Official's Guide to Ringette Canada Official Rules 2026-27

Rule 20.3 lists the penalties in increasing order of severity:

• Penalty time is actual playing time and is served in the penalty bench. If the game is run time, the penalty starts timing when the on-ice official blows the whistle to resume play.
• A Penalty Shot that replaces a penalty that would normally be a Minor replaces that Minor. If it replaces a fully served penalty, that penalty is assessed as well.
• Penalties may be assessed before, during or after a game.

Unsportsmanlike Conduct (Section 15). Two minutes, fully served. It is called if a player or team staff member:

• makes remarks or gestures that show dissension with on-ice officials, opposing players or spectators.
• keeps harassing an on-ice official after a warning.
• throws a stick into the penalty bench, players' bench or stands.
• as a player, refuses to leave the on-ice officials' crease when told to.
• intentionally leaves the penalty bench or players' bench during an altercation without becoming involved in it.
• does anything an on-ice official considers unsportsmanlike.

A captain may talk to on-ice officials, but may not argue with them. Asking for an interpretation and then saying thank you is not an infraction.

Misconduct (Section 16). Game ejection, and a teammate serves an Unsportsmanlike Conduct penalty. It is called if a player or team staff member:

• uses obscene, profane or abusive language or gestures toward any person.
• persists in disputing, or shows disrespect for, an on-ice official's ruling.
• a team staff member steps onto the ice during the game, except for a player injury. A staff member who steps on for an injury must go directly to that player and not discuss the play with the officials.

Quiet, undirected swearing (for example muttering after a missed shot) would not likely draw a Misconduct penalty.

Major penalty (Section 17). Four minutes, fully served. It is called if a player:

• commits a Minor penalty in a reckless, or an intentional and aggressive, manner (not intended to injure). A Major does not apply to Delay of Game, Illegal Substitution, Interference or Unsportsmanlike Conduct.
• engages in rough play, an act of unnecessary aggression not severe enough for a Match penalty (for example a single one-handed push into the face or a "face wash" with an open glove).
• commits boarding, body contact, charging, cross-checking or elbowing with initial contact to the head or from behind. If the official deems there was intent to injure, a Match penalty is assessed instead.

Match penalty (Section 18). Game ejection, suspension from the next game, and a teammate serves a Major penalty. It is called if a player or team staff member:

• commits a penalty infraction with intent to injure, or fights.
• intentionally spears, butt-ends or kicks an opponent.
• excessively abuses an on-ice official before, during or immediately after a game (for example intentionally touching, holding, pushing, striking, tripping, threatening or persisting after a Misconduct).
• intentionally leaves the penalty bench or players' bench during an altercation and becomes involved in it.
• commits a boarding, body contact, charging, cross-checking or elbowing infraction from behind that propels the opponent into the boards, post or crossbar so they cannot protect themselves.

Violations (Rule 13.1) and penalties (Rule 20.2) follow the same pattern.

• Team in control of the ring commits it: play is stopped immediately.
• Team not in control commits it: play continues and a delayed violation or delayed penalty is signalled. Play is stopped when that team gains control of the ring, unless the violation has been nullified. For a delayed penalty, play is also stopped when the team in control commits an infraction, or if the ring travels untouched from the defending to the attacking zone, when it comes to rest across the second blue line with both teams ineligible to play it.
• Nullified delayed violations: most are nullified when the ring entirely leaves the zone where the violation occurred. Violations for jewellery or improper equipment are nullified when the player fixes the fault or leaves the ice.
• Play is stopped immediately if the ring leaves the playing area, comes to rest on the back, side or top of the net, the net is dislodged so that it affects play, a goaltender is involved in the play without mandatory protective equipment, or a skater is involved without a helmet or face protector.
• Blatant offences. Play may be stopped immediately when the team not in control commits a blatant Misconduct, Major or Match penalty.
• Both teams with a delayed penalty: play is stopped when the second team commits its penalty.

Rule 8.4: the ring must be passed, shot with the stick, deflected, batted or legally kicked to another player across each blue line.

• Position of the ring decides. For skaters it is the position of the ring, not the player or the stick, that determines blue line violations.
• A ring on or touching a blue line is in both zones at once and is playable by all eligible players.
• Last player controls it on the far side. If the last player to contact or control the ring when it was entirely on one side of the blue line then controls it entirely on the other side before anyone else touches it, play is stopped immediately (blue line violation, free pass to the other team in that zone with territorial advantage).
• Last player only contacts it on the far side. No one from that team may contact or control the ring within five seconds, or before it completely leaves that zone. Signal a delayed violation and start a five-second count when that player contacts the ring. If the team gains control during the count, play is stopped and a free pass goes to the other team in the zone. If the team contacts the ring again, the count restarts.
• Other team touches it first. Play continues and the violation is dropped.
• After the count. The player who contacted the ring remains ineligible, but teammates may play it again.
• Goaltender throws the ring across the blue line. The same mechanics apply, with the five-second count starting when the ring completely crosses the line.

Source: Rule 8.4 and Annex B, mechanics 17 and 19.

Rule 8.5: the ring may not be passed to a teammate directly from the defending zone to the attacking zone.

