How to Body Check in Hockey

Body checking is a defensive tactic used by ice-hockey players to separate an opponent from the puck. A body check is deliberate and forceful and is delivered in the opposite direction to which an offensive player is moving. The action results when a defensive player extends his body in an opposite or parallel direction toward an opponent who is carrying the puck. Done properly, a body check can be an effective tool in gaining control of the puck during a game.

Instructions

    • 1

      Ensure that the player you intend to body check has possession of the puck. The aim of body checking is for you to gain possession of the puck. A player in possession of the puck can be body checked, even when the player has passed puck and it is not yet in possession of another player.

    • 2

      Gauge and adjust your speed while approaching the opposing team's player. When you body check a player in possession of the puck, your speed should be the same as or slightly faster than your opponent's speed. Moderating your speed will help reduce the risk of injury to you and your opponent, and it will also allow you to quickly return to the play.

    • 3

      Adjust your angle of attack and decrease the space between you and your opponent. When decreasing the space between you and the player in possession of the puck, create a path that forces your opponent to go toward you. Before body checking, there should be no space between you and the opposing player. You should also avoid approaching and making contact head-on as this increases the potential for injury to you and your opponent.

    • 4

      Ensure your body is in the proper position for body contact. If you are skating forward, your legs should be adjusted with a deep knee bend, and you should have two hands on the stick and a wide base. If you are skating backward, maintain a deep knee bend and wide base, but place one hand on the stick directed up ice and have your elbows and arms at your side with your free hand's palm facing forward.

    • 5

      Make contact with your opponent with a deep knee bend and your arms down toward your chest. Power for body contact in hockey comes from your legs and hips, not your upper body and arms. A body check should stop your opponent’s momentum by driving your legs and hips back in the direction your opponent is skating.

    • 6

      Attempt to gain control of the puck. Rather than crush your opponent, pin them to the boards by placing your arm(s) and your stick in front with one leg between your opponent's legs and your other leg behind your opponent. Once your opponent is pinned, try to contain your opponent and play the puck, including using your feet to pass the puck.

    • 7

      Return to play. A body check is complete when you return to the play. If you get knocked down during the body check, get up immediately and return to the play.