AIHL checking

[FatAndSlow]

Is checking legal in the AIHL? Is it in PIHA? Sorry if it's already been asked.

Thanks in advance
FatAndSlow

[minutemen]

No not supposed to be allowed, but it has.

[justin malone]

yeah i dont mind the phisical play love it in the corners . but this year the refs are just letting full runns and hits go but most of the time its ones sides that they let go

[Lindro17]

I love the physical play in the corners, along the boards. It is hockey, and I think there should be some element of physical play. The open rink stuff though, in my eyes, should not be allowed. This is difficult enough on roller blades to do, it really promotes injury in the inline arena. What is even more alarming in the early stages is the stick work. We need to eliminate the high sticks, and hooking. That, in my eyes, is laziness and dirty play. locking players in front is one thing, hooking them as they blow by someone because you can't keep up is another thing. That is when the sticks rise up and get someone in the face. I started playing at this level without a mask, over the past couple of years I have gotten more sticks in the face than I ever have

[mulissha46]

i love the physical play it is now like hockey and i think that it will help the sport grow because more people will watch if the physical play is allowed. thats just my opinion. i also agree that th stick work needs to be in check more and they have to call the high sticks and hooks when someone gets beat but i love that they are letting us hit a little.

[growl89]

is the ruling on hooking like PIHA was supposed to be called last year? if a stick goes parallel to the floor then it is a hooking penalty?

[-venom-]

I love the physical play in the corners, along the boards. It is hockey, and I think there should be some element of physical play. The open rink stuff though, in my eyes, should not be allowed. This is difficult enough on roller blades to do, it really promotes injury in the inline arena. What is even more alarming in the early stages is the stick work. We need to eliminate the high sticks, and hooking. That, in my eyes, is laziness and dirty play. locking players in front is one thing, hooking them as they blow by someone because you can't keep up is another thing. That is when the sticks rise up and get someone in the face. I started playing at this level without a mask, over the past couple of years I have gotten more sticks in the face than I ever have

I definitely think the stickwork nastiness and carelessness has been born from NOT allowing contact."Roller Hockey" guys are some of the nastiest SOBs I've ever played with/against, when it comes to stickwork. Guys who have played ice hockey, or at least play a physical style of play, are a lot less likely to tag someone in the face with a stick, simply due to the fact that they'd rather use the body.

While I'd love for the league to go almost Full-Contact, most of us have day jobs, and a devastating hockey injury in this league would reverberate into our carers, our family lives, etc - and all for nothing,. really.

It's a shame, because big hits SHOULD be part of the game, and fans love to see someone get laid out. But for practicality reasons, we've pushed the physical part out of the game, which has in turn, made the stickwork nastier.

Kudos to the officials allowing some physical play.... my biggest concern is the officiating of the East Coast refs compared to out here..... East Coast refs tend to let the players play the game and let the rough stuff go to a point.

Out here?

Let's put it this way, I may end up in the box, permanently.

(Just kidding, Adam - I hope )

[MDE3]

Rather than write a whole new post...I think someone might do a search under my handle for yearrs of dissertations on this subject.....

No doubt that the lack of official full contact leads to more stickwork..always has always will...When somene pulls that in full contact versions of the game..they learn soon that it is neither the most desireable nor effective way to aquit oneself on the rink.

The real problem with full contact in inline hockey, is that many players never grew up playing a full contact version of the game, in an organized and well coached league. Thus many players do not have the skills developed to throw checks properly or avoid same. There are fundamental skating skills which must be developed for the full contact sport, which are sadly lacking in many of the inline players...just because they never had the opportunity to learn them.....this puts the experienced players at a major advantage, and could certainly lead to injuries....and frustrates the less skilled players (from a contact point of view) who then retaliate the only way they know how..with cheap shots.

These same skating skills learned for the full contact game..also benefit those who have accrued them in ways other than checking itself. It makes these players much better skaters and thus better players on multiple levels....perhaps the most cogent argument for the long term growth of contact in the inline game, as well as he long term marketability of the game itself.

[growl89]

Rather than write a whole new post...I think someone might do a search under my handle for yearrs of dissertations on this subject.....

No doubt that the lack of official full contact leads to more stickwork..always has always will...When somene pulls that in full contact versions of the game..they learn soon that it is neither the most desireable nor effective way to aquit oneself on the rink.

The real problem with full contact in inline hockey, is that many players never grew up playing a full contact version of the game, in an organized and well coached league. Thus many players do not have the skills developed to throw checks properly or avoid same. There are fundamental skating skills which must be developed for the full contact sport, which are sadly lacking in many of the inline players...just because they never had the opportunity to learn them.....this puts the experienced players at a major advantage, and could certainly lead to injuries....and frustrates the less skilled players (from a contact point of view) who then retaliate the only way they know how..with cheap shots.

