Ringette, << rihng EHT, >> is a team sport for girls and young women that is similar to ice hockey. The game was invented in Ontario, Canada, in 1963. It is now played in the northern United States and in several European countries as well as in Canada.
As in ice hockey, ringette teams have six players, all of whom wear ice skates. The game is played on a rink divided into three sections by blue lines. The object of the game is to score goals by shooting a hollow rubber ring into a net guarded by a goaltender. The ring has an outer diameter of 16.5 centimeters (6.5 inches), an inner diameter of 11.5 centimeters (4.5 inches), and a thickness of 2.7 centimeters (1.06 inches). Players use a straight stick that resembles a bladeless hockey stick to shoot and pass the ring. Most sticks are made of wood, but aluminum and plastic sticks are also used. Players must wear knee and elbow pads and helmets with face masks. Players commonly wear a track suit as a uniform, sometimes combined with a hockey sweater.
A ringette team consists of a goaltender, a center, two forwards, and two defensive players. The center is the only player who can skate anywhere on the ice. Forwards may not skate closer to the net their team is defending than the blue line nearest the net. Defensive players may not come closer to the net their opponents are defending than the blue line nearest the net. Centers play with white sticks, forwards with blue sticks, and defensive players with red sticks. Ringette games consist of two 15-minute halves. Violations are similar to those of ice hockey. But unlike hockey, ringette prohibits body contact and requires passing over each blue line.
Organized ringette in Canada features five major age groups: petites (age 11 and under), tweens (13 and under), juniors (15 and under), belles (18 and under), and open (19 and over). Teams compete for provincial and national championships in Canada each year.
