Next season in Sweden, the two highest levels of the women’s hockey league will be allowed to tackle. Juuso Toivola, a pilot of female lions, is skeptical whether it will develop the game in the right way.
The Swedish Women’s Hockey League SDHL announced on Friday that it will start an experiment: in the period 2022–23, the Swedish Women’s Hockey League and the second highest league in Damettan will be allowed to tackle.
In women’s hockey, tackling has been banned in the rules since the 1992 World Cup. Violation of the rules will be sentenced to ice. Wedge is allowed, i.e. when skating in the same direction, physical contact is accepted.
In Sweden, in the trial of next season, open ice rigging is still banned, but rigging against the sides is allowed.
Head coach of the Finnish women’s national team Juuso Toivola is surprised by the rule experiment. There has been no recent discussion of this in international hockey, he said.
– It is interesting that one country goes to try the rule. They are certainly entitled to it, but it is exciting that such a thing has not been talked about more extensively, Toivola says and says that he only heard about the experiment on Friday’s news.
Toivola’s position is clear. He is not excited about the new rule.
– I have been of the opinion that Taklaus does not belong to the women’s puck. Hard is allowed and contact is allowed, but Takaking is separated from it. I think it has been a working, good rule. Let’s see what this brings when it comes, but it came as a surprise.
The reactions of the players are positive – the expert has the opposite view
The new rule divides opinions fresh.
Djurgården striker Lova Blom is excited, as is the Finnish national team striker playing in Luleå HF Petra Nieminen.
– I think tackles should always have been allowed. In other sports, men and women have the same rules. Great that our series will finally feature Rigging, because now every player on the field has a responsibility. You have to be in good physical condition to be able to fight on the field with tackles, Nieminen said By extension time (you switch to another service).
Defender of Luleå Johanna Fällman described the change as exciting and motivating. Last season, Fällman won the Swedish championship for Finnish players Jenni Hiirikoski, Ronja Savolaisen, Jenna PirttijärvenNiemisen, Noora Tulus and Viivi Vainikan as a teammate.
SVT’s current hockey expert won the 2006 Olympic silver in Turin Maria Rooth is skeptical.
– Do Rigging make women’s hockey better? Are they necessary? I see women in international hockey at a great pace, technology and tactics. Those areas get space. It won’t get any better with rigging, Rooth told Aftonbladet and estimates the change in rigging rules won’t go through in international hockey.
Rooth believes that in men’s hockey, tackling has been the norm, and therefore it has often been thought that women’s hockey should be shifted in that direction. Rooth asks if you could think of a way to cut back on men’s hockey.
Rooth also said he needed critical consideration. He believes many female players have hoped for tackles in the game because men’s hockey has been the norm and women’s hockey a “worse variant”.
– Do women also have to tackle to be good hockey players? I don’t think so, Rooth continued to Aftonbladet.
Does allowing tackles reduce injuries?
As a national team coach, Toivola said he was also considering how SDHL’s different rules affect international matches where tackling is still prohibited. There are several female lion players in the Swedish league.
In Sweden, it is believed that allowing rigging can reduce head injuries in the long run. In Sweden, the Nollvision project was set up in the period 2018–2019 to prevent hockey brain injuries.
– We have allowed more physical play in SDHL over the last four seasons with good results. It feels exciting that Swedish hockey can be a pioneer in tackling women’s hockey, Nollvision Project Manager Morgan Johansson stated in a statement.
Johansson is an experienced referee from the Swedish Men’s Hockey League. He said the change in the rule must be patient, as in his view, injuries may initially turn slightly upwards but then decrease. Johansson added that the matter is being closely monitored.
– In any case, we need to develop observation as the game speeds up and skill increases. Time will tell if that change will bring results, it’s hard to guess yet, Toivola commented.
Toivola also bases his position on the tackles with his experiences of the training matches that the Female Lions have played against the boys.
– After the Rigging is gone, the opposing boys ’teams have said the game is better. When the threat of tackling is gone, the game itself gets more prominent. Yes, players like the physical game, but the threat of a tackle brings a new element.
– Ideally, it would be great if the Rigging was allowed and through that the players would become more skilled with the puck as well. I don’t know if this is the right route to it.