• If a teammate of the player who last contacted the ring in the defending zone controls the ring (before an opponent contacts or controls it) after it has travelled untouched, play is stopped immediately and a two blue line pass violation is called. The mechanics have the ring awarded to the other team as a free pass in its attacking zone.
• If that teammate only contacts the ring (before an opponent does), a delayed violation is signalled. No player from that team may contact or control the ring within five seconds from the time an opponent contacts or controls it, or before the ring completely leaves that zone. If that team gains control during the count, play is stopped.
• If an opponent contacts or controls the ring first, the violation is dropped.
• A player who is ineligible to play the ring because of a delayed violation and is the only player to touch the ring in the neutral zone does not stop the violation applying.
• Wash out: if the eligible team has had reasonable time to play the ring and it is now playable by either team, the on-ice official nullifies the potential violation with the wash out signal and verbalizes "play". The team that is eligible must still go to the ring without delay.

Source: Rule 8.5 and Annex B, mechanics 18 and 22.

Rule 10.1 sets the free pass procedure. The ring is placed in the centre of the half of the free pass circle closer to the goal area defended by the team awarded the free pass. After the whistle:

• The player taking the free pass may enter only the half circle where the ring is placed and is the only player allowed in the circle. If nobody from that team is in the circle at the whistle, the first player from that team to enter takes the pass.
• That player must use the stick to put the ring entirely outside the free pass circle within five seconds.
• The player may move anywhere within that half circle but may not leave it until the ring is entirely outside the circle.
• That player may not contact or control the ring again once it is outside the circle until another player has contacted or controlled it.
• No other player may contact or control the ring before it is entirely outside the circle.
• If a teammate enters the circle before the ring is out, play is stopped immediately.
• If an opponent enters the circle early and that team gains control in that zone within five seconds of the ring leaving the circle (and before it exits the zone), play is stopped.

A defending zone free pass is replaced by a goaltender ring unless the stoppage is caused by the ring staying out of the playing area, an injury, a penalty assessment, a timeout, or a long delay in restarting play (Rule 10.2).

Section 24 of the Official Rules and Case Book sets the shot clock at 30 seconds.

• Set to 30 at the start of each period and after a goal.
• Runs with the game clock. It starts when play starts and stops when play stops.
• Reset to 30 when the team in possession takes a shot on goal, control of the ring changes teams, or a delayed penalty is signalled (further delayed penalties before the stoppage do not reset it again).
• Also reset when a penalty makes the non-penalized team commit a violation and play stops, when a player on the team not in control commits a violation and play stops, when a player on the team not last in control is injured and play stops, or when the two shot clocks show different times during a stoppage.
• A shot on goal is a legal shot by the team in possession that enters the net, hits a post or the crossbar, hits the goaltender or acting goaltender in the crease, or hits the goaltender outside the crease and stops it entering the net.
• At zero an audible signal sounds, play is stopped (the team last in control has committed a violation), the clock resets to 30, and the ring goes to the other team in the nearest circle in the zone where the ring was last contacted or controlled. A goaltender ring may replace a defensive free pass.
• Error at zero. If the signal sounds in error, play is stopped, the clock is reset to 30 and the ring is awarded to the team last in control. If the clock is reset in error, play continues.
• End of period. Turn the display off when less time remains in the period than on the shot clock.
• Timeouts. The shot clock operator can start the 30-second clock to time a team timeout.

Rules 21.1 to 21.4 cover team penalty regulations:

• Two at a time. A maximum of two players per team can serve penalties at once. Others go to the penalty bench and serve in the order their penalties were assessed.
• First expired, first out. When a penalty expires, the player whose penalty expired first returns to the ice. A player who has finished but cannot be released because the team is already at its maximum strength stays in the penalty bench until play is stopped.
• Goals cancel Minors. If the team scored against has more penalized players (including delayed penalties) than the team that scored, a Minor penalty may be cancelled. Fully served penalties (Unsportsmanlike Conduct and Major) are never cancelled by a goal.
• Which Minor is cancelled. With one Minor being served, it is cancelled. With two Minors being served, the one with the most time expired is cancelled. Delayed penalties are then assessed.
• Penalty time is playing time. Penalty time is actual playing time, served in the penalty bench, and a player serving a penalty may not be replaced on the ice. Players enter and leave the penalty bench via the ice surface.
• Forfeit. A team must be able to ice at least four players once the game starts, otherwise it forfeits.

Ringette Canada's National Officials Certification Program (NOCP) has five levels. Full certification at a lower level is required before the next one.

• Officials must be evaluated every season or they lose a number rank for each season missed.
• In a rule-change year every official must take the refresher: Level 1 officials active less than 2 seasons take the Level 1 course, Levels 2 and 3 take Refresher 2/3, Levels 4 and 5 take Refresher 4/5. An official who skips it cannot continue to officiate.
• Provinces train officials only up to Level 3. Ringette Canada runs Levels 4 and 5.

Source: Ringette Canada On-Ice Official's Policy (last reviewed June 2020).

The Official Rules and Case Book (Annex A) sets out the reporting steps for on-ice officials:

• Report in detail. All Misconduct and Match penalties must be reported in detail on the Official Game Report.
• Sign the report. At the end of the game the on-ice officials check and sign the Official Game Report and return it to the scorekeeper. The scorekeeper then has the timekeeper and shot clock official sign it, signs it, and forwards it to the person responsible for game reports.
• Do not comment on suspensions. On-ice officials must not, at any time, comment on the length of suspension a player or team staff member may receive.
• Misconduct after the game. Penalties can be assessed before, during or after a game. A Misconduct or Match infraction committed after the game is over means the game ejection is served in that person's next game, and any suspension is served in later games.
• Late arrival. A late team's tardiness should be noted by the on-ice officials on the Official Game Report and reported to the league or tournament officials.