About RINGETTE

Ringette is a fast-paced ice sport which was introduced in 1963 in North Bay, Ontario by Sam Jacks.  Developed originally for girls, Ringette is played with a straight, tapered stick to pass, carry, and shoot a 6” rubber ring with the object being to score goals.
Ringette is played throughout Canada at many different levels, including house leagues, Nationally, and Internationally. Canada boasts a total of 50,000 in registration and growing and B.C. has approximately 2,200 registered players. Ringette is also played internationally in Finland, Sweden, United States, and has been introduced in many other countries as well.

A. How Ringette is played?
Ringette has been called hockey without the blade and floor hockey on ice. Other than the fact that Ringette is played with the same stick and ring as in floor hockey (floor hockey and Ringette both have the same inventor) and is played on the ice with virtually the same equipment (especially goalies)and the same nets are used, the similarities end there.  Ringette is much closer to basketball, soccer, or even lacrosse without the cross checking, than it is to hockey.

• Basic Rules · Blue Lines
In Ringette the blue lines are not used for off sides.  The ring must be passed over each of these lines at all times.  A player may not carry it across the line and may not pass it to themselves over the line.  The ring must come in contact with another player (anyone on the ice other than the referee) before they may touch the ring again. If a ring is passed over both blue lines (without coming in contact with any player on the ice in between) then only the team which did not make the pass may touch it.  This is the Ringette form of “icing” as there is no “icing in Ringette. As well the centre red line has no purpose in Ringette.

• Free Passes
The free pass in Ringette takes the place of face-offs. It is much like a free kick or throw-in in soccer or a quick restart as in lacrosse. In each of the five “free pass circles” (face-off circles as known in hockey) there is a line which is through the middle of the circle parallel to the blue lines. The half which is closed the teams goalie is their half of the circle. In the middle of this half there is a blue dot. This is where a free pass is taken from. One team will be awarded a free pass and one player from that team is only allowed in the circle. That player once the whistle has been blown has five seconds to pass the ring from their half of the circle to a team outside the circle.
 
• Game On 
The game starts much like soccer. A free pass is taken in the centre circle by the visiting team. Each time a goal is scored or at the start of the periods the free pass is always taken from the centre circle.

• Goal Crease
Unlike in hockey, if the ring lands in or on the crease the only player who can touch it is the goalie. The goalie can either pick it up and throw it (like you would throw a Frisbee) to a team mate or shot it out of the crease with their stick.  The goalie has five seconds, once the ring is in the crease, to pass it outside of the crease. They may not throw the ring over the blue line but they can pass it with their stick over the blue line. If a player goes through the crease but their team does not have possession there is a five second violation which does not immediately mean stop in play but if that players team touches the ring in that five seconds they will lose the ring to the other team.  If a defensive player skates through the crease and the play is stopped or the goalie either takes longer than five seconds to get the ring out of the crease or throws it over the blue line, the offensive team gets a free pass in their offensive zone. If an offensive player skates through the crease and the play is stopped then it is a goalie ring (same rules apply as they would if the ring stopped in the crease).
 
• Joint Control
This is when two or more players have their sticks in the ring and the ring is frozen.  In this case the play is stopped and the team whose player was the second to the ring.  This rule is very simple and the reason is to reward the defending team for their efforts.
 
• Penalties
As in most sports there are various penalties for various infractions and as in hockey they are served at various lengths in a penalty box. Most penalties are unintentional and are two minutes in length. More serious infractions could result in double minors (4 minutes), 5 minutes or game misconducts. As in hockey most penalties are delayed, the referees hand goes up and stays there until the team receiving the penalty is in possession of the ring or the team with the ring commits a violation. The rules for when a goal is scored, when there are multiple penalties, etc. are the same as hockey, as well as most of the penalties are the same. Here are some examples of some penalties which are different:
• No body contact
• The ring must be played over the blue lines
• Only three players of each team are allowed in the offensive or defensive zones
• Only the goal tender is allowed in the crease
• Two referees on the ice during a game
• There must be a female member of the coaching staff on the bench (except Open division and Masters)
• A free pass (the Ringette equivalent of a face off) is used to start play.The free pass starts inside one of the five free pass circles on the ice surface and is taken by one player who must pass it out of the circle within 5 seconds.
 
B. Playing Area
The playing area is an ice rink of the type used for ice hockey.  The main rink markings are the two blue lines, two extended blue lines, five face-off circles (free pass circles as they are known in Ringette), and an eight foot half circle in front to the goal net (goal tender’s crease).  A hockey goal net is used.
 
C. The Players
Each team has six players on the ice at the same time, when not penalized, these being:
• Two forwards
• Two defence
• One centre
• One goal tender

D. Age Groups
• Bunnies 7 years and under
• Novice 9 years and under
• Petite 11 years and under
• Tween 13 years and under
• Junior 15 years and under
• Belle 18 years and under
• Open 19 years and over
• Masters 30 years and over

E. Equipment
CSA Helmet, CSA Facemask Type 5 or 6, Girdle, Chest Protector with Arm/Shoulder Pads, Pants, Team Jersey, Ringette Stick, Skates, Shin Pads, Goalie Pads, Glove/trapper, Blocker, Goalie Stick, Skates or Goalie Skates.

