Checking in RollerHockey?

[KenFas]

Just trying to light up the board and spark some discussion, Will there ever be a form of checking in roller Hockey. I know my first reaction to the question was absolutly no way, but then I thought about it. After competing at nationals and watching several others national events maybe our sport would actually get safer from some version of checking. I know many of you skill guys will oppose at first but think it through. First playing the body and how physical you can get has been the discretion of the ref and I noticed every year at national events the game is getting rougher and rougher. legalizing playing the body in the open floor would at least eliminate the grey areas and prepare players for what to expect instead of skating with his head down and being suprised. Also if the body was legal players would probably wear all the protective equipment. I know all the anti checking forwards are going to argue it would slow the game down and take away scoring. Well that arguement wouldn't stand. The NHL overtime 4 on 4 with blue and center lines doesn't lack the offense. And the pro divisions of NARCH are as physical as can be and the score are still high and the flow fast paced. I haven't watched any age group at a national level that doesn't have its cluthcing and grabbing and the game still flys from end to end so why would we be against some form of checking in Roller Hockey?

[Benny_Gulakiw]

I'm sure you realize that you've just opened a pandoras box. There are many issues when you consider whether or not to allow checking in roller hockey. From a house league standpoint, there is the liability issue. From a tournament standpoint, there is the consistency issue. Some teams will come from leagues that allow checking and some will come from leagues that don't. Trying to get a uniform policy on this or any other issue among all the various sanctioning bodies is a task onto itself.

However, coming from the pro sector (now two years removed), I feel that checking should be part of the game not only for a lot of the reasons that you've identified, but also from an entertainment point of view. I've always felt that roller hockey is hockey on inline skates and that the physical properties of the skates, the playing surface and the puck is what makes the sport of roller hockey different from ice hockey. From my experience, allowing checking in roller hockey compliments those differences. It's much harder to check someone in roller hockey than ice, particularly an open floor check. So when there's an open floor check or a collision in the corner, it's much more exciting.

Checking is an integral part of hockey, so why shouldn't it be a part of roller hockey. There should be an age limit as to when to allow checking similar to ice hockey; keeping in mind a player's ability to check and be checked. Some people will say that not allowing checking is what attracts players to the inline version of the sport. I feel, though, that if a player excels at the positive aspects of the sport, like speed, stickhandling and positioning, that player will continue to excel even if checking is allowed. Some players may get slowed down, but that's what hockey has always been about.

Checking was part of the pro game and it was still the most exciting sport around, even more so than ice hockey. Scores were still high, there were still one-on-oh, two-on-oh, three-on-one breaks. So I'm all for checking in roller hockey.

Benny Gulakiw
Vice President of Operations
Buffalo Wings Roller Hockey

[The_GM]

Allow it along the boards, in the open areas of the floor..its too easy to twist or catch a knee and that would suck...
from Bantam and above let them hit, maybe that will keep some of the stickwork and turnstiling down a bit when people skate by each other

of course. i don't see this at the local levels..but for things like a NARCh event, it makes sense...the crappier players will just wind up fighting one anohter

[Titan55]

I agree with it. In events like NARCh I think it could be allowed, but only to Bantam age and up. I mean, at NARCh we basically hit anyways! I don;t think it would hurt the games too much. My only concern is that we wear no shoulder pads, and if we are allowed to hit we would hit much harder than we do now, and people would be getting hurt all over the place!
Just my thoughts!
Phil Christie, Ontario Hyper Titans #24
One Love!

[The_GM]

So go buy some small lacrosse style shoulder pads..most of the pros who played pro roller didn't wear anything more, if that...and all you did was essentially repeat my post, I think you like just seeing your name on this site.
As for NARCh now, its not hitting its all stickwork ..unless your playing Div 1 it ain't close to checking

[Titan55]

AHAHAHA, you make me laugh!!!
I just like seeing my name up here??? What would be the ponit of just wanting my name up here, I mean nothing can happen from having my name on the board! Maybe if you had of been a member here for longer you would realise that I have very valid points on this board, but who am I to say that, maybe I do just want my name on here even though that would be pointless.

By the way...atleast I put my name on my posts, I don't just hide behind a user name!

Phil Christie, Ontario Hyper Titans #24
One Love!

[KenFas]

GM why are you so synical. Any topic is free game. I answered your post on the other message board as well. I just want to see some conversation on this board that would be constructive. As for more about checking I agree with all that it should start with the bantam age group and up. I know,as a ref, it would make it a little easier to decide what and what not to let go. The other issue I believe is every player that plays even at the highest level are not as skilled as some in speed and stick handeling but are more skilled in front of the net and along the boards don't they have a place in rollerhockey? Some players have speed, some quickness, some strength. It seems we lose credibility from the Ice guys because there is no room for the big strong player in the 4 on 4 world.

[The_GM]

I rest my case

[BigTymeSniper33]

Basically all the anti-rollerhockey players are those big ice hockey players who dont have a place in the game of inline hockey which is infront of the net as you said, thats why they turn baised towards the sport of inline hockey. It would appeal to much more players if they allowed checking in inline.

[j_bo]

Well.. looks like I will be in the minority here then...
In all of our RECREATIONAL leagues, there is NO checking... Ice or Roller...

