Check Please

Body contact is usually tolerated in sledge hockey at much earlier ages and novice levels of play than AB (Able Bodied) hockey. Puck protection is so easily accomplished, by sliding the puck under your sledge away from your attacker, that some sort of contact is usually necessary to change puck possession. Ideally checks are suppose to be from hip and shoulder contact only with no actual sled contact. This is not always case however since it is always possible that one player or the other changes direction at the last split second. Certainly it would be easy to draw penalties by simply steering in front of an opposing player at the last second. This is a common defensive tactic. The referee must use some common sense to distinguish intentional sled contact from incidental or unavoidable. Other forms of checking include bringing the nose of your sledge into the space that other player is using to pick. This is legitimate if you are side by side with the other player but if you're chasing a break away and do this from behind you'll usually get called for interference (although this might be more closely related to tripping).

Some forms of checking are particularly dangerous and should not be used. Sledge contact approaching 90 degrees is sometimes called "T Boning". The correct term is "Charging". This is a good way to break sleds and legs. Impact from behind is big no-no in any sport but particularly in sledge hockey, since many players have issues with their backs. You should consider carefully, when checking against the boards, the distance between the player and the boards. If they go over you don't want them to be twisting their head against the boards. Also consider that boards are designed for AB hockey players checking each other. High up, the boards have a certain amount of give. Down low, there is virtually no give. Be sure to only use the force necessary and appropriate. Otherwise, you'll be making a lot of enemies very quickly or hurting someone beyond what is reasonable.

If you get knocked over it's a big energy expense and time waster, to get back up. Remember that even if you're on the giving end you may go down too. A common ploy is for the other player to fall and drape themselves over the nose of your sled making it impossible for you to proceed. If you get hit and are going down try to distribute your weight over the boards or ice to avoid all the energy of impact being concentrated in one area of your body. Get up as quickly as possible! Remember your fingers and hands are on the ice not to mention your ribs are exposed impact from other sleds (I don't believe anyone would purposely ram you but accidents happen). The best strategy may be to avoid getting checked. Speed, quick turns and stick handling help in this regard but not all of us are Bradley Bowden (one of the best finesse skaters I've very seen in the sport). Keep your head up always look for the pass. Remember the boards can be like an extra player on your team for making a pass around an attacking player. Since everyone is sitting, if you can raise the puck, lobbing the puck can be a way around a players too (obviously with less control). Teams sometimes have checking drills in practices just to teach players in a controlled environment how to take a check. Regardless if you dish it out or not, you may have to learn to take it.

Some players should not be touched at all. You can wait until they make a pass or move the puck where you can easily take it from them. Others, you might just pull close beside them and make it difficult for them to pick. A little stronger player you might lightly squeeze against the boards to impede their progress. If you are a strong player don't check at all if the other player moves the puck before you reach them. Modulate your play to the individual and situation.

These attitudes towards body contact can make the game very interesting. Some players don't move very quickly but hover at the corners of opposing team's net. Since, generally, you can't touch them (much at least) the opposing defense has the choice of either keeping position on them or ignoring them. I've seen such players make multiple goals in a single game from the defense choosing the later. Developing players get to handle the puck more often. Stronger players move and pass the puck more because heavy contact is allowed against them. Try to make the game fun but challenging for everyone!