Ringette versus Hockey
Ringette was introduced as a sport less than forty years ago in Northern Ontario as an alternative to ice hockey.
It is the ultimate team participation ice sport. It was designed to encourage team play. The rules require that the ring be passed at least twice to get from one end to the other (because the ring has to be passed over both blue lines) instead of one player being able to go from one end to the other. Ringette has the speed and excitement without the roughness associated with hockey. Size and stick handling skills are not as important as skating ability, agility and hand eye coordination. Unlike hockey, players of all ages and genders play using the full set of rules. There are no special rules for beginners and “old timers” with the exception of the “30 second clock” which is only used in the Junior, Belle and Open divisions. Equipment is lighter, cheaper and lasts longer than hockey equipment.  Good news for participants, bad news for suppliers! Ringette players develop superior skating skills. The best female hockey players at all levels very frequently learned their skating skills in Ringette.  Olympic and World speed skating champion, Catriona Lemay Doan, is a Ringette player. Once introduced to Ringette, most players enjoy its challenge and stick with it throughout their adolescent years. Adult Ringette is growing at a phenomenal rate in B.C.  On the North Shore, the number of adult teams tripled in 2002.

Competition
In British Columbia, there are three levels of league play available for all age groups from Novice and up. They are called A, B and C. At the beginning of each season, teams are ranked as to ability and placed in the appropriate level. For those interested in a higher level of competition there are AA team at the Petite, Tween, Junior, Belle and Open levels. League play starts in early October and continues until early March.
At the end of the season, there are Provincial tournaments for all age groups and levels. Traditionally, all teams have been invited to the provincial tournaments. The growth of the sport in the last few years is beginning to make this more and more difficult. As the sport grows these tournaments may be open to only the top three quarters to one half of teams may be only able to attend these events.

History of Ringette in BC and Canada
1963: Sam Jacks invented the sport of Ringette in North Bay, Ontario.
1973: Ringette is introduced in Langley B.C.
1974: B.C. becomes the fifth province to form a Provincial Association.
1979: The First Ringette team travels overseas to Finland.
The First Canadian Ringette Championships were held in Winnipeg, Manitoba with three divisions (Junior, Belle, Deb).  Ontario took Gold in all divisions.  B.C. only participated in the Belle Division and came seventh out of eight teams.
1980: B.C. gets its first medal at the Canadian Championships, a Bronze in the Junior Division
1981: B.C. gets a silver in the Junior Division at the Canadian Championships.
1984: Port Coquitlam, B.C. hosts the sixth Canadian Ringette Championships in which the B.C. Junior team gets the silver.
1985: Ringette Canada representatives travel to the Soviet Union, Finland, Sweden and Japan to promote Ringette and “Ringette Russia” is formed. Ringette Canada breaks 20,000 barrier in player registrations.
1986: First International Ringette Tournament is held in Finland.
1987: Player registration in Canada tops 27,000 level.
1989: Player registrations in Canada tops 28,000 level.
1990: First ever World Ringette Championships are held in Gloucester Ontario and Team Alberta takes the gold and the all new Sam Jacks Trophy.
1991: Ringette participates in the 1991 Canada Winter Games in Prince Edward Island.  Alberta won the gold,  Ontario won the silver and BC won the bronze.
1992: The second World Championships are held in Helsinki, Finland.  Russia, United States, Sweden, France, Finland and two teams from Canada participate.  Canada West wins the gold.
Canadian Ringette Championships again take place in Port Coquitlam, B.C.
1993: B.C. takes the silver in the Junior division at the Canadian Championships in Kitchener, Ontario.
1994: The Third World Championships are hld in St-Paul, Minnesota.  Finland takes the gold.
B.C. takes the bronze in the Deb division at the Canadian Championships in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
1995: Ringette participates in the 1995 Canada Winter Games in Grande Prairie, Alberta.  Alberta takes the gold, Manitoba takes the silver and B.C. takes the bronze.
B.C. takes the silver in the Deb division at the Canadian Championships in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
1996: The Fourth World Ringette Championships are held in Stockholm, Sweden.  Canada wins the gold.
B.C. takes the silver in the Deb division at the Canadian Championships in Gloucester, Ontario.
1998: B.C. takes the bronze in the Junior and Deb divisions at the Canadian Championships in Edmonton, Alberta. The first-ever truly national Ringette team travels to Europe to participate in the International Summit Series against Finland. Finland wins.
1999: B.C. takes the silver in the Belle division and the bronze in the Deb division at the Canadian Championships in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Ringette participates in the Canada Winter Games in Corner Brook, Newfoundland.  Ontario takes the gold, Manitoba takes the silver and Saskatchewan takes the bronze.  B.C. came fifth.
2000: The Canadian Championships are held in Prince George B.C.  B.C. takes the bronze in the Belle and Intermediate divisions.
World Ringette Championships are held in Helsinki, Finland.  Finland wins gold with Canada winning silver.
2001: B.C. takes the silver in the Junior and Open divisions at the Canadian Championships in Moncton, New Brunswick.
2002: B.C. takes the silver in the Junior division and bronze in the Belle and Open divisions at the Canadian Championships in Regina, Saskatchewan.
The World Ringette Championships takes place in Edmonton, Alberta and Canada takes home the gold.
2003: The Canadian Championships will be held in Waterloo, Ontario.
Canadian Winter Games in Bathurst, New Brunswick
2004: The Canadian Championships will be held in Calgary, Alberta.
2004: The World Championships will be held in Stockholm, Sweden.
2007: Canada Winter Games in Whitehorse, Yukon.