Everyone knows one thing about hockey: it's a dangerous sport at every level of play. There are a lot of ways to get hurt on the ice. Checking is one aspect of the sport that often results in injuries. Checking is allowed in most age groups and allows one player to crash into another player in order to impede forward progress. There are many things that can happen as a result of checking. A player can hit the ice or crash into the boards, and many a fight has erupted over a check. Hockey is a great game despite its risks; keep these safety tips in mind so you can enjoy game play even longer.

Use common sense and good judgment when selecting hockey skates. Don't buy any skates that aren't a good fit for the foot. Skates that are too small can lead to foot injuries. This can also cause attention to be divided between the game and pain or discomfort from ill-fitting skates. If you cannot focus, then you are at risk for injury in an accident. Your skates should provide you with sufficient ankle support. Don't purchase skates that lack the protective cup designed to protect toes. Keep your skates in good repair by learning to care for them yourself. Keeping blades sharp is an important part of caring for your skates. Perhaps the only piece of protective equipment that hockey shares with other sports is the cup that is used to protect the groin area. While that is not obviously peculiar to hockey, nevertheless it is a very important part of hockey safety gear. Place the cup in the insert that can be found in the shorts it came with. Some players opt to use an athletic support in lieu of the undershorts to hold their cups. Since groin hits can be particularly painful you should never play hockey, or practice, without the protection provided by a cup. We have some difficulty imagining the pain associated with getting hit by a speeding hockey puck in that area. When you stop and think about it, we are confident you do not want to experience that kind of pain. Don't risk it!

All ages in all leagues below professional level hockey are required to wear face masks. These face masks are permanently affixed to the helmets that are worn. But when you're playing with your friends out on the ice somewhere, you should still wear a helmet with a face mask. The main reason being that this protects your face from pucks and sticks that would otherwise cause serious damage. There are a few players who complain that the face masks work to impair their range of vision and impair their ability to perform. However, they are required in the junior leagues and certainly leagues for younger kids.

You need to get all the information you can when it comes to hockey safety. These facts will help prevent many injuries.