The majority of female ice hockey players agree, checking should be allowed in our game of ice hockey. Prohibiting checking takes away an essential part of the game since hockey is inherently a physical sport. Girls have always played a physical game and checking remains the highest called penalty over tripping and hooking. Because girls aren't taught how to properly body check, it makes the game more dangerous and more likely for people to get injured. In my state, most referees are frequently inconsistent when calling girls hockey games because they are unaware of the differences between good body contact and body checking. If body checking is made legal then that would take away a lot of the self-interpretation made by the referees. If USA Hockey refuses to make checking legal for girls, we ask that there should at least be clear and consistent rules laid out for body checking in women's ice hockey and better training for referees when it comes to non-checking games. 

There is no legitimate, factual, and non-sexist reason why checking should stay illegal for girls. Sign this petition if you're a female ice hockey player who wants change.