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NCAA Discussing Move Toward Body Checking In Women’s Hockey
Ian Kennedyfeatured
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The NCAA is looking to expand their definition of legal body contact moving toward body checking in women’s hockey while maintaining a focus on skill, puck possession, and player safety
NCAA women’s hockey is discussing changes to Rule 94, which governs body checking, in order to add more physicality, and better prepare athletes for contact
Most top women’s league’s across the globe, and many youth leagues are now integrating body checking. The rule has come into practice in the PWHL, SDHL, PostFinance Women’s League, and EWHL. It’s also filtered down into developmental levels in Sweden and other nations
According to the NCAA’s recent committee recommendations, NCAA women’s hockey is looking to “Restructure Rule 94 to provide clarity on legal body contact and illegal body checking. Guidance will be provided to allow legal contact on parallel pursuits, end-wall pursuits, forward angling, corner defense, and 50/50 puck battles. Illegal methods continue to include overt extension of the shoulder, arm or torso, opposite direction hits, and driving through opponents.”
The change is expected to be implemented in time for the 2026-27 season with the intent of improving “the consistency and clarity of the body contact standard in women’s ice hockey.”
According to the proposed change, it would better define competitive contact “associated with angling, positioning, puck pursuit, and contested puck battles while continuing to prohibit deliberate body checking and forceful physical play.”
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While the rule change would allow for additional legal contact, the NCAA states it would continue to put the emphasis on skill, puck possession, and player safety, while permitting functional contact
Overall, the rule chance is intended to “add more physicality to the women’s game but still does not expose the players to full legal body checking. The committee feels that players will be more prepared for contact with the updated language.”
The PWHL has allowed legal body checking, excluding north-south open ice incidents and head contact, since inception. The PWHL and their officials continue to clarify and seek clear definitions for their own body checking, making the NCAA’s intermediary step a logical first step
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