Rink
An enclosed sheet of ice, or a comparable bounded surface, on which sports such as ice hockey, figure skating and curling are contested.
Definition
A rink is the playing surface and enclosure for ice sports. In ice hockey it is a sheet of ice bordered by boards and protective glass, with rounded corners and painted lines beneath the ice; curling is also played on a rink, though its ice is prepared very differently — pebbled and flatter — and divided into narrow sheets.
The term extends beyond ice: roller and inline hockey use a rink of smooth flooring, and in the sport of bowls a "rink" means both the strip of green a match is played on and, confusingly, the team of players. As with pitch and court, rink names the venue rather than a fixed size, and ice-hockey rink dimensions differ notably between North American and international standards.
Meaning by sport
This term is used differently across sports:
- Ice Hockey
- A boarded sheet of ice with rounded corners and glass, marked with blue lines, a centre line and goal lines.
- Curling
- A sheet of pebbled ice, longer and flatter than a hockey rink, on which stones are delivered toward the house.
- bowls
- The playing strip of the green — and, separately, the team of players contesting it.
Where you’ll hear “rink”
Sports that use this term:
Ice Hockey
A fast team sport on ice that combines skating skill with quick passing and goal-scoring.
Curling
A tactical team sport of sliding polished stones down a sheet of ice toward a target, with teammates sweeping to guide them.
Figure Skating
An artistic ice sport combining glides, spins, jumps and footwork into flowing routines.
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Facilities
- The ice hockey rinkThe dimensions and markings of an IIHF ice hockey rink — length, width, corner radius, the blue and centre lines, the goal lines and the face-off circles, with the line widths the rule book specifies.
- Ice rinkA sheet of prepared ice, usually rink-boarded with rounded corners, used for skating and ice sports.
Playing surfaces
Disciplines
- Ice danceIce dance is a couples discipline focused on rhythm, musical interpretation, and intricate footwork, without the throw jumps or overhead lifts of pairs.
- Synchronized skatingSynchronized skating is a team discipline in which a group of skaters moves as one unit through formations, emphasizing precision, timing, and unison.
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How this page is maintained
- Content type
- Term
- Provenance
- Tier A — evergreen educational
- Verified external sources
- 0
- Content updated
- 2026-09-01
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