Is body checking allowed at 14U, and what counts as a legal check?

Youth (boys/co-ed) 14U is a Body Checking category. Girls' 14U is not: body checking is prohibited in all girls' and women's classifications.

Exceptions where checking is still prohibited at Youth 14U:

• Your local governing body has made the league non-checking (it may do so at any level).
• You're playing a team from a Competitive Contact category.

A legal body check:

• Is delivered to an opponent who is in control of the puck, from the front, diagonally from the front or straight from the side.
• Uses only the trunk (hips and shoulders), contacting the opponent above the knees and at or below the shoulders.
• Is aimed at gaining possession of the puck, so the checker's stick blade must be below the knees.
• Never uses the hands, forearm, stick or elbow.

Never legal: checking a vulnerable or defenseless player, a late check on a player no longer in control of the puck, "finishing the check," checking from behind or contact to the head. When done recklessly with no effort to play the puck, these draw a major plus game misconduct or a match penalty.

Coaches are directed to teach only the skills needed for proper, legal contact.