A friction force measurement system using the floating liner method was developed to study the frictional behavior of piston rings. The measurement system was carefully designed to control the effect of the piston secondary motion and the temperature of cylinder wall and oil. The friction force between the barrel shaped piston ring and the cylinder liner, was measured under the condition of flooded oil supply. The measured friction forces were classified into five frictional modes with regard to the combination of predominant lubrication regimes(boundary, mixed and hydrodynamic lubrication) and stroke regions(midstroke and dead centers). The modes could be identified on the Stribeck diagram of the friction coefficients and the dimensionless number of ㎼/p, where the friction coefficients are evaluated at near the midstroke and dead centers.