For parents and guardians of U10 ringette players in Canada, 2026-27 season. Covers how ringette differs from hockey, Children's Ringette formats and ice, the free pass, equipment, nets and goalies, game length, scoring and penalties, body contact, coaching requirements and concussion steps.
Ringette is a Canadian winter sport created in 1963. Players use a straight stick with a specialized tip to move a hollow rubber ring (blue, 16.3 to 16.8 cm outside diameter) into the other team's net. Ringette Canada lists these differences from hockey:
Sources: https://www.ringette.ca/our-sport/what-is-ringette/ and https://www.ringette.ca/about-us/rule-book/
Children's Ringette is Ringette Canada's grassroots program that introduces participants under the age of 10 to ringette. It focuses on fun and fundamental skills (skating, ring control, passing and shooting), small-area games, small nets, and more chances for every child to take part.
Starting in 2020-21, Ringette Canada recommended replacing the U8, U9 and U10 age categories with one program of three progressive divisions: FUN1, FUN2 and FUN3. Children are placed by developmental stage and skill, using assessments at the start of the program, and move up when ready. The guidelines list U9 and U10 under FUN3, and say the program corresponds to the Fundamentals stage (about 6 to 8 years old) and early Learn to Train stage (about 8 to 11 years old).
Ringette Canada's page and guidelines present these as recommendations that its provincial partners implement. The guidelines linked from the Children's Ringette page are the 2020-21 edition.
Sources: https://www.ringette.ca/discover/childrens-ringette/ and https://www.ringette.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Childrens-Ringette-Guidelines-2020-21.pdf
Ringette Canada's Children's Ringette Guidelines (2020-21) list U9 and U10 players in the FUN3 stage, which is played full-ice, 5v5 plus a goalie, with a crease, two passing lines, a rotated goalie using only a stick, and an introduction to forward and defence positions. Shifts are 2 to 3 minutes of equal shifts.
For comparison, the guidelines list FUN2 (U7, U8, U9) as half-ice 3v3 or 4v4 plus a goalie, and FUN1 (U6, U7, U8) as cross-ice 3v3 or 4v4 with no goalies. The guidelines say participants are grouped by developmental stage rather than chronological age, using assessments at the start of the program, and move up when they are ready.
Ice markings for the small-area stages: creases about 1.8 m in radius, about 1.5 m from the centre line (half-ice) or boards (cross-ice). Dividers or pylons can be used to split the ice. In formats with two passing lines, the existing blue line is one passing line and the second is drawn straight across the free pass circles.
A standard ringette rink (Official Rules and Case Book, 2025-2027, Rule 2.3) should be 60.96 m (200 ft) long and 25.91 m (85 ft) wide.
Sources: https://www.ringette.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Childrens-Ringette-Guidelines-2020-21.pdf and https://www.ringette.ca/about-us/rule-book/
Ringette has no face-offs. Ringette Canada says any stoppage results in a free pass to restart play.
In the Official Rules and Case Book (2025-2027, Rule 10.1): the ring is placed in the centre of the half of the free pass circle closer to the goal that the team is defending (the circles have a radius of 4.57 m). Only the player taking the pass may be in the circle. After the whistle that player must, with the stick, put the ring entirely outside the circle within five seconds. They may not touch the ring again until another player has, and no other player may touch it until it is entirely outside the circle. Opponents entering the circle early can lead to play being stopped if their team then gains control.
In Children's Ringette (guidelines 2020-21): coaches and organizers pick from options. A free pass with a 1 m clearance to make a stationary pass to a teammate is one option for starting a game, restarting after a goal, restarting when the ring leaves the playing area, and responding to an infraction. Other options are a coach tossing the ring into play, or giving a goalie ring with a verbal five count.
Sources: https://www.ringette.ca/our-sport/what-is-ringette/ , https://www.ringette.ca/about-us/rule-book/ and https://www.ringette.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Childrens-Ringette-Guidelines-2020-21.pdf
Under the Official Rules and Case Book of Ringette (2025-2027), Section 5, a skater must wear:
Protective equipment other than gloves, helmet, facial protector and neck protector must be worn entirely under the uniform. Ringette Canada's equipment page warns to check that helmets are CSA-certified, not expired or modified, because counterfeit CSA labels are increasing.
Sources: https://www.ringette.ca/about-us/rule-book/ and https://www.ringette.ca/our-sport/equipment-standards/
Nets: Ringette Canada's Children's Ringette Guidelines (2020-21) say reduced-size nets should be used to scale the game down. The first option is 3 ft by 4 ft nets (listed as 3'x4'), the second is pop-up mini soccer nets, and pylons placed 3 ft apart may also be used. Ringette Canada's Children's Ringette FAQ says reduced-size nets and dividers are recommended but not required, and no special equipment has to be bought. Under the Official Rules and Case Book (2025-2027, Rule 3.5.a), goal nets for U12 and younger age divisions must be completely free moving. The standard net has posts 1.83 m (6 ft) apart and 1.21 m (4 ft) high.
