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
- 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.
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- Content type
- Term
- Provenance
- Tier A — evergreen educational
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- Content updated
- 2026-08-04
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