The IIHF is encouraging a more unified rulebook across the board between leagues, federations, and tournaments, including a more synchronous version of the bodychecking implementation with the PWHL and SDHL.

With bodycheck legal in the PWHL and SDHL, many anticipated a penalty filled start to the 2024 IIHF women's World Championships. That didn't happen however, as the IIHF has been working to synchronize the interpretation and implementation of their rules, including body checking across leagues, federations, and international competitions.

According to the IIHF's chair of officiating Marta Zawadzka, body checking has never been banned in women's hockey at the international level, rather the rule implementation has been more strict. This year, the IIHF prepared for a more physical competition using video from the PWHL and SDHL to prepare officials, coaches, and players.

"We've got the same wording and you can see it here even. We are working on it," said Zawadzka. "We did our lesson, so basically it's a matter of interpretation and implementation and understanding. That's why before this tournament we established a bridge with teams. Three weeks before we approached the coaches with clips from the PWHL and SDHL and everybody was able to understand what we were aiming for in calling the penalties. That helped standardize everything both game officials, the players and the staff members. We are getting to it, it's just a matter that we are focusing on the puck not the player."

It's similar to the PWHL and SDHL where open ice hits are not permitted, and that checking is for the purpose of acquiring puck possession. It's not the only aspect of the rulebook the IIHF is looking at. In fact they're working with the NHL and PWHL, and European leagues, to develop a move universal rulebook so that players aren't jumping from rule to rule and system to system as they move between leagues and competitions.

"We are working on a unified rulebook overall," said Zawadzka. 

The IIHF met with the PWHL this week in Utica, New York during the World Championships, and the discussion of rules was a topic in their meeting. The IIHF is hoping that communication between their organization and the PWHL can continue as it relates to new rules the league may implement in the future. 

"If they are going to be implementing any rule changes, let us know up front. Like with the NHL, we are making conversations to be as close as we can, we don't want to have all the leagues different rules, it might be different interpretations, like the NHL is focusing more on hooking rules, other leagues are focusing more on diving," Zawadzka said. "So it's just a matter of having the common rules and then implement and understand it, so we are all going to meet at the IIHF event anyway with the one rule."