As junior Ella Hoy dribbles past defenders and fights her way through the paint, she pushes through contact and uses her physicality as an advantage, but the crowd doesn’t match her energy. She suspects the crowd thinks she has crossed a line, one that rarely exists for males who play with similar intensity. 

Hoy is not alone. In women’s sports, coaches and athletes often say physical play is viewed differently than in men’ s sports. 

Hoy said she notices this difference all the time.

“I think women basketball players tend to shy away from contact, and generally the difference in physicality between men and women is definitely apparent,” Hoy said. 

She also said the reaction to girls’ physical plays is often interpreted differently from that of boys’. 

“I think when women are being aggressive or being really physical, it can be perceived as being aggressive or like they are trying to start something with another player,” Hoy said. “But for a man, (it) might be perceived as hard work and strength.”

Lacrosse coach Ed Hattler said expectations for women athletes have changed over time.

“Over the course of my lifetime, there’s been more and more participation in sports from girls and women,” Hattler said. “Also, they’ve gotten bigger and stronger. Over time, their sports have incorporated physicality similar to male sports. They train in the weight room. In the past, I think there was an expectation that women play more gently. That has changed, and seeing a female athlete impose her will on her opponent is common.” 

While acknowledging this double standard, Hattler said he doesn’t see a difference between  female and male physicality.

“For me at this point, I don’t judge these physical plays differently from male athletes,” Hattler said. 

Junior Elif Dogan said the physicality double standard extends across all women’s sports. 

“I think girls’ sports as a whole is constantly judged differently than male sports, whether it’s deserved or not,” Dogan said. “Personally, in my experience playing basketball, I’ve noticed that people will judge girls sports differently no matter what.”

Dogan said public perception plays a major role in this.

“I just think in the sports world in general, male sports are much more popular, watched and admired,” Dogan said. “I understand why, but I think people look down on or make fun of female athletes that have such true talent or put in so many hours of work and show so much intensity and physicality.”

Despite any alleged criticism, Dogan said she has never felt the need to change her aggressive style of play.

“I’ve never felt pressure to tone down my intensity or physicality for any unnecessary reason,” Dogan said. “I think having emotion during games and being physical is all a part of the game.” 

Sophomore lacrosse player Ethan Blanding said he’s noticed different contact regulation in boys’ versus girls’ lacrosse. “I have repetitively noticed that during the boys games it is completely normal for physicality during any moment in the match,” Blanding said. “But girls’ lacrosse is a little to no-contact game; during the game, you tend to see (a) lack of physicality. Despite the same levels of competitiveness, contact is greatly looked down upon.”

Despite this difference, Blanding praised the skill needed to participate in the sport, regardless of gender.

“I think a big misunderstanding about girls’ sports is the common idea that they’re less competitive or serious,” Blanding said. “In girls’ lacrosse, even though there’s less allowed contact, the game depends heavily on speed, strategy and technique. The rules don’t make the game easier. They just make it different.”

Regardless of any societal norms, Hoy said she enjoys the physicality of the sport she plays.

“I enjoy the competitiveness of my sport because I think it’s made me a tougher person, but it’s also what makes basketball fun,” Hoy said. “I think it also can cultivate bonds with your teammates. The physical aspect makes basketball fun because it keeps you on your toes.”

Ultimately, Blanding said the public perception of girls’ sports is reliant on how much physicality there is.

Blanding said, “Girls compete just as hard and play with the same drive to win, but some people don’t notice that because they only pay attention to the amount of contact instead of the skill involved,”