Rule Fundamentals:
Ringette 101
Rule Fundamentals
Ringette is an incursion sport like soccer, basketball, and hockey. The objective is to gain control of the ring, establish your presence in the opponent's territory, and deliver the ring past the goalkeeper into the net to score goals.
Ringette is fast and creative!
Unlike most incursion sports, Ringette allows players to establish positions in the attacking zone before the ring arrives. In fact, the ring carrier is explicitly forbidden from carrying the ring directly from one zone to another or being the first to get the ring after passing it forward. Thus, in order to win, the whole team must shine. Our no-contact policy and nonstop passing foster an environment where players must work together toward a common goal. As we like to put it, the team that scores together soars together.
How is ringette different than hockey?
At first glance, you might think that Ringette looks just like hockey. But many key differences set ringette apart from hockey—or any other ice sport, for that matter.
30-second shot clock: The short shot clock leads to a fast-paced game that requires constant motion.
Everyone wins: The fast pace and nonstop passing of ringette fosters teamwork and discourages ring hogging.
No-contact policy: Intentional body contact is forbidden, making Ringette much safer than contact sports.
Straight stick: Sticks are straight with a specialized tip.
Hollow ring: Rather than a ball or puck, the quarry and payload in Ringette is a 6-inch rubber ring.
No face-offs: Any stoppage results in a free pass or goalkeeper ring to resume the game.
No offsides: Players can't carry the ring over a blue line. They must pass the ring over a blue line to a teammate.
More protection: Ringette cages (masks) have tight triangular or horizontal bars to prevent a stick from penetrating.
Scratching the surface
This just scratches the surface. At 200+ pages, Ringette Canada's Official Rules and Case Book documents the complete collection of game rules and their interpretations. That's a lot, even for an official to know!
The video below covers the fundamental rules that make Ringette Ringette. Everyone (even you) should know the basics!
