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.
Explore across the knowledge base
Follow the threads that connect Rink to the rest of SocialSportHub.
Facilities
- Ice rinkA sheet of prepared ice, usually rink-boarded with rounded corners, used for skating and ice sports.
- Badminton courtA rectangular indoor court, divided by a high net, on which badminton is played as singles or doubles.
- Padel courtAn enclosed court, much smaller than a tennis court, walled with glass and mesh so the ball can be played off the walls.
- Fitness studioAn open indoor room used for instructor-led group fitness classes such as yoga, aerobics and indoor cycling.
- Football pitchThe large rectangular grass or artificial-turf field on which football (soccer) is played, with a goal at each end.
Playing surfaces
- IceA prepared, frozen sheet kept hard and smooth; its extremely low friction lets skaters, pucks and stones glide with very little resistance.
- GrassNatural turf grown on soil — the traditional surface for many field sports and, in tennis, a fast court with a low, skiddy bounce.
- WoodAn indoor sprung timber or parquet floor — grippy, consistent and lightly cushioned; the classic surface for indoor court sports.
- SandLoose beach sand: a soft, shifting, energy-sapping surface with no true bounce that rewards balance and footwork, used for beach sports and conditioning.
- WaterThe medium for aquatic sport — pool or open water that supports the body with buoyancy and resists movement with drag rather than giving footing.
Disciplines
- Synchronized skatingSynchronized skating is a team discipline in which a group of skaters moves as one unit through formations, emphasizing precision, timing, and unison.
- Ice danceIce dance is a couples discipline focused on rhythm, musical interpretation, and intricate footwork, without the throw jumps or overhead lifts of pairs.
- Long TrackLong track speed skating is contested on a 400-metre two-lane oval, with skaters usually racing in pairs and ranked mostly by their times.
- SinglesSingles is figure skating performed alone, with one skater presenting jumps, spins, and step sequences to music in separate men's and women's events.
- PairsPairs is skated by two partners who combine unison elements with lifts, throw jumps, twist lifts, and death spirals that are unique to the discipline.
Movement patterns
- GlideGlide is continuous, low-resistance locomotion in which the body holds a streamlined shape so that momentum generated by a preceding propulsive action carries it smoothly across a surface or through a medium.
- Crossover StepA lateral or diagonal travelling step in which one leg crosses over the other with accompanying hip and trunk rotation, trading a stable base for greater reach and speed.
- Shuffle (Lateral Shuffle)A low, athletic side-to-side stepping pattern in which the feet never cross, used to reposition and stay balanced and reactive while keeping the shoulders square to a target.
- SlideA slide is a controlled, low-friction skid of the body or foot along a surface, used to brake, extend reach, or hold a line, where managed friction and a lowered centre of gravity govern the movement.
Equipment
Officiating
- JudgeA judge is an official who scores performance in judged sports, awarding marks for execution and difficulty rather than counting goals or timing a race.
- UmpireA match official who rules on lines, serves and dismissals in racket, bat-and-ball and net sports such as tennis, cricket and baseball — and, in racket sports, also keeps the running score.
- Foul callA foul call is an official's ruling that a player broke a rule of contact or conduct, triggering a penalty such as a free kick, free throw or penalty.
- Video ReviewVideo review lets officials re-examine footage of a contested moment to confirm or overturn a close call — a goal, a line, a foul — an aid used across many sports.