What is Ringette?
Ringette is an exciting, unique winter ice sport, played mainly by females but open to all and at all ages. Everyone gets to play on a team and everyone gets to play regardless of their skill or ability. Ringette is very inclusive.
Ringette, like basketball (but played on ice), is a non-contact sport. Players use a straight stick with a specially designed tip and a hollow rubber, blue ring. Ringette playing rules require players to pass the ring over each blue line in order to advance the play, creating excellent team participation.
Ringette is played across Canada from the Northwest Territories to Prince Edward Island. BC Ringette boasts local leagues and associations on Vancouver Island, throughout Lower Mainland, the Thompson-Okanagan and Northern BC. Internationally, Ringette is played in Finland, the United States, Sweden, France and the United Arab Emirates with teams being formed in Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
For a more detailed history about the sport of Ringette check out Ringette Canada’s website.
If you want to learn about the Basics of Ringette check out Ringette Canada’s resource page.
What makes the Ringette Rink Different?
Ringette has four integral rules related to the lines on the ice rink that are critical for game play:
- The Free Play Line or the “Ringette Line”
- Marks one of the restricted zones
- Three players from each team are allowed to play within the restricted zones
- Goalie does not count
- Goal Crease
- Only the goalie is allowed to enter the crease
- Blue Lines
- Players must pass the ring to each other over each blue line
- If a player passes the ring over both blue lines their team is not eligible to play the ring
