Ringette is a fast-paced ice sport introduced in 1963 in North Bay, Ontario by Sam Jacks. Originally developed for girls, Ringette is played with a straight, tapered stick used to pass, carry, and shoot a rubber ring with the object being to score goals. Ringette is played throughout Canada at many different levels, from house league to all-stars and in national and international competition. In Canada, 50,000 athletes, coaches, and officials call Ringette their sport. BC has approximately 2,200 registered players most of which participate in the Lower Mainland Ringette League. Ringette is also played internationally in Finland, Sweden, United States, and has been introduced in many other countries.
Ringette has been called "hockey without the blade" and "floor hockey on ice." While 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 like ice hockey with virtually the same equipment as hockey, the similarities end there. Ringette is much closer to basketball, soccer, or even lacrosse, than it is to hockey.
The greatest difference between ringette and hockey is that the obstruction and interference that routinely occurs in hockey is prohibited in ringette, instead requiring the player to use skill and speed in checking the opponent, resulting in a fast-skating, highly-skilled passing game.
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 zone lines, five free-pass circles ("face-off circles" in hockey), and an eight foot half circle in front to the goal net called the "goaltender's crease." A standard goal net is used.
Players Each team has six players on the ice at the same time, when not penalized, consisting of the following: o Two Forwards o Two Defense o One Centre o One goaltender
Age Groups Ringette has a division for any age or skill level: o Bunnies (7 and under) o Novice (9 and under) o Petite (11 and under) o Tween (13 and under) o Junior (15 and under) o Belle (18 and under) o Open (19 and over) o Masters (30 and over)
Ringette versus Hockey Ringette was introduced as a sport less than forty years ago in Northern Ontario as an alternative to ice hockey. Many consider ringette to be the ultimate team participation ice sport. Here's why: Ringette was designed to encourage team play. Rules require that the ring be passed over each blue line in any direction. This means that a passing play must occur at least twice to get from one end to the other. This simple requirement encourages team play and results in highly developed passing and positional skills.
Ringette has the speed and excitement without the roughness associated with hockey. In fact, the accepted clutching, grabbing and obstruction plays commonly found in hockey will put you in the cooler for two minutes in ringette. Size and stick handling skills are not as important as skating ability, agility and hand-eye coordination.
Players of all ages and genders play using the full set of rules. There are few special rules for beginners and "old timers." The sole exception to this rule is the 30-second shot clock which, at this time, is only used in the Junior, Belle and Open divisions but is gradually being introduced to the younger divisions.
In ringette, the player stabs the ring and concentrates on skating. As a result, ringette players develop excellent skating skills since there is no need to focus on puck-handling. In fact, the best female hockey players at almost all levels very frequently learned their skating skills in Ringette. For example, Olympic and World speed skating champion, Catriona Lemay Doan, spent many developmental years as a ringette player. Once introduced to ringette, most players enjoy its challenge and stick with it throughout their adolescent years. Adult ringette is also growing at a phenomenal rate in B.C. On the North Shore alone, 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 the novice division and up classified as A, B and C. At the beginning of each season, teams compete in a tiering round and are ranked according to ability and placed in the appropriate level of competition. For players interested in a higher level of competition, AA and all-star team play is offered at the Petite, Tween, Junior, Belle and Open levels. The Petite AA team is developmental and typically attends one out-of-province tournament.
The Tween AA team attends out-of-town tournaments and, if successful at provincial playdowns, will represent BC the Western Canadian Ringette Championships. If successful at the provincial playdowns, the Junior, Belle and Open AA teams travel to the Canadian Ringette Championships to compete against teams from across the Country.
The Canadian National Team is selected to attend the World Ringette Championships held every two years. Ringette also participates in the BC Winter Games and the Canada Winter Games. Work is underway to bring the sport of ringette to the Olympics.
After the tiering round in October, league play starts and continues until early March. To cap each season, Provincial Championship tournaments are held for all age groups and levels. In the Junior and Belle "A" divisions, the winning team from the Provincial Championship tournament will represent BC at the Western Canadian Ringette Championships to compete against provincial championship teams from Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
Ringette has been called "hockey without the blade" and "floor hockey on ice." While 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 like ice hockey with virtually the same equipment as hockey, the similarities end there. Ringette is much closer to basketball, soccer, or even lacrosse, than it is to hockey.
The greatest difference between ringette and hockey is that the obstruction and interference that routinely occurs in hockey is prohibited in ringette, instead requiring the player to use skill and speed in checking the opponent, resulting in a fast-skating, highly-skilled passing game.
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 zone lines, five free-pass circles ("face-off circles" in hockey), and an eight foot half circle in front to the goal net called the "goaltender's crease." A standard goal net is used.
Players Each team has six players on the ice at the same time, when not penalized, consisting of the following: o Two Forwards o Two Defense o One Centre o One goaltender
Age Groups Ringette has a division for any age or skill level: o Bunnies (7 and under) o Novice (9 and under) o Petite (11 and under) o Tween (13 and under) o Junior (15 and under) o Belle (18 and under) o Open (19 and over) o Masters (30 and over)
Ringette versus Hockey Ringette was introduced as a sport less than forty years ago in Northern Ontario as an alternative to ice hockey. Many consider ringette to be the ultimate team participation ice sport. Here's why: Ringette was designed to encourage team play. Rules require that the ring be passed over each blue line in any direction. This means that a passing play must occur at least twice to get from one end to the other. This simple requirement encourages team play and results in highly developed passing and positional skills.
Ringette has the speed and excitement without the roughness associated with hockey. In fact, the accepted clutching, grabbing and obstruction plays commonly found in hockey will put you in the cooler for two minutes in ringette. Size and stick handling skills are not as important as skating ability, agility and hand-eye coordination.
Players of all ages and genders play using the full set of rules. There are few special rules for beginners and "old timers." The sole exception to this rule is the 30-second shot clock which, at this time, is only used in the Junior, Belle and Open divisions but is gradually being introduced to the younger divisions.
In ringette, the player stabs the ring and concentrates on skating. As a result, ringette players develop excellent skating skills since there is no need to focus on puck-handling. In fact, the best female hockey players at almost all levels very frequently learned their skating skills in Ringette. For example, Olympic and World speed skating champion, Catriona Lemay Doan, spent many developmental years as a ringette player. Once introduced to ringette, most players enjoy its challenge and stick with it throughout their adolescent years. Adult ringette is also growing at a phenomenal rate in B.C. On the North Shore alone, 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 the novice division and up classified as A, B and C. At the beginning of each season, teams compete in a tiering round and are ranked according to ability and placed in the appropriate level of competition. For players interested in a higher level of competition, AA and all-star team play is offered at the Petite, Tween, Junior, Belle and Open levels. The Petite AA team is developmental and typically attends one out-of-province tournament.
The Tween AA team attends out-of-town tournaments and, if successful at provincial playdowns, will represent BC the Western Canadian Ringette Championships. If successful at the provincial playdowns, the Junior, Belle and Open AA teams travel to the Canadian Ringette Championships to compete against teams from across the Country.
The Canadian National Team is selected to attend the World Ringette Championships held every two years. Ringette also participates in the BC Winter Games and the Canada Winter Games. Work is underway to bring the sport of ringette to the Olympics.
After the tiering round in October, league play starts and continues until early March. To cap each season, Provincial Championship tournaments are held for all age groups and levels. In the Junior and Belle "A" divisions, the winning team from the Provincial Championship tournament will represent BC at the Western Canadian Ringette Championships to compete against provincial championship teams from Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
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