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Ringo Rules
Schedule
to the Statutes of International Ringo Federation
passed by IRF Congress 6 XII 1997 in Warsaw
RINGO RULES | 1. THE GOAL OF THE GAME |
2. THE RINGO RING | 3. RINGOCATEGORIES AND COURT PROPORTIONS |
4.SERVE | 5. FLIGHT OF THE RINGO RING |
6. PITCH OF THE RINGO RING |
7. CATCHING THE RINGO RING |
8. TIME OF HOLDING THE RING |
9. RINGO STOP | 10. CHANGE OF FIELDS |
11. CONTACT WITH THE RING |
12. COURT POSITIONS | 13.STEPS ON COURT |
14. ADDING UP POINTS | 15. CLASSIFICATION |
16. PLAYERS' GEAR | 17. ORGANIZERS' POWERS
The ringo game was originated on the Vistula River, in Warsaw,in 1959, by Włodzimierz Strzyżewski, captain of the Polish
epee fencing team to play at the Academic World Championships in Turin.
When Strzyżewski failed to obtain a leave of absence to go to a National Representation trainig camp, he had to design
his own trainig system, such that would allow him, without a coach or partners, to remain in practice and to be at his best.
His invention of ringo (patented by the US Copyright Office in Washington, D.C.) helped the Polish team win the silver medal in Turin.
Ringo's special qualities have prompted its originator and
other people of good will to popularize this game so that it
become a world and an Olimpic sport, giving every man a fine
chance of self-improvement and the right to sport. Such right is
the foundation of a full development of the human personality. It
is the right to the realization of the dignity of human person.
Ringo is a game played as a single or in teams. It is a form
of recreation, rehabilitation and social prophylaxis, a system of
enhancing the wholesomeness and psychosomatic fitness and to
instil friendship among players. Ringo is a game that helps every
sportsman to be at his/her best. When playing ringo, your
opponent becomes your partner. It helps you enhance fitness,
health and joy of life in children, youth and adults. This is why,
while serving the development of the crucial element of the
productive forces of every society, i.e. man, it is at the same
time a sport serving congenial cooperation and international
friendship, a sport educating society to live in Peace.
Ringo has something for everybody. Its rules ensure maximum
effectiveness, accessibility and safety. A child and a retired
person, a violin virtuoso and prize fighter, a shorthand writer,
a surgeon and a pilot can play it with no fear that they will
injure their fingers!
1. The goal of the game is to score 15 points, defending one's
own half of the court, and pitching the ring - from one's own
half of the court or from outside but within the limits of the
centre line - above the ringo line - so that it falls on the
opponent's half. If the opponent equalizes at 14:14, the aim is
to become two points ahead. From 14:14 score - serve is changed
after each point. When the score is 16-16, the 17th point wins
the game.
2. Each party scores a point for every error committed by the opponent party.
3. Ringo is played with a hollow rubber ring with a
decompression vent, riffled on top and bottom surfaces, with an
external diameter of 17 cm (registered design) and a weight of
160-165 grammes. It is stable in flight and does not cause finger
injuries to children or adults.
4. The team ringo (doubles and triples)
is played on court 9 m wide by 18 m long (as the standard
volleyball court is). The ringo line (i.e. a rope or a tape) at
least 1 cm wide, with colorful ribbons at least 25 cm long
attached to it every 20 cm, is attached at the height of 243 cm.
5. The proportions of the court for the game of singles depend on
the player's age (category). They are as follows:
- categories 1 and 2 - KIDS (girls and boys under 11 years of age):
6 m wide by 12 m long. The ringo line is stretched 200 cm above
the ground,
- categories 3 and 4 - YOUNGSTERS (11-13 years of age): 7 m wide
by 14 m long. The ringo line is stretched 224 cm above the ground,
- categories 5 and 6 - CADETS (14 and 15 years of age): 8 m wide
by 14 m long. The ringo line is stretched 243 cm above the ground,
and Ringo line is stretched 243 cm above the ground with regard
to all higher age categories
- categories 7 and 8 - JUNIORS (16-18 years of age): 8 m wide by
18 m long.
