Checking (ice hockey)
Defensive techniques to disrupt or separate an opponent from the puck.
Checking in ice hockey refers to defensive techniques used to disrupt a puck carrier or separate them from the puck. Most checking methods are legal and do not result in a penalty.
**Body checking** involves driving the shoulder, upper arm, hip, and elbow into an opponent to knock them off the puck, often into the boards or onto the ice. It is only allowed against a player in possession of the puck. Reckless body checking can be penalized. In women’s IIHF hockey and non-checking leagues, it is considered an illegal hit and carries penalties ranging from a minor to a match penalty. Body checking was permitted at the first women’s world championship in 1990 but has since been banned in almost all leagues. The Swedish Women’s Hockey League reintroduced it in 2022–23, the Professional Women’s Hockey League in North America allowed it from its start in January 2024, and the PostFinance Women’s League in Switzerland will allow it from the 2025–26 season, though it remains heavily regulated.
**Hip-checking** sees a player drop into a crouch and swing their hips into an opponent, causing them to lose balance and often fall, typically near the boards. A hip-check at or below the knees is called clipping and is an infraction in the NHL.
**Shoulder-checking** uses the shoulder to muscle an opponent out of position. The elbow must stay tucked in; otherwise, it may be called elbowing and result in a penalty.
**Poke checking** uses the stick to poke the puck away from an opponent, often before physical contact occurs. Goalies commonly use this against close opponents to avoid leaving the net.
**Hook checking** involves using the stick in a hooking motion on the ice to retrieve the puck. It should not be confused with the penalty of hooking.
**Sweep checking** uses the stick in a sweeping motion to knock the puck away or disrupt passes.
**Stick checking** interferes with an opponent’s stick using one’s own stick.
**Forechecking** is skating in the offensive zone to regain puck possession after a dump-in or turnover.
**Backchecking** is rushing back to the defensive zone in response to an opponent’s attack. A defender behind the attacker may try to make physical contact to check and help regain control.
**Cross-checking** is checking an opponent with the stick shaft held in both hands. It is illegal and can result in a minor, major, misconduct, or match penalty.
- Body checking legalized in women's leagu
- Swedish Women's Hockey League (2022–23), Professional Women's Hockey League (January 2024), PostFinance Women's League (2025–26)
- Nhl rule on head contact (2010–11)
- Lateral or blind side hit targeting head punishable by major penalty and game misconduct or match penalty
- Nhl rule on head contact (2013–14)
- Hit resulting in contact with opponent's head where head was main point of contact and avoidable is not permitted; punishable by minor or match penalty
- Usa hockey body checking age change (201
- Moved legal body checking from 12U to 14U
Lore & Background
Body checking, often referred to simply as checking or hitting, involves driving the shoulder, upper arm, hip, and elbow into an opponent to separate them from the puck, and is only permitted against an opponent with possession. It can be penalized when performed recklessly. In women's IIHF ice hockey and non-checking leagues, body checking is considered an illegal hit and punishable by penalties ranging from minor to match penalty. Body checking was allowed at the first women's world ice hockey championship in 1990 but has been considered illegal since in almost all leagues, though the Swedish Women's Hockey League, Professional Women's Hockey League, and PostFinance Women's League have since allowed it with heavy regulation.
Other checking types include hip-checking, where a player drops to a crouch and swings hips to send an opponent off balance; shoulder-checking, which uses the shoulder to muscle an opponent out of position; and poke checking, where the stick is used to poke the puck away. Hook checking uses the stick in a hooking motion on the ice to retrieve the puck, while sweep checking uses a sweeping motion to knock the puck away. Forechecking is skating in the offensive zone to recover possession after a dump in or turnover, and backchecking is rushing back to the defensive zone in response to an attack. Cross-checking, checking an opponent with the shaft of the stick held in both hands, is illegal and earns penalties.
Reader's Guide
Checking is a fundamental defensive component of ice hockey, with most forms being legal and integral to the game's physical nature. Its significance lies in how it shapes play: body checking separates opponents from the puck, while stick-based checks like poke and sweep checking disrupt puck possession without physical contact. The evolution of checking rules reflects ongoing concerns about player safety. The NHL's stricter enforcement beginning in the 2005–06 season aimed to reward speed and agility over brute strength, though the impact on play stoppages was debated. Subsequent rule changes targeting head contact, starting in the 2010–11 season, addressed concussion injuries by prohibiting lateral or blind side hits to the head, with criteria refined in later seasons. USA Hockey's 2011–12 decision to raise the legal body checking age from 12U to 14U was informed by research showing that 11-year-old brains have not developed skills to anticipate, leading to four times more injuries in checking versus non-checking hockey at that age. These changes have been associated with decreases in concussions and other serious injuries. Body checking is disallowed in several other winter team sports, including bandy, rink bandy, rinkball, ringette, spongee, and some broomball and ice hockey leagues.
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