This is the third in a four-part series concerning the Progressive Checking Skills Development Program which was adopted by the USA Hockey Board of Directors in June 2011. 

By Hal Tearse

As the youth hockey season gets started there are still many questions from parents and coaches about the new standards regarding body contact and checking especially in PeeWees where “body checking” is no longer allowed. There are several points to remember as the season begins which are highlighted here.

1. Proper body contact is still permitted in PeeWees and encouraged in Squirts. It requires that players learn how to angle and use body position to regain possession of the puck. Incidental contact or “rub outs’ along the wall are permitted.

2. Checking for the sake of checking or intimidation will no longer be tolerated.

3. All head and neck contact is now illegal so keep the sticks down. These infractions will result in a five-minute major and possible game misconducts also. 

4. Coaches are responsible for teaching proper contact skills to PeeWees and squirts. PeeWee coaches also need to teach checking skills to prepare the players for Bantams.

5. Skating is the foundation of good body contact and checking. Coaches need to make sure the players are working on skating skills at every practice. Lower skill players are more injury prone according to data collected the past two years at Minnesota Hockey.

For a complete overview of the rule changes go to the USA Hockey website and enter the coaching section. The following link is where there are several video clips and audio files that address many of the questions that you may have: www.usahockey.com/Template_Usahockey.aspx?NAV=ET_03&ID=299508. 

Below are some of the overview points as established by USA Hockey.

• The new rules encourage more body contact in the pre-body checking age categories by providing more training and support for coaches and referees; and encouraging more legal body contact in the pre-body checking age categories through “Point of Emphasis” rule #1 passed by the Board.

• It tightens the standard of play for intimidation hits in the legal body checking age categories. Beginning in the 2011-12 season, legal body checking in games will begin at the Bantam age level (ages 13-14).

• Beginning in 2011-12, each USA Hockey coach will be required to take an age-specific training module which will provide training information consistent with long-term athlete and childhood development principles for the age category the coach will be engaged with. Each module will include training information for body contact and checking.

• Each season, USA Hockey officials attend clinics that review points of emphasis relating to the standard of play. These 2011-12 clinics will focus on allowing more body contact consistent with the rules in pre-checking age categories and a tighter standard of play for roughing, cross-checking, boarding, charging, high-sticking and other intimidation hits in the legal body checking divisions.

• USA Hockey will monitor the on-ice management of games with regular reports from local referee-in-chiefs, coach-in-chiefs and Association Coaching and Education (ACE) administrators to USA Hockey’s national office staff in Colorado Springs.

• USA Hockey will conduct research on the effect of the Progressive Checking Skill Development Program on risk reduction and skill development. The results of the research will be published when completed.

• The Board also passed rules that prohibit any check that comes in contact with the head or neck. The goal of this rule is to make the player more responsible for actions that make contact to the head or neck similar to rules now in place for stick infractions to the head.

 A goal of the Progressive Checking Skill Development Program is to enhance skill development consistent with the American Development Model and its long-term athlete development principles. Another goal of the program is to improve on-ice management of the game to help reduce potential risks in the sport.

As we all adjust to the new rules please be patient and give the players a break. They will have this figured out in short order.