Checking (ice hockey)
From ArticleWorld
In ice hockey checking is a physical blocking of an opponent in an effort to keep the other player in check, or to impede his/her progress. Most of the time it is a legal tactic and adds to the game. Sometimes it gets carried away and deliberately checking too hard or from behind most often results in a penalty. Over the years, the style and amount of checking has increased as players have become bigger and the game more physical. Checking is similar to blocking in football, but is performed by both the offense and defense.
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Styles of checks
There are several techniques employed when checking, and a player may use his body or stick to keep an opponent in check. These include:
- Body Check. This style is most often used by a defenseman against the opposite team’s player with the puck. It’s meant to not just impede his/her progress, but also to separate him/her from the puck.
- Hip Check: Often skating quickly, a defensive player will position his/her body so that he/she might can lean a hip into the opposing player to slow him/her down, tie him/her up against the boards or separate that player from the puck. A subtle and useful skill.
- Forechecking. Checking by members of the offense as they move into the zone to score.
- Backchecking. Skating back in a defensive posture against an offensive rush by the other team and checking them to slow them down or stop them from scoring.
- Stick Check. Universally, this is the use of a player’s hockey stick to try to get the puck away from the opposing player. There are several sorts of stick checks.
- Poke Check. Quickly jab or poke the blade of the stick at the blade of another player’s stick to free the puck.
- Sweep Check: A player extends his/her stick in an arcing or sweeping motion to jar the puck away from the offensive player.