Body checking in mens college hockey is a key part of the game that makes it exciting, fast paced, intense, and fun for both the players and fans. In that case, why could body-checking be completely legal for men but not women? For many hockey fans and players, it's hard to imagine men's college hockey without heavy physicality, fighting, and massive hits/body checks. Though for women, this is reality in hockey. Body-checking and physical contact is almost fully restricted for women which creates a less intense, slower paced, and not as popular game. 

     For the Boston University 2024-2025 season, the men’s ice hockey team averaged a fan attendance average of 4,329 individuals for a home game. On the other hand, the women’s ice hockey team for BU averaged fan attendance for the same year was only 1,337 people. The main reason for why many people find there to be such a difference between men's and women's college hockey games is because fans are more attracted to a higher intensity and face paced game. This is caused by the higher number of rules applied to women's games', along with officials tending to pay more attention to the physical contact in women's hockey rather than mens. Both these actions combined causes there to be more whistles and penalties called, making the game seem 'slower' and 'less exciting'.

   The NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) requires for both men and women to wear the same amount of equipment. So for men to be allowed more freedom on the ice to be physical and make big hits doesn't make sense if women wear the same amount of padding but have different rules applied. One study was found that just above 44% of reported concussions were caused by player-to-player contact. Proving that by body-checking not being allowed for women isn't preventing them from head injuries. If anything, it's making the risk higher for them to happen. If women and young girls aren't being taught not can't even practice how to be prepared from getting hit, or how to properly body-check, that makes them more likely to get injured. 

    By allowing body-checking for women in the NCAA would encourage less sexism and more fairness in the game of hockey. By making the rules for women the same as men would create a more bias free game, and would help to make the sport have more equality when it comes to the rules. It is not fair for women to feel as though their games aren't as important as mens' because of the lower attendance of fans caused by the lower intensity of the game. If body-checking wasn't banned for women, it would help women to use the strength which they trained for, more in games, while also adding more additional excitement to the game, making it more face-paced, and of course attract a larger audience. 

   I am writing this petition directed to the NCAA, to hopefully get the association to permit legal body-checking in women's college ice hockey. Because both men and women play at the same level in the NCAA, there is no reason why this form of checking should be prohibited for women. Overall, this represents a gender based inequality that isn't fair for women athletes, as many put in the same amount of time and effort into the sport as men do. By addressing this issue, the NCAA has the ability to change this rule and allow all women's' teams in the NCAA to legally bodycheck which promotes respect, fairness, and equality.