Good rink etiquette comes down to looking before you move, staying out of other skaters' way and following your rink's posted rules. On a public session, skate with the flow, leave the space near the boards to slower skaters and pass on the inside with plenty of room. On freestyle, the skater whose program music is playing usually has the right of way, and skaters in a lesson get room too.
Key takeaways
- Look before you step onto the ice, and every time you change direction or start skating backward.
- On public sessions, slower skaters stay near the boards. Pass on the inside, away from the boards, and leave plenty of room.
- On freestyle, the skater whose music is playing usually has the right of way. You don't have to leave the ice, just keep out of their path.
- Rest, chat and fix your laces at the boards, out of the traffic, and keep guards, bottles and tissues off the ice.
- Jumps and spins on public ice, and how often you can play your music on freestyle, depend on the rink, so check your rink's posted rules.
Rink etiquette can feel like a set of secret rules that everyone else already knows. Most of it is simpler than it looks, and it comes down to watching where you're going and not stopping where other people need to skate. The rest is ordinary courtesy, which at a rink is mostly about keeping each other safe.
Every rink sets its own rules, so treat this page as a general guide. Most rinks post their session rules by the door or online, and the front desk or the session monitor will happily explain them. Our guide to public, freestyle and adult sessions explains the kinds of ice you'll see on a rink schedule.
On a public session
On a public session, everyone skates around the rink in the same direction, which the rink sets. Some rinks switch direction partway through, so listen for announcements and watch what everyone else is doing. Keep your speed under control, because public ice is full of people who can't stop quickly, and give small children extra room, since they can stop or change direction without warning.
Slower skaters and beginners stay near the boards, and faster skaters use the space further in. When you pass someone, pass on the inside, away from the boards, and leave plenty of room. Never squeeze between a skater and the boards, because someone who wobbles toward the wall has nowhere else to go. If you're the one holding on to the boards, that's completely fine, since everyone starts there.
Skate side by side with a friend if there's room, but don't link arms in a line that blocks everyone behind you. If you need to stop, glide over to the boards first rather than stopping in the middle of the traffic. Skating backward is fine when there's space, as long as you look over your shoulder often. Whether you can jump or spin depends on the rink, so check your rink's posted rules.
On a freestyle session
Freestyle is busy in a different way. There's usually no set direction, people skate fast and backward, and skaters set up jumps from all over the ice. Keep your head up and keep looking around, especially before you push off from the boards or start an element. Try to be predictable, too, so don't stop suddenly or cut across the ice where someone is setting up a jump.
Skaters take turns playing their program music, and the skater whose music is playing usually has the right of way. Some rinks have that skater wear a sash or vest so everyone can spot them. You don't have to stop or leave the ice while their music plays. Keep practicing, keep an eye on where they're going and move out of their path in good time.
| Public session | Freestyle session | |
|---|---|---|
| Which way you skate | Everyone goes the same way, in the direction the rink sets. | Usually no set direction, so keep looking around. |
| Jumps and spins | Depends on the rink, and many don't allow them. Check the posted rules. | Yes, that's what freestyle is for. |
| Music | The rink's own music. | Skaters' program music, played in turns. |
| Who gets room | Slower skaters, who stay near the boards. Pass on the inside. | Usually the skater whose music is playing. Skaters in a lesson get room too. |
| Where to rest | At the boards, out of the traffic. | At the boards, away from where people jump and land. |
Rinks have their own systems for music, from a queue by the sound system to a limit on how many times each skater can play their program, so check your rink's posted rules or ask the monitor. Chat and rest at the boards rather than in the middle, and keep clear of the spots where people take off and land their jumps. If freestyle still feels intimidating, our page on building confidence on the ice may help.
When lessons are on the ice
Coaches teach on most freestyle sessions, and at some rinks on public ice too. Give a lesson plenty of room, and don't practice right next to a coach and student who are working on the same thing. Many rinks give skaters in a lesson priority, and some put them ahead of the skater whose music is playing, so read your rink's posted order. If you want to ask a coach something, wait until the lesson ends.
When you're the one in the lesson, you're still part of the session. Keep looking around, especially when your coach sends you off across the ice to try something, and don't assume other skaters will move for you. Your coach will usually pick a spot with room, so follow their lead. If you're still looking for a coach, our page on choosing a coach covers how to find one.
Getting on and off the ice
The door is where a lot of near misses happen. Take your guards off at the door, look both ways for skaters coming past and wait for a gap. Then step on and skate clear of the door, so the next person can get on. Don't stand in the doorway to chat or fix your gloves, on the ice or off it.
Leaving works the same way in reverse. Glide over to the door when there's a gap, step off and put your guards straight back on before you walk anywhere. Wait for the rink to open the doors before you step on after the ice has been resurfaced. When the session ends, or the resurfacer is on its way, head off promptly so the ice can be cleared.
Falls, near misses and helping others
Everyone falls, and nobody at the rink minds. If you go down, take a second to check you're all right, get your fingers off the ice and look around before you get up. If you're somewhere busy, it's fine to scoot toward the boards first. Our guide to falling safely and getting back up covers how to do both.
If someone falls near you, steer around them and give them room to get up. Asking if they're OK is kind, but let them get up their own way, because pulling someone up on the ice often ends with both of you down. If you bump someone or have a near miss, a quick sorry is all it takes. If someone bumps you, assume it was an accident.
If someone is hurt
If a skater can't get up, has hit their head or seems hurt, don't try to lift them. Stay close so other skaters steer around them, and get a rink guard or the front desk straight away. Rink staff are there for exactly this.
Guards, bottles and phones at the boards
Where you leave your things matters more than it seems. Put your guards somewhere they can't get knocked onto the ice, and where you can grab them as you step off. A guard, a tissue or a hair clip on the ice can catch someone's blade, so pick up anything you drop as soon as it's safe to.
Keep your water, tissues and phone together in one spot rather than spread along the ledge, and leave room for other skaters to stop there too. Drinks stay at the boards, not on the ice, and used tissues go in the trash. Our skating bag checklist covers what's worth bringing.
Phones are handy for filming your own skating, but don't skate around looking at a screen, and don't film other skaters without asking them. Some rinks have their own rules about filming, so check before you start. It's safest to leave your earbuds out, so you can hear other skaters and whatever music is playing.
Being kind to new skaters
Everyone was new once, and adult beginners often feel far more self-conscious than they need to. If you see someone new, a smile or a hello goes a long way, and so does a little patience when they wobble across your path. If they break a rule they didn't know about, a friendly word usually sorts it out. For anything dangerous or repeated, let the monitor or rink staff step in.
Don't give technique tips to someone else's student unless they ask. It's well meant, but it can be confusing, especially if their coach is teaching it a different way. Telling them which sessions are quieter, who sharpens skates well or how the music queue works is much more welcome.
If you're the new one, it's fine to ask. Read the posted rules, watch a session for a few minutes before you join in if you can, and ask the monitor or the front desk about anything you're not sure of. Our guide to your first 30 days covers what to expect early on.
Every rink is different, so check your rink's posted rules and ask at the front desk if anything's unclear. This is general advice from adult skaters, and your rink's own rules always come first.
