Important Techniques for Giving and Receiving a Body Check in Hockey

Body checking is one of the most physical skills in ice hockey, but effective checking is not about trying to hit an opponent as hard as possible. A proper body check is built on timing, positioning, balance, awareness, and control.

Players must learn how to safely deliver contact while also knowing how to protect themselves when they are being checked. These skills help players compete for the puck, maintain possession, reduce injuries, and play with greater confidence in physical situations.

Body checking should only be taught and used in leagues, age groups, and situations where it is permitted. Players should practice these techniques under the supervision of a qualified hockey coach.

What Is the Purpose of a Body Check?

The primary purpose of a body check is to separate an opponent from the puck.

A successful check allows the defending player or a teammate to gain possession. The goal should never be to injure, intimidate, or punish an opponent.

The most effective checkers understand that positioning and timing are often more important than force. A controlled check that removes the puck carrier from the play is more valuable than a large hit that takes the checker out of position.

Important Techniques for Giving a Body Check

1. Approach Under Control

A player should never charge recklessly toward an opponent. The checker must approach with control, keeping the knees bent and the body balanced.

Taking shorter strides as contact approaches makes it easier to adjust to the

puck carrier’s movement. A controlled approach also helps the player avoid missing the check or committing a penalty.

2. Maintain a Strong Athletic Stance

Players should enter contact with:

• Bent knees

• Feet approximately shoulder-width apart

• A stable center of gravity

• The chest upright

• The head up

A strong stance allows the player to absorb and deliver contact without losing balance.

Players who approach upright or with their feet too close together are more likely to fall, miss the check, or place themselves in a vulnerable position.

3. Keep the Head Up

The checker must keep the head up and look through the opponent rather than lowering the head before contact.

Lowering the head reduces awareness and increases the risk of dangerous head or neck contact. It also makes it harder to track changes in the opponent’s direction.

Players should never lead with the head.

4. Use Proper Angling

Good checking often begins before contact occurs.

The defender should take away space and guide the puck carrier toward a less dangerous area of the ice. This is known as angling.

Instead of skating directly at the opponent, the defender should approach on an angle that limits the puck carrier’s options. Effective angling can force the opponent toward the boards, away from the middle of the ice, or into a position where controlled contact can be made.

5. Aim Through the Opponent’s Hands and Hips

Players should focus on the opponent’s body rather than the puck during the final approach.

The hips and hands are helpful areas to track because they reveal where the puck carrier is moving. Watching only the puck makes a defender more vulnerable to deceptive movements.

The checker should make contact through the opponent’s torso or shoulder area, depending on positioning. Contact should never be directed toward the head, neck, back, or knees.

6. Keep the Elbows and Stick Down

The elbows should remain close to the body during contact. Extending the arms or raising the elbows can lead to penalties and serious injuries.

The stick should remain controlled and close to the ice. A player should not cross-check, spear, or use the stick as the primary point of contact.

A legal body check is delivered with the shoulder, hip, and torso—not the hands, elbows, or stick.

7. Match the Opponent’s Speed

Whenever possible, the checker should attempt to match the speed of the puck carrier before initiating contact.

Matching speed makes the check more controlled and reduces the chance of missing the opponent. It also allows the defender to stay involved in the play after contact.

A player who approaches too quickly may glide past the opponent or create unnecessary force.

8. Stay Low and Drive Through the Contact

The checker should maintain bent knees and a strong base when contact occurs.

Rather than jumping or lunging into the opponent, the player should drive through the contact with the legs while keeping the skates on the ice. This creates controlled force and improves balance.

Leaving the feet to deliver a hit is dangerous and may result in a penalty.

9. Finish the Play by Recovering the Puck

The body check is not the end of the play.

After contact, the checker should immediately look for the puck, establish body position, and support the next play. A player who admires the hit or celebrates the contact may allow the opposing team to regain possession.

The best checkers remain disciplined and continue playing.

Important Techniques for Receiving a Body Check

Knowing how to receive contact is just as important as learning how to deliver it.

Players cannot always avoid being checked, but proper body position and awareness can reduce the impact.

1. Scan the Ice Before Receiving the Puck

Players should look around before the puck arrives.

Scanning allows the player to identify pressure, locate teammates, and determine where the next play should go. A player who knows where the pressure is coming from can prepare for contact or move the puck before the check arrives.

This is especially important near the boards and in the corners.

