Ringette in a nutshell

Ringette is an ice sport that originated in Canada, combining intelligence, joy and creativity. The nature of the sport emphasizes skill rather than strength and is at its best a wonderful combination of speed, teamwork and technique. Teamwork is particularly emphasized in ringette, as the rules of the sport already guide players to cooperate.

The fast-paced and strategic ice sport landed in Finland in 1979. The World Ringette Championships are held every other year. The previous World Championships were held in Calgary, Canada in 2023, when Finland won World Championship gold in U21. Last time Finland and Canada competed in Sam Jacks Pool was in Espoo, Finland 2022 when Finland won both in adults and in U21. The president’s Pool teams face each other in Calgary when USA won the trophy for the second time in a row leaving Sweden to silver and Czechia to bronze medals.
 

QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE MOST IMPORTANT RULES

Ringette is a team sport played on ice, where the team that scores the most goals wins. Ringette is often compared to basketball in discussions because of the 30-second shot clock and game strategy, but the sports are significantly different from each other. The most obvious difference is, of course, that ringette is played on an ice rink, with skates on and a stick in hand, which is why another sport of comparison is often ice hockey. That’s where the similarities end, because ringette is a completely unique sport. The playing equipment is a blue, rubber ring.

5+1 players on the ice

Ringette is played on a rink with five players and one goalie from each team on the ice at the same time. The players have their own roles and usually there are two defenders, two forwards and one center on the ice at the same time. In ringette, the roles between the offensive and defensive ends are very clear – more on this later.

During the game, various special situations caused by players can be seen, which can cause the number of players on the ice to vary. If one player from a team is on a penalty box, the game is played with four players against the opponent’s five. If there are two or more players on a penalty at the same time, the team plays with three players against the opponent’s five players. However, it is not uncommon for both teams to have players on a penalty box at the same time, in which case there are four players from each team on the ice. A team can also remove the goalkeeper, for example in a losing situation or during a postponed penalty, in which case the team can try to score a goal with six players.

You must pass over the blue lines

The rules of ringette emphasize the importance of teamwork. One of the most visible features to the spectator is the rule of passing over the blue line: In ringette, a single player cannot control the entire game, as both blue lines of the ice can only be crossed by passing to another player. This means that the team must successfully pass over both blue lines in order to advance to the offensive end. Two blue lines cannot be crossed at once with one pass. This violation is called a “two-line violation”. If the game situation leads to a two-line violation, the opposing team is allowed to continue the game by taking possession of the ring. If the team that committed the violation (two-line violation) does take possession of the ring first before the opponent, the game is stopped and the opponent gets the ring and a free pass.

The ringette line and its meaning

Another essential rule related to the ice markings concerns the ringette line, which is painted at both ends of the ice between the end of the rink and the blue line. This thin red line above the B-point divides the field into three areas: two end zones, i.e. the offensive and defensive ends, and the central zone.

Only three field players from each team may be in the end zone at any time: Typically, the defenders of the defending team and the center play in the end zone. The attacking team, in turn, has the forwards and the center. The playing positions are allowed to vary freely and players outside the line may also be used, as long as the number of players participating in the game in the end zone remains at most three per team. In the higher league levels, players outside the line are skillfully utilized in the game and players can, for example, change positions on the inside and outside the line.

Inside the ringette line, the defense plays in a triangle and aims to direct the forwards away from the best scoring sector in front of the goal. The center forward plays at the tip of the triangle and the defenders are typically on either side of the goal.

The goalkeeper’s area is untouched

The goalie has complete immunity when playing and the goalie’s area is defined by a slightly larger area than the goalie’s area in ice hockey. No one other than the goalie is allowed to play in the goalie’s area. If either team breaks the rule by entering the goalie’s area (skating or with a stick), the referee starts a five-second countdown: If the team that broke the rule gains possession of the ring during this five-second period, the game is stopped and the opponent automatically gets the ring.

The goalie may not drag the ring from outside the area to inside it but can play the ring outside their area.

“Goalie rings” are the most typical situations of the defensive end: the goalie opens the game from their area either by passing with their stick or by throwing the puck to a player. The goalie may also open the ring along the ice by passing it across the blue line, but opening by throwing directly across the blue line is not permitted. However, goalie openings that cross the blue line are seen less often in the game and these are quite a rare treat.

A 30-second clock keeps the game moving at a fast pace 

What makes the game particularly interesting and fast-paced is the 30-second shot clock, which starts from the moment a team gains possession of the ring. This gives the team 30 seconds to score a goal or get a new shot clock. A new shot clock is awarded when a shot hits the goalie or the goal frame. The shot clock starts over every time the ring changes teams or a penalty is given. If a team fails to score a goal or get a new shot clock during this time and the shot clock rings to signal the end of the 30 seconds, the opposing team gets the start.