Ringette was invented in Ontario, Canada in 1963 by Sam Jacks. The emphasis of ringette is on team play and skill development. It is generally acknowledged that ringette is the fastest game on ice, and ringette players are known for their skating and ring handling skills.
The ring is hollow and made of rubber. Sticks are made with tapered ends made with steel, aluminum, or plastic tips. Different styles, flex and weight are available.
Teams are usually made of of 11 to 18 players, with six skaters on the ice at the same time (a goalie, two defence, a centre, and two forwards.)
A player cannot carry the ring over a blue line in either direction. The ring must be passed over the blue line to another teammate. That teammate is permitted to skate ahead of the ring carrier and already be across the blue line before the ring crosses it.
If the ring lands in or on the crease, the only player who can touch it is the goalkeeper. The goalkeeper usually picks up the ring and throws it to a teammate. The goalkeeper has five seconds to pass it out of the crease.
Teams have 30 seconds to take a shot on goal after they gain possession of the ring. If the time runs out on the shot clock, a buzzer sounds and the other team is awarded possession of the ring.
You will notice the free-play lines (small red lines at the top of the circles) on the ice. From this line to the end boards, it's a game of 3 on 3. Players can rotate in and out of the free-play zones producing a lot of movement and creativity.
Players wear a neck guard, elbow, knee and shin pads and equipment that provides hip and tailbone protection such as a girdle. Helmets with full-face masks are mandatory. the masks have triangular bars to prevent the stick from entering.
Ringette promotes a no-contact policy when it comes to the physical aspect of the game. Penalties are given when a player makes excessive body contact with another player, checks a player too high on the stick, trips, hits, or interferes with another player.