Children's Ringette

What is Children's Ringette?

Children’s Ringette refers to all programs up to and including U10 and U12 programs introducing participants to the sport for the first time.

Ringette Canada and its member provincial ringette organizations have come together to commit to adopting small-area games as a cornerstone of its Children's Ringette initiatives. This commitment comes after more than three years of extensive work reviewing how the system of competition supports the long-term development of athletes, including extensive work with volunteer working groups and provincial ringette associations.

The Children’s Ringette initiative represents a concerted effort to make adjustments to ringette practices and competitions to meet the needs of children, while promoting a fun, safe and healthy environment which supports the development of physical literacy and the long-term development of all players.  
Over the course of the coming seasons, a number of positive changes will be introduced starting with the phasing in of small-area games (cross-ice and half-ice ringette) as the standard of play. This change will be introduced as follows:

• U8 players in 2019/20
• U9 players in 2020/21
• U10 players in 2021/22  

As these changes are phased in, Ringette Canada will be working with provincial ringette associations around other areas of activity, including support resources for coaches, and guidance on team formation and managing player progression.  

What does this mean for ringette on PEI?

During the 2018/19 season, a number of provincial and local associations will be working with Ringette Canada to gather feedback from participants (players, parents, coaches and event organizers) on their experiences in order to identify which game formats best suit development.

Ringette PEI will be piloting one format this season which will be used for all U8 games. As with last season, each club will host a 2 hour mini-jamboree for the U8 teams and RPEI will host a year-end jamboree.

The format for the 2018-2019 season:

The Season:

• Each club will host a 2 hour mini-jamboree and rotate teams through, teams may share dressing rooms

 The Teams:

• 4 teams will be on the ice per session, 2 in each half
• Teams should be 8-12 players to maximize ice time for each child. Where necessary, teams may join with other teams from different clubs to ensure everyone has the opportunity to play as much as possible.
• Play is 3 on 3 (skaters) with an additional player in net, it is recommended that the player in net change each shift and only a goal stick be used (ex: goalie pads should not be used).

 The Ice Setup:

• The ice surface is divided into two halves. Dividers should be placed across the ice when available (along the centre red line)
• Each centre ice net will be roughly 5 feet from the centre (from the dividers) to allow players to go behind their respective net.
• When each game is being played, each half ice is further separated into two zones using the thin red free play line.
• A goal crease will be painted on each centre ice goal

 The play:

• Games will be 24 minutes, A buzzer will sound every 2 minutes for a line change. The clocks will be stopped when the buzzer sounds and started again at the next goalie ring (start of the next shift). Coaches are encouraged to get players on and off the bench as efficiently as possible so that games remain on time.         
• Play will start with a goalie ring, including after goals and line changes
• Players are required to pass over the free play line.
• On a goalie ring, the defending team must clear the zone (all players on the team without the ring must be beyond the free play line)
• One referee will be used (per half) to call carrying the ring across the line and crease violations (and to give the players a sense of it being a game rather than a practice)
•  Penalties will not be used but the referee will have the authority to address dangerous play
• Coaches will be on the ice to keep play moving, assist players and ice setup (dividers, crease etc)

Dates for this season:

• Souris- December 8th at 11:20am
• Summerside- January 19th (subject to change)
• Montague- February 9th at 2:20pm
• Charlottetown- tbc
• Rustico- tbc
• RPEI year-end jamboree- March 2nd or 3rd pending confimation of ice

Why small-area games?
Small-area games support development by scaling the game to the size of participants. Benefits of small-area games include:

• Each player being able to spend more time with the ring, leading to improved ring control, passing and shooting skills
• More opportunities to apply practiced skills
• More opportunities to accelerate/decelerate and change directions reinforcing fundamental skating skills
• Smaller nets provide an appropriate challenge for skaters and goalies

All of these benefits result in an appropriate level of challenge, a better learning environment, and more fun.

For more information about Ringette Canada's Children's Ringette Initiatives, the benefits of small-area games and to learn about what's happening in your province please visit: https://www.ringette.ca/programs/childrensringette/ Ringette Canada has produced a Jamboree Guide which outlines a number of playing options. This guide is a working document that will form the basis of more formal guidelines to be put in place for the 2019/2020 season.