2. Keep the Head Up After Receiving the Puck

After gaining possession, players should avoid staring down at the puck.

Strong puck handlers learn to control the puck through feel while keeping their eyes on the play. Keeping the head up allows the player to recognize approaching defenders and make faster decisions.

Better awareness often allows a player to avoid a direct hit entirely.

3. Maintain a Low, Balanced Stance

Players should prepare for contact by bending the knees and widening their base.

A low center of gravity makes it harder for the opponent to knock the player off the puck. It also allows the player to absorb force through the legs rather than taking the entire impact through the upper body.

Standing upright makes a player easier to move and more likely to lose balance.

4. Keep the Body Away From the Boards

Players should avoid standing directly against the boards when contact is coming.

Leaving a small amount of space between the body and the boards allows the player to absorb the check more effectively. When a player is pressed tightly against the boards, there is less room for the body to move with the impact.

At the same time, players should not turn their back at the last second or place themselves headfirst toward the boards.

5. Use the Boards to Absorb Contact

When contact occurs near the boards, the player should bend the knees and allow the body to move with the impact.

The hands and forearms can help stabilize the player, but the arms should not be fully extended and locked. Keeping some flexibility in the elbows helps absorb force.

Players should also keep the head up and away from the glass.

6. Protect the Puck With the Body

A player expecting contact should position the body between the defender and the puck.

This may involve moving the puck to the outside, widening the stance, or using the hips and shoulders to create separation.

Good puck protection allows the player to absorb contact while maintaining possession or creating time for a teammate to provide support.

7. Move the Puck Before Contact

Players do not always need to hold onto the puck until the check arrives.

A quick pass, chip, rim, or indirect play can move the puck into a safer area before contact occurs. After moving the puck, the player should prepare to absorb the check without making a dangerous last-second turn.

Moving the puck early can help the team maintain speed and possession.

8. Do Not Turn Away at the Last Second

One of the most dangerous reactions is turning the back toward an approaching checker immediately before contact.

While the checking player is responsible for avoiding illegal contact, the puck carrier should also avoid making sudden movements that place the head, neck, or back in a vulnerable position.

Whenever possible, players should face the pressure, stay balanced, and protect themselves with proper body positioning.

9. Avoid Reaching or Overextending

Reaching too far for the puck can place a player in an unstable position.

Players should keep their feet underneath their body and avoid leaning excessively when pressure is approaching. A balanced player is better prepared to absorb contact and continue the play.

The Importance of Communication

Teammates can help protect one another by communicating.

Common warnings such as “pressure,” “reverse,” “wheel,” or “time” can help the puck carrier understand where the forecheck is coming from. Effective communication gives players more time to make a safe and productive decision.

Players should not rely only on verbal warnings, however. They must also develop the habit of scanning the ice themselves.

Body Contact Should Be Taught Progressively

Players should not begin by delivering full-speed checks.

Body checking should be introduced through a gradual teaching process that includes:

• Balance and body-positioning drills

• Angling exercises

• Shoulder-to-shoulder contact

• Puck-protection drills

• Contact along the boards

• Controlled checking situations

• Game-like competitive drills

Progressive instruction allows players to develop confidence and proper technique before the speed and intensity increase.

Common Body-Checking Mistakes

Some of the most common mistakes include:

• Charging from a long distance

• Leaving the feet

• Leading with the head

• Raising the elbows

• Using the stick to initiate contact

• Checking an opponent from behind

• Targeting the head or knees

• Watching the puck instead of the opponent’s body

• Turning toward the boards at the last second

• Admiring the hit instead of recovering the puck

Correcting these habits early can help players become safer and more effective competitors.

Confidence Comes From Preparation

Players are often nervous about body checking because they have not been taught how to prepare for contact.

Confidence improves when players understand how to keep their heads up, maintain balance, protect the puck, use the boards, and recognize pressure.

Repeated practice in controlled situations helps contact become more predictable and less intimidating.

The objective is not to eliminate physical play. It is to teach players how to handle it intelligently.

Final Thoughts

Giving and receiving a body check are important skills in contact hockey. Both require awareness, balance, timing, body control, and respect for opponents.

A good body check separates the opponent from the puck without creating unnecessary danger. A player receiving a check should stay aware, maintain a strong stance, protect the puck, and avoid placing the body in a vulnerable position.

When checking is taught progressively and correctly, players become safer, more confident, and more effective during physical play.