posted 09/04/2011 “What is this I hear about No Checking in Pee Wees?”
BODY CONTACT vs. FULL BODY CHECKING – WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?
It is not accurate to simply say USA Hockey is taking checking out of Pee Wees. In fact, the overall proposal is to increase the allowable body contact beginning at Mites (through tight spaces and resulting body contact in cross ice games) through Bantams when full, legal body checking would begin in games.
The USA Hockey proposal will increase the allowable body contact as players progress through Squirts and Pee Wees. Competing at the puck; battling for the puck; protecting the puck along the boards and in tight spaces through the use of one’s body; and angling a player off to gain possession or stopping an offensive attack are examples at these levels. All of these are essential skills for kids to learn to properly play the game and will be allowed at the Pee Wee level.
A good way to observe this style of play would be to attend or watch on cable or Youtube, a women’s college or high school game. You’ll find that in these games there is still plenty of body contact and physical play, but what is penalized is the blatant deliberate body check (either in open ice or along the boards where a player is intentionally body checking the opponent rather than angling or playing the puck).
An important objective of this proposal is to eliminate the “Big Hit” in Pee Wees where players ignore the puck and try to ‘blow up’ an opponent, or decide not to be first to the puck in order to lay the “Big Hit”. We want to encourage kids to compete for the puck first, and or to take proper angles against their opponents, rather than to “wait to deliver a hit.”
Though not allowed in games, coaches will be asked to introduce and teach full body checking techniques regularly in their practices during the two Pee Wee years. USA Hockey believes this to be a better solution than what we often times see today as a single weekend “introduction to checking” clinic. The proposal is to provide players with two years to acquire the necessary checking skills in safer environment.
WHAT HAPPENS TO THE PEE WEES GOING INTO THEIR SECOND YEAR?
Second year Pee Wees will continue to learn proper checking during their practices so they can better apply them in 14U Bantam games. If the rule proposal is passed, all Pee Wee hockey will be played under the new rule in 2011-12. What does this mean? One example is that a big open ice hit that wasn’t penalized in 2010-11, will be called as a Body Checking penalty in 2011-12 at the Pee Wee level under the proposed rule changes.
WHERE CAN I GET MORE INFORMATION?
We will keep you informed on the proposed rule changes as best we can. In the meantime, check out the following web page featuring information on the rule change proposal:
http://www.usahockey.com//Template_Usahockey.aspx?NAV=ET_03&ID=299508
Back to top 
