Ringette Canada - Equipment changes for 2025-26 season

Effective September 1, 2025 Ringette Canada will be implementing new equipment changes for the 2025-26 season. These changes focus on player safety.

Key changes include mandatory shoulder pads for all U19 and younger players , and specific requirements for knee and elbow pads. 

Here's a breakdown of the changes as indicated on Ringette Canada’s website :

2.1   Knee, Shin, Shoulder and Elbow Pads  

All players shall wear knee, shin and elbow pads.  A plastic shell, or similar hard shell protection, is required in all knee protectors (goalkeepers excluded).   All players registered in U19 and younger age groups shall wear shoulder pads designed for participation in ice sports.

All athletes registered in U19 age categories and younger must wear hard-shell shoulder capped shoulder pads designed for ice sports.

5.7      Gloves

5.7.a   All players shall wear gloves that fully cover the hands and that have two layers of material on the back with some type of protective padding material in between.

NOTE:    A protective glove that, as a result of wear, has small or insignificant holes in the palm need not be removed from play.  However, should such holes compromise the safety of a player, that player should not be allowed to use the glove.

5.7.b  Palmless gloves and gloves that expose the  volar aspect (underside) of the wrist to the risk of injury are prohibited.

Additional context: 

Athletes may not play with lacrosse, ball hockey, street hockey, broomball, or other similar types of gloves. They have not been tested for cut-resistance, which is a player safety issue. 

Palms of gloves must be fully intact. Gloves that have had the palms cut or are worn out may not be used and must be re-palmed in order to be played with. 

Athletes are permitted and encouraged to wear other cut-resistant pieces of equipment like sleeves and socks  in addition to wearing the mandatory equipment.

This rule applies to all competition levels and age categories.

5.2     Ringette Sticks

5.2.b   The Ringette stick may be made of wood, plastic, aluminum or any similar material.  In the case of composite sticks that employ more than one material in their construction, sticks and tips must be manufactured specifically for Ringette and designed to meet the sport’s regulations and performance standards. Modified or repurposed composite sticks from other sports are not permitted.  Should one of the replaceable pieces separate during the game if possible it should be returned to the team to determine if it can be safely and legally repaired.

5.2.c   A stick can be painted. However, if it is commercially manufactured, the make and model shall still be visible.  Should the make and model not be visible, the stick will be deemed to be illegal.  

5.2.d   Both ends of the stick shall be free of cracks and splinters.  If the surface of the stick is textured, the difference between the lands and grooves shall not exceed 1mm (0.04 in.)  Tape may not be added to the playing end of the stick.  Should a stick be deemed broken other than the separation of replaceable pieces, it shall be removed from play for the remainder of the game.

Additional context:

Sticks used to play ringette must be manufactured specifically for ringette. Any brand of tip can be used in any brand of stick - they do not have to be from the same manufacturer. If a stick and tip become separated during the game, an Official will return them to the players’ bench. If they can be safely repaired during game play, the athlete may continue to use that stick. 

This rule applies to all competition levels and age categories.

As the FYRA receives more information from Ringette Canada and/or Ringette New Brunswick we will be sure to share through our social media channels and email.


We also encourage you to follow Ringette Canada on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RingetteCanada as well as follow their website at https://www.ringette.ca/

A reminder, registrations for the 2025-26 season will open in early August, stay tuned for further details!