These same skating skills learned for the full contact game..also benefit those who have accrued them in ways other than checking itself. It makes these players much better skaters and thus better players on multiple levels....perhaps the most cogent argument for the long term growth of contact in the inline game, as well as he long term marketability of the game itself.

great post, this is the reason MLRH had so many problems game after game.

[-venom-]

Rather than write a whole new post...I think someone might do a search under my handle for yearrs of dissertations on this subject.....

No doubt that the lack of official full contact leads to more stickwork..always has always will...When somene pulls that in full contact versions of the game..they learn soon that it is neither the most desireable nor effective way to aquit oneself on the rink.

The real problem with full contact in inline hockey, is that many players never grew up playing a full contact version of the game, in an organized and well coached league. Thus many players do not have the skills developed to throw checks properly or avoid same. There are fundamental skating skills which must be developed for the full contact sport, which are sadly lacking in many of the inline players...just because they never had the opportunity to learn them.....this puts the experienced players at a major advantage, and could certainly lead to injuries....and frustrates the less skilled players (from a contact point of view) who then retaliate the only way they know how..with cheap shots.

These same skating skills learned for the full contact game..also benefit those who have accrued them in ways other than checking itself. It makes these players much better skaters and thus better players on multiple levels....perhaps the most cogent argument for the long term growth of contact in the inline game, as well as he long term marketability of the game itself.

Agreed 100%.

THe issue now is - how, and when, do we try to groom players to be able to throw a check, and avoid them? Inline hockey on the "Pro' level should most definitely include a physical, if not full-contact element, but it's not like we can hit an on/off switch for it....

As you guys know, most kids in ice hockey know how to throw and avoid hits while they are young, simply because it's part of the game.

[Downz39]

I'm curious to see how the games will be called, especially out west. Where do the refs come from. By the way, Bill Katinsky is my idol. Mooers you are a close second.

[growl89]

I'm curious to see how the games will be called, especially out west. Where do the refs come from. By the way, Bill Katinsky is my idol. Mooers you are a close second.

i do my best ... i think you are my idol now though man... i'm no where near the almost talent that i used have

[growl89]

Agreed 100%.

THe issue now is - how, and when, do we try to groom players to be able to throw a check, and avoid them? Inline hockey on the "Pro' level should most definitely include a physical, if not full-contact element, but it's not like we can hit an on/off switch for it....

As you guys know, most kids in ice hockey know how to throw and avoid hits while they are young, simply because it's part of the game.

why not start them at the peewee level like ice hockey does?

i'm actually coaching a Peewee B minor ice hockey team this season and the kids already, only 2 months in, can throw and dodge checks... you can't wait and try to teach them in high school, the bad habits are already developed and won't be broken easily.

another question comes in.... who is going to teach these kids how to hit? most roller hockey teams are coached by a parent, where as ice hockey has clinics and levels in coaching.

[-venom-]

why not start them at the peewee level like ice hockey does?

i'm actually coaching a Peewee B minor ice hockey team this season and the kids already, only 2 months in, can throw and dodge checks... you can't wait and try to teach them in high school, the bad habits are already developed and won't be broken easily.

another question comes in.... who is going to teach these kids how to hit? most roller hockey teams are coached by a parent, where as ice hockey has clinics and levels in coaching.

I think it'd be great to teach them as young in inline as in ice. Like MDE said, being able to throw and dodge checks is a valuable skills, and improves skating for reasons other than to play physical as well.

I think once Roller gets some more exposure and continues to develop out of the grassroots type game that it still is, more money and time will be pumped into it and it will start to get the same attention ice hockey does.

But I fear that it's a least a few years off.

Maybe in time for my son, but then again, he'll be learning on the ice, first anyway.

[joisyan]

on the matter of penalties, yesterday in a tournament we were assessed a bench minor for too many men. however, the player who came on the floor did not touch the puck. we were told by the referee that he "engaged the player with the puck" and therefor is considered "in the play" as much as if he were to touch the puck willingly. any one ever been given that excuse before? is that a stipulation in the rule book? if so i've overlooked it many times.

hey bill, as for the lack of hooking penalties, i wish they would've laid off of us last season. they were calling them as tight as the NHL does. just getting your stick in the general area of someone's glove was getting us in the box. according to the old USA rule book, it said that in order for a minor penalty for hooking to be called, the player has to lose possession of the puck. which i dont think was ever the case