2026 Tournament Rules

Tournament Rules 2026

1) The Kingston Ringette Tournament is sanctioned by Ringette Ontario, and all Ringette Ontario Sanctioned Tournament Rules and Ringette Canada Official Rules will be enforced unless otherwise specified.

2) All coaches must have signed the electronic game sheet and verified their roster 30 mins prior to the game.

3) This year, with just a handful of Friday exceptions, all of our games will be hosted in the Invista Arena, which is where you will find the Tournament Co-Convenors, Referee-in-Chief, and other tournament organizers.  On Friday afternoon, there will be one (1) game in the nearby Kinsmen (Cataraqui) Arena and two in the Centre 70 Arena; on the last page of this document, you will find simple maps to guide you to those venues.

4) Except for the first game of the day on a given pad, teams must be ready to go on the ice FIFTEEN MINUTES PRIOR TO THE SCHEDULED GAME TIME for all games. Failure to be on the ice within 5 minutes of notification to begin the game may result in forfeiture of the game. Please remember that the game ahead of yours may end early (if, for instance, a lopsided score leads to the use of running time, described in item 11).  In such cases, considering the fullness of our schedules, the entire tournament may benefit from an early start to the next game.

5) The Home team shall have the choice of sweater color. In case of a conflict, sweater changes may be mandated at the discretion of the game officials. (Please be aware that many Quebec teams do not have a second set of jerseys, so if a conflict occurs with them we may ask that the other team change jerseys.)

6) Two minutes will be allowed for on-ice warm-up for all games. In Ontario, players are permitted on the ice before the referees. The warm-up will start as soon as the Zamboni leaves the ice, and it is each team’s responsibility to have their players lined up and ready to take the ice. Team cheers must take place within this period. The timekeeper will buzz with 30 seconds left in the warmup, and teams who wish to do a cheer must proceed to their benches and complete their cheers at this time. Non-observance of this rule will result in a penalty for delay of game. It is very important that we all do our part to keep the games on schedule.

7) In the event of injury to a goalie, that player is allowed up to 5 minutes to recuperate from the injury or to leave the ice. If the injured goalkeeper is replaced, that player may not return to the ice until the play has resumed.

8) If an alternate goalkeeper is already dressed, that player must immediately replace the injured goalkeeper - no warmup is allowed. If no alternate goalkeeper is already dressed, an additional 5 minutes is allowed to dress and warm up a replacement goalkeeper.

9) If the goalie receives a major or misconduct penalty, a maximum of 5 minutes will be allowed to replace the goalie with an eligible teammate.

10) No unsportsmanlike behaviour will be tolerated, either from the spectators or the coaches. In the event that there is such conduct, the officials will ask the offending person to leave the building. If, after three (3) minutes the person has not left, a penalty will be assigned to the team associated with the person who is at fault. If the person refuses to leave, the team whose supporters are displaying unacceptable unsportsmanlike conduct may forfeit the game.

11) In the event that the goal spread reaches 7 or greater, the clock will be set to running time during the second period only. The clock will revert to stop time if the goal spread is reduced to six or less. If a penalty is called during running time, the clock stops so that the penalty may be entered, but it restarts in running mode when play commences. The clock will also stop for injuries or if a time-out is called, restarting when play commences. If the goal spread is 7 or greater, additional goals will be recorded on the scoresheet but not posted on the scoreboard.

12) Games tied at the end of regulation play will be handled as follows: a. Regular Round Robin Play - the game will remain tied, with each team receiving one point. b. Final Games & any Semi-Final games - sudden victory overtime. A coin toss will decide which team starts with the ring. The game will proceed to sudden victory overtime (successive 15 minute periods, with the first goal winning the game).

13) At the discretion of the tournament convenor, if there are significant delays in the schedule, flooding of the ice between games may be skipped. It should be noted that we have not had to resort to this option at any KRA Tournament in the (long) memory of the current convenor, and we would see this as a very last resort.

14) Bench staff members are required to walk around the ice surface, outside the boards, to get to their team benches.

15) Bench staff members are not permitted on the ice to shake hands with the opponents at the end of a game. Players are encouraged to skate by the opposing bench to shake hands with that bench staff after shaking hands with the opposing players.

16) Teams are requested to be ready to leave the ice surface quite promptly once the game ends. On the final day, gold and silver medals will be presented in an off-ice ceremony, after the teams have vacated their assigned dressing rooms.

17) Off-ice officials (timekeepers, scorekeepers and shot-clockers) will be provided by the Kingston Ringette Association; teams will not be called upon to find volunteers for these roles.

18) Bench staff members are requested to don helmets before going on the ice surface for any reason, including attending to injured players. 

19) On Friday Jan 23rd, the sequence of five games on the MNP pad from 10:30 AM to 3:30 PM will be subject to Zamboni time stoppage: we do not have ‘slush’ ice immediately following that sequence, and other non-ringette users will be standing ready to occupy their reserved ice. On all other pads, and on both other tournament days, we have strategically reserved slush ice that should make this unnecessary.

20) Notwithstanding the final words in point (19), time-limited ice allotments may very occasionally require that games be played to Zamboni time rather than to full completion. (For instance, a serious injury in one game may require an emergency callout that leads to a very protracted delay of subsequent start times.) Every effort will be made to remind bench staff of this possibility before each such game. If such a possibility is foreseen in advance, the Tournament Convenors will make best efforts (through adjustments such as a relocation of games from one pad to another) to use ‘slush’ ice to allow games to be played to completion. In the event that this is not possible and a game ends because of ‘Zamboni time,’ the score at that stage will stand and the decision is not protestable, regardless of the outcome.   

21) All A’ ‘B’ and ‘C’ level divisions will be playing with a shot clock. There will be no shot clocks at the FUN3 level.

22) No air horns or mechanically-assisted horns are permitted at any of the facilities. Music is only allowed in the change rooms, not in the gangways or main concourse. 

23) By Kingston Parks & Arenas policy, teams may NOT warm up in the public areas of the arenas (the spectator areas and any part of the central gangways of the Invista Arena; the lobbies of the Cataraqui / Kinsmen complex; and public areas in the Centre 70 Arena). Team warmups are permitted in advance of a game in the space immediately adjacent to the ice surface about to be used.

Rules Specific to the FUN 3 Level of Play Basic ringette rules will be observed. When a penalty is assessed, possession of the ring will be awarded to the non-penalized team in the normal fashion. A scorekeeper and timekeeper will be assigned to each game, but no shot clocks will be used.