Faceoff
Encyclopedia
A face-off is the method used to begin play in ice hockey
and some other sports. The two teams line up in opposition to each other, and the opposing centres
attempt to gain control of the puck
after it is dropped between their stick
s by an official
. One of the referees drops the puck at centre ice to start each period and following the scoring of a goal. The linesmen are responsible for all other face-offs.
Faceoffs are typically conducted at designated places marked on the ice called faceoff spots or dots. There are nine such spots: two in each attacking zone, two on each end of the neutral zone, and one in the centre of the rink
. Faceoffs did not always take place at the marked faceoff spots. If a puck left the playing surface, for example, the faceoff would take place wherever the puck was last played. On June 20, 2007, the NHL Board of Governors approved a change to NHL Rule 76 (76.2, to be precise) which governs faceoffs. This change now requires all faceoffs to take place at one of the nine faceoff spots on the ice, regardless of what caused the stoppage of play. Rule 76.2 also dictates that, with some exceptions, a faceoff following a penalty must occur at one of the two faceoff dots of the offending team's end.
An official may remove the player taking the faceoff if the player or any players from the same team attempt to gain an unfair advantage during the faceoff (called a faceoff violation). When a player is removed, one of the teammates not originally taking the faceoff is required to take the faceoff. Common faceoff violations include: moving the stick before the puck is dropped, not placing the stick properly when requested to do so, not placing the body square to the faceoff spot, or encroachment into the faceoff circle by a teammate. In the NHL, the player from the visiting team
is required to place his stick on the ice for the faceoff first.
. In a lacrosse faceoff, two players face each other in a crouching position with the ball placed between the two sticks. At a signal from the official, each tries to gain possession of the ball. A player can not hold on to the ball.
A faceoff is also similar to a jump ball
in basketball
and a ball-up
in Australian rules football
. They also involve two opposing players attempting to gain control of the ball after it is released by an official.
A faceoff-like event has been attempted in at least one league of American football
. The XFL
, a short-lived professional football league that played its lone season in 2001, instituted an "opening scramble," replacing the coin toss, in which one player from each team attempted to recover a loose football after a twenty-yard dash. The team whose player recovered the ball got first choice of kicking, receiving, or defending one side of the field. Because of an extremely high rate of injury in these events (one XFL player was lost for the season after separating his shoulder in a scramble), the event has not gained mainstream popularity in any other football league, and the coin toss
remains the method of choice for determining possession at the beginning of a game.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
and some other sports. The two teams line up in opposition to each other, and the opposing centres
Centre (ice hockey)
The centre in ice hockey is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play is the middle of the ice, away from the side boards. Centres have more flexibility in their positioning and are expected to cover more ice surface than any other player...
attempt to gain control of the puck
Hockey puck
A puck is a disk used in various games serving the same functions as a ball does in ball games. The best-known use of pucks is in ice hockey, a major international sport.- Etymology :The origin of the word "puck" is obscure...
after it is dropped between their stick
Hockey stick
A hockey stick is a piece of equipment used in field hockey, ice hockey or roller hockey to move the ball or puck.- Field hockey :Field hockey sticks have an end which varies in shape, often depending on the players position...
s by an official
Official (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, an official is a person who has some responsibility in enforcing the rules and maintaining the order of the game. There are two categories of officials, on-ice officials, who are the referees and linesmen that enforce the rules during game play, and off-ice officials, who have an...
. One of the referees drops the puck at centre ice to start each period and following the scoring of a goal. The linesmen are responsible for all other face-offs.
Ice hockey
One player from each team stands at the faceoff spot (see below) to await the drop of the puck. All teammates must be lateral to or behind the player taking the faceoff (this is in contrast to basketball, for example, where the player taking the tipoff is encircled by teammates). Consequently, the goal of the player taking the faceoff is to draw the puck backward, toward teammates, rather than to advance it toward the opposition goal. Where the faceoff occurs at one of the five faceoff spots that have circles marked around them, only the two opposing players responsible for taking the faceoff may be in the circle. A common formation, especially at centre ice, is for a centre to take the faceoff, with the wings lateral to the centre on either side, and the defencemen behind the centre, one toward each side. This is not mandatory, however, and other formations are seen--especially where the faceoff is in one of the four corner faceoff spots.Faceoffs are typically conducted at designated places marked on the ice called faceoff spots or dots. There are nine such spots: two in each attacking zone, two on each end of the neutral zone, and one in the centre of the rink
Hockey rink
An ice hockey rink is an ice rink that is specifically designed for ice hockey, a team sport. It is rectangular with rounded corners and surrounded by a wall approximately 40 inches high called the boards.- Name origins :...
. Faceoffs did not always take place at the marked faceoff spots. If a puck left the playing surface, for example, the faceoff would take place