Why I don't want it??
I go to work, I have a family to support, & I like my body parts the way they are. It's bad enough that we get banged up with no checking. I could imagine if checking was actually okay to do... Our biggest problem is high sticking and controlling the stick.
I also agree that more people come to play for the fun of it, yes, competition is a big part too. But, if you start adding checking, more persons will be injured, insurance for the rinks will go up, the cost to play will increase so the rink owner can recoup his higher cost of insurance, "goons" will abound, the family part of the game will go away, parents will freak when "lil johnny" gets beaten and banged up, need I go on? I have a zillion other reasons to keep checking out of roller hockey.
I suggest to leave the game the way it is, NO CHECKING!

Of course, I live in Louisiana, and we don't have a very high participation rate here. So we don't wanna scare away any newcomers coming to the sport. Most everyone I know of, when you say hockey, they think of all the big NHL players out there, and that's all they have to base the sport on.
When I mention that we play, and that there isn't any checking involved, most people wanna atleast give it a try......j-bo

[Benny_Gulakiw]

I would like to make a few comments in response to your post. First, some of my comments about having checking in roller hockey were meant to be applied to the elite tournaments, travel leagues and pro (if there's ever a league again). The Buffalo Wings currently run a good size summer league (94 teams, 1,000 players) and we do not allow checking at any level. This was a policy that our league director initiated. What we may do, as our league continues to grow, is start a elite division and a rec division at each age group starting at the bantam level. That way people can chose what intensity that they want to play at. As far as smaller leagues, the league director can choose if they will allow checking or not. And you can choose, or the parents can choose whether or not to play in a league that allows checking. No one is going to force you to play in a league that allows checking.

I think you're right, though. Young kids and areas that are just getting started shouldn't be exposed to checking until they are ready for it and as I said, if a league can afford to do so then they can offer an elite and rec division so people can choose. But I believe that checking should be part off roller hockey, at least at the higher levels.

Benny Gulakiw
Vice President of Operations
Buffalo Wings Roller Hockey

[Eccinline19]

Here is why hitting should never be legalized in inline......1)Equipment-Most palyers I know don't want to have to go out and spend money on Pads and stuff, plus it's way to hot. 2)On ice, almost every player can stop on a dime, in inline, there are too many that can't. 3)Parents don't want checking........besides, isn't inline supposed to be different than ice?? Why don't we try to get off-sides goin instead to cut down cherry picking??

[Benny_Gulakiw]

1) If you don't want to buy the equipment then don't play in a league that allows checking, play in a non-checking rec league, 2) You're right, it's harder to stop in inline, that's why when you get a player that can check in roller it's more exciting because it happens less often than in ice, 3) Who ever said inline was supposed to be different than ice. I always thought that when the sport of inline hockey was first started it was supposed to hockey on inline skates. That's why floor manufacturers and puck manufacturers and skate manufacturers all try to create respective products to mimic the feel of ice hockey.

I'm not trying to be a jerk about this, I just don't agree with some of the points about not allowing checking. I mean it's simple, you don't have to play in a league that allows checking if you don't want to. I'm sure there will always be non-checking rec leagues around.

By the way, I absolutely agree with your point about off-sides. Again, my perspective is from the pro side and at least there was some kind of off-sides rule. The offensive players could be on the offensive side of the red line if a teammate carried the puck across the red line. A player couldn't pass the puck across the red line to a teammate in the offensive zone. Cherry-picking is definitely not fun or exciting to watch.

Benny Gulakiw
Vice President of Operations
Buffalo Wings Roller Hockey

[j_bo]

Here is my turn again on the OFFSIDES...
If you want offsides....then play REAL OFFSIDES....

Why??
Well....we tried the OFFSIDES rule that you have mentioned above. I think NARCH or some organization came up with this "brilliant" (sarcastically said) idea.

Why is it dimwitted??? Well....it does not stop cherry picking at all...
Example: I stole the puck by my defensive blue line or close to the redline and my offensive player is a lazy slob and stays at the offensive zone by the net... I am a good puck handler, so I take it from a player close to the redline, and my guy is already down by the net, as soon as I skate across....zip... there he is, uncontended....that's how easy it is to get around the offsides rule....believe me, it was very easy to do...
So..how do you stop cherry picking then right??
Have REAL OFFSIDES, just like Ice hockey.... OR... whoever is doin the cherry pickin, skate by him, knock him on his butt, or intimidate the crap outta him, or whatever.... again, did that just once, and the player decided he didn't want that again, so no cherry pickin...but mostly.... MOSTLY....each team hates cherry pickers, and will berate their own players, and try to stop doin it...if all that don't work....then keep a skater down and babysit the baby...j-bo

[The_GM]

If you play as a team, even with RHI style offsides (don't blame NARCh, they have been no offsides since the beginning I believe), a team that cherry picks will pay the price. You will have an advantage in their zone and if you don't shoot wide and cycle, you should dominate..

I've played 5 on 5 and even 4 on 4 ice hockey offsides..all it is, is 8 or 10 people crunched up at the blue line, never mind stopping on inlines for most of them and all the crap contact that ensues and the bs that follows crap contact..

finally just stick someone back on a cherry picker...people cherry pick in all forms of hockey..whether it be at the red line or further..its up to you to defend..if I wanted to play ice hockey, I'd play ice hockey, its more fun when playing that style..playing ice on inlines would suck...