Goalies: in the guidelines, FUN1 games have no goalies. In FUN2 and FUN3 the goalie is a rotated player using only a stick, and all players should be introduced to goaltender skills in practice from the first level and rotate through the position in games.
Sources: https://www.ringette.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Childrens-Ringette-Guidelines-2020-21.pdf , https://www.ringette.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Childrens-Ringette-FAQ-English-2019-20.pdf and https://www.ringette.ca/about-us/rule-book/
Games (Official Rules and Case Book, 2025-2027, Rule 6.1): two fifteen-minute periods of actual playing time (stop time) should be allowed for each game in the U14 and younger age divisions. If periods of that length are not possible, equal-length periods are played.
Children's Ringette (Ringette Canada guidelines, 2020-21):
Sources: https://www.ringette.ca/about-us/rule-book/ and https://www.ringette.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Childrens-Ringette-Guidelines-2020-21.pdf
Under Ringette Canada's Children's Ringette Guidelines (2020-21):
Source: https://www.ringette.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Childrens-Ringette-Guidelines-2020-21.pdf
Ringette Canada describes ringette as having a no-contact policy, with no intentional body contact.
In the Official Rules and Case Book of Ringette (2025-2027), Rule 14.2 says a Minor penalty is committed if a player uses any part of the body to contact an opponent in a forceful manner. If the initial contact is to the head or is from behind, a Major or Match penalty must be called. Boarding (forcing an opponent into the boards) and charging (the ring carrier skating directly into an opponent who has taken a legal defending position) carry the same rule: Minor, or Major or Match if the contact is to the head or from behind.
In Children's Ringette, formal penalties are not awarded. If play is dangerous, the coach or acting referee stops play and explains, and a player can be asked to sit out a shift if they have had repeated warnings or are putting others at risk.
Sources: https://www.ringette.ca/our-sport/what-is-ringette/ , https://www.ringette.ca/about-us/rule-book/ and https://www.ringette.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Childrens-Ringette-Guidelines-2020-21.pdf
Ringette Canada's Children's Ringette Guidelines (2020-21 edition, the one linked from its Children's Ringette page) set these coaching requirements:
Separately, Ringette Canada's Responsible Coaching page says all coaches must complete the NCCP Make Ethical Decisions module and, since April 1, 2020, the Respect in Sport Activity Leader/Coach Program. It also asks for the Rule of Two: interactions with participants should be open, observable and justifiable, with two responsible adults present (a coach, parent, staff member or screened volunteer). Screening means valid police record checks and other background checks as appropriate.
Officials are not required at this stage. Coaches can act as referees to keep games flowing.
Sources: https://www.ringette.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Childrens-Ringette-Guidelines-2020-21.pdf and https://www.ringette.ca/safe-sport/responsible-coaching/
Ringette Canada's Concussion Protocol (adapted from the Canadian Guideline on Concussion in Sport, 2024) sets these steps.
Before the season: athletes and parents/guardians must review and sign the Pre-season Concussion Education Sheet and give it to the coach or team designate before the first practice.
On the ice: a concussion is suspected if there is an impact to the head, face, neck or body and the athlete shows signs or reports symptoms listed in the Concussion Recognition Tool 6. The athlete must be removed from the activity immediately and get a medical assessment as soon as possible. A youth athlete (under 18) with a suspected concussion must not return to the game or practice.
Red flags (loss of consciousness, convulsions, worsening headaches, repeated vomiting, neck pain): an ambulance should be called, the athlete should not be moved or left alone, and equipment should not be removed unless the person is formally trained. Parents or guardians are contacted immediately.
Diagnosis: the medical assessment is done by a medical doctor or nurse practitioner (scope varies by province; the protocol notes that in Quebec nurse practitioners cannot diagnose concussion). They give a Medical Assessment Letter. It is the athlete's or parent/guardian's responsibility to give that letter to the coach.
Return to sport: there are six steps, from rest, to light then moderate aerobic exercise, to individual skating drills (wearing a "No Contact" pinny), to non-contact team drills, to full-contact practice, to full games. The athlete spends at least 24 hours at each step. Before step 4 the athlete must finish any return-to-school steps and give the coach a Medical Clearance Letter. If symptoms return during steps 4 to 6, the athlete goes back to step 3 and needs medical clearance again.
School: students do not need to be symptom-free to return to school, and a complete absence of more than one week is not recommended.
Source: https://www.ringette.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/EN-RC-Concussion-Protocol.pdf (documents and forms: https://www.ringette.ca/safe-sport/concussions/)