checking or boarding are penalized. Fighting is forbidden under a zero-tolerance policy. The only legal checks are stick checks, where a player uses an upward sweeping motion to knock the ring away.

Ringette rinks use many of the same markings as ice hockey, but they include several unique additions. There are five free pass circles, each with a bisecting line. These circles are used to restart play after a goal or a violation. There are also two "free play lines," also known as ringette lines or extended zone lines. These lines create a "free play zone" in each end zone. Only three players from each team are allowed in these zones at once. If a fourth player enters, a "four in" call is made, and play stops.

One of the most important rules is the blue line rule. This rule prohibits players from carrying the ring over either of the blue lines that bisect the ice. Instead, players must pass the ring to a teammate to advance the play. This requirement helps maintain a high speed of play. To further ensure movement, a 30-second shot clock is used. This clock was first introduced in Canada in 2002. If the shot clock expires during play, the goaltender is awarded the ring. In elite competitions, games are divided into four 13-minute quarters.

The history of ringette began in Canada in 1963. It was created by Sam Jacks from West Ferris, Ontario, and Red McCarthy from Espanola, Ontario.

Ringettecrest1966
Ringettecrest1966

Since its creation, the sport has seen massive growth. In 2018, more than 50,000 individuals registered for the sport in Canada alone. This total includes over 30,000 players, as well as coaches, officials, and volunteers. The sport has since spread to other countries, including the United Arab Emirates. The first international tournament was hosted in Finland in 1986.

Today, ringette is a major international sport with strong ties to Canada and Finland.

Patin hockey goalie
Patin hockey goalie

These two countries view ringette as a national pastime. The International Ringette Federation (IRF) organizes the premier competition, the World Ringette Championships (WRC). Canadian and Finnish teams are consistently the most successful on the world stage. Other nations with national teams include Sweden, the United States, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia. Some players even compete at the semi-professional level in leagues like the National Ringette League in Canada or SM–Ringette in Finland.

685 words

Where will your curiosity go next?

Keep exploring at your chosen reading level.

🖼️ Images & Media (6)
File:Montreal Mission 12 février 2012 121.jpg
Montreal Mission 12 février 2012 121.jpg
File:Patin hockey goalie.jpg
Patin hockey goalie.jpg
File:Ringettecrest1966.jpg
Ringettecrest1966.jpg
File:National Ringette League 03.jpg
National Ringette League 03.jpg
File:Juhani-Wahlsten-1962.jpg
Juhani-Wahlsten-1962.jpg
File:Ilves vs Lahti ringette.jpg
Ilves vs Lahti ringette.jpg
More to explore

🔬 Go deeper

More advanced topics to explore

🪜 Step back

Simpler topics to build understanding

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.