- category 9 - OPEN LADIES CLASS (women 19-29 years of age): 8 m
wide by 18 m long,
- category 10 - OPEN GENTLEMEN CLASS (men 19-35 years of age): 8
m wide by 18 m long,
- category 11 - AMAZONS (women 30-39 years of age): 8 m wide and
16 m long. These proportions apply to all the succeeding cat-
egories of singles.
- category 12 - OLDBOYS (men 36-45 years of age)
- category 13 - SENIOR LADIES (women 40-49 years of age)
- category 14 - SENIOR GENTLEMEN (men 46-55 years of age)
- category 15 - VETERAN LADIES (women 50 and more years of age)
- category 16 - VETERAN GENTLEMEN (men 56 and more years of age)
All higher age categories should be composed in 5 years interval.
No younger participant except OPEN CLASS is allowed to start in
higher age category.
6. Categories 17 (schoolgirls' doubles) and 18 (schoolboys'
doubles) embrace youth no older than 15.
7. Players from 16 years fall into category 19 (women's doubles),
20 (men's doubles) or 21 (mixed triples).
8. Category 22 (family triples I) embraces children under 16 and
parents of any age, who play one or two rings;
- category 23 (family triples II) - children of 16 years of age or
older and parents of any age, who play two rings;
- category 24 - discretionary triples in wheelchairs and
- category 25 - discretionary triples of mentaly disabled who play
one or two rings according to separate rules;
- category 26 - women's family triples (mother, doughter and
granddaughter) and
- category 27 - men's family triples (father, son and grandson) who
play one or two rings.
9. Category 28 of mixed schoolchildren's triples (under 16 years
of age) who play two rings;
- category 29 - mixed school doubles under 16 years of age; and
- category 30 - mixed doubles starting from 16 years of age.
10. Disregarding the weather, ringo is played outside, on a
portable ringo court designed and patented by Włodzimierz Strzyżewski.
It can be played indoors on the volleyball court, using the ringo
lines. The court's surface must be safe, the court lines should
be painted in a colour contrasting with the surface.
11. The centre line called "the border of Peace" must
not be violated on the ground or in the air - under penalty of a
loss of a point.
12. Depending on the standard, the ringo game may be refereed
by one person or by the head referee and two court referees. The
head referee takes decisions and determines the final score.
13. At the start of a match players draw lots for choice of the
field.
14. Play is started with serve from beyond the end line but
within the boundaries of the side line. The trespassing of the
end or side line during serve causes a loss of a point.
15. The ring may be served on the head referee's command. He
makes sure that the two teams are ready and then raises his arm.
He either commands a START or blows a whistle and lowers his arm.
16. If in a team game, after the command to START, one of the
rings reached the centre line, whereas the other team did not
pitch their ring yet, the latter loses a point.
17. Captain serves first. In the matches of singles,the serving
player is changed every 3 points, in a game where two rings are
played - every 5 or 5+1 points, in a regular sequence.
18. When two rings are played, a fall of any of them (an error)
causes a loss of a point. The ring that fell on the surface must
remain there until the play with the other ring ended.
19. If in the game of singles, after serve, the ringo ring
touches the ringo line (net) and falls into the opponent's half
of the court, serve is repeated with no loss of a point. Another
successive "net", however, involves a loss of a point
already. In the game of doubles, the "net" by one of
the rings does not interrupt the play with the other ring or
cause a loss of a point, irrespective of the number of successive
"nets."
20. If during serve or exchange of pitches, the rings collide,
punished with a loss of a point is this team on whose half of the
court the ring fell or this team whose ring fell outside the
court. If the referee did not notice whose ring fell outside, no
team scores a point.
21. The ring should fly more or less parallel to the surface
or with its circumference facing the opponent's half of the court.
In no moment of its flight, may the ring remain in the vertical
position. The united command "VERTICAL" by the head
referee and the relevant court referee (linesman) interrupts the
game. The erring side loses a point. If the opinions of the head
referee and the linesman differ, no side scores a point. The
criteria of VERTICAL are established by the head referee before
the competition starts:
(1) if the ring deflects 45-135 degrees from the surface,
or
(2) if the ring flies more or less square to the surface, this
way gaining speed.
The adopted criterion must be announced before the start. 22. The
ring's rolling round its perpendicular or horizontal axis by 180
or more degrees ("somersault") causes a loss of a point.
The ring that touched the ringo line and fell on the off the
ground when pitching the ring causes a loss of a point.
23. The ring may wobble, yet, in variant 1, it must not oscillate
more than 45-135 degrees; in variant 2, it must not fly more or
less square to the surface.
24. The pitched ring must be rotating in whichever direction. To
pitch the ring with no rotation causes a loss of a point.
25. When pitching the ring, the pitcher must touch the ground
with at least a part of his/her foot. To take both feet off the
ground when pitching the ring causes a loss of a point.
26. The ring may be pitched from the spot or when taking the
permitted braking steps if one of the pitcher's feet touches the
ground.
27. The technique of the pitch is discretionary, with this
reservation however that the pitch started must be continued in
the same direction. To stop the ring's flight or to change its
direction (a feint) causes a loss of a point.
28. The ring may be caught with either hand but must be
returned with the same hand.
29. The ring that slipped from the catching hand for the first
time, must then be caught with the same hand. One's teammate, as
the person only beginning to catch, may use either hand. Two team-mates
may catch the ring together, but only one of them may throw it
back.
30. Two rings may not be caught in one hand.
31. The ring may be caught even with only one finger.
2. Unless the player makes a feint, he/she may hold the ring
as long as he/she chooses. However, if he/she slows down
deliberately, the Referee may command "Pięć sekund" (five
seconds) or "Trzy sekundy" (three seconds) and
beginning counting aloud. When he arrives at "5"/"3"/
- the player holding the ringo loses a point. The same applies to
serve. Version "5" or "3" seconds must be
declared before start of competition the given day.
33. The head referee does not stop counting for first ring if the
same player catches second ring.
34. In a game with two rings, once the first ring went out of
play, following two successive lobs (one by each of the teams),
the head referee issues a command "RINGO STOP", and
interrupts the game. The second ring scores no point. The game is
resumed with servicing two rings.
If both rings are still in play, and teams are exchanging lobs -
the head referee does not interrupt the game, but counts them
aloud for each party: "one" and "two!" The
third pitch of each side must be an offensive pitch. If it
happens to be a lob caught by the opponents, the head referee
gives a command, RINGO STOP and awards a point to the party to
have defended this third pitch. If the defenders failed to catch
the third lob, the point is awarded to the throwing party. Serve
is not recognized as a lob irrespective of the throwing technique.
35. In order to give equal chance (considering the light and
wind) to everyone, after one of the sides scores 8 points (or 8+1}
if two rings are played), players change fields.
36. The ring held in hand must not touch the holder's (save
the forearm of the catching hand) or his/her partner's body, the
ground, the ringo line (net) or the area above it. Ring must be
caught at least with 1 finger.
37. The receiving party may change his/her grasp of the ring as
long as the ring touches hand.
38. Players take whichever position they want in their half of
the court. Everyone pitches for himself or herself, without
serving the ring to partners. A deliberate tossing of the ring
under the pretence of dropping it causes a loss of a point. The
ring may be caught and pitched also from outside the court, but
then the ring must pass over the ringo line, within the
boundaries of the centre line set up for a given category (6, 7,
8 or 9 m). Failure to obey this condition causes a loss of a
point.
39. When catching the ring on the spot, the catcher may make a
step forward and take one foot off the ground. He/she must not
set this foot on the ground again until he/she returns the ring.
In any other situation, the catcher may only take a foot off the
ground and must not set it again until he/she returns the ring.
40. When leaping towards the opponent's half of the court, the
player may land on both his/her feet or on one, and set the other
foot before the first one. When landing on both feet, the player
may take one foot off the ground, but may not set it again until
he/she returns the ring. If he/she lands on one foot only, the
other one may be set in front, but before the pitch this foot
must be moved behind. Then, any foot may be taken on the ground
but must not be set back until the ring is returned.
41. Once the catcher touched the ring, he/she must not gain speed
or get deliberately closer to the opponent's half of the court
under the pretence of "braking steps." Otherwise he/she
loses a point. Only three actual braking steps towards the other
half on of the court (4 contact of the feet with the ground) are
allowed.
42. However, parallel to the centre line or when taking oneself
away from it, once he/she touches the ring, the player may take
any number of braking steps, and next turn towards the opponent's
field and take a foot off the ground when pitching the ring.
43. If the player catches the ring in the air, and lands on his/her
back, he/she may rise to both his/her feet, and take one off
before returning the ring. If the player lands with his/her face
back to the centre line, when rising to his/her feet, he/she may
turn towards the opponent's field, and take a foot off the ground
when returning the ring.
44. To shuffle one's foot or feet after the last permitted foot
movement was made- ("suwanie") causes a los of a point.
45. Every time a point is scored, the head referee announces
the result aloud and points out the winning team.
46. The players may voice their reservations only to the last
result announced.
47. Ringo competitors are classified according to;
(1) the number of victories won;
(2) the result of a direct match between the players who scored
the same number of victories;
(3) in case of three or more players (teams) with the same number
of victories won, the bigger number of wins in matches between
those interested, and if those are even - the difference of
points scored and lost decides;
(4) if the difference of these points is nil, the difference of
points scored decides;
(5) if the parties interested scored the same number of points,
decides the better score of points won and lost at a given stage
of the match (cup-tie, cup-final);
(6) if the difference of points is nil (Pt. 47.5), the bigger
number of points scored in the entire cup decides;
(7) if even these are even, the repeat direct match between all
the interested parties decides.
48. On pain of being prevented from the contest, contestants
must appear in an aesthetic sports gear and footwear (no track-shoes
or football shoes) or barefoot.
49. The contestant's wear may carry the name and the sign of the
club, town or country he/she represents. All other marks, for
example of sponsors, may be placed on the contestant's dress or
body only with the approval of the respective national ringo
federation - in case of a national contest, and of the
International Ringo Federation - in case of international
competitions. The same applies to advertisements put around the
playing fields.
50. Organizers of a given contest may introduce, at their own
discretion, the following into the rules:
- Victory with a 15 point score. In that situation, when the
score is 14:14, the head referee must announce "14-14. The
last and decisive point. "If two rings are played, the fall
of the first decides. If the referee is unable to find which ring
fell first, he/she voids the action and repeats the command until
the ultimate decision can be taken.
- An obligation to service with left and right hands successively.
Every player serves twice, once with the left hand, and once with
his/her right hand.
- Division of the ringo court halves into two other halves - from
the centre line to the end line: on the right-hand side of the
field the ring may be caught with the right hand only, on the
left - with the left hand.
- Counting as fault each touch of the Ringo ring with ringo line
dur- ing the serve and the whole game.
51. Depending on the number on contestants, the Head Referee may
introduce a cup-tie, group-selection or a mixed system, until one
or two victories are won, aiso till 8, 10 or 12 points.
Enclosure to the Ringo Rules is Protokół Turnieju Ringo (Official
Record of the Ringo Tournament). Copyright 1982, 1994, 1997 by Włodzimierz
Strzyżewski, Warsaw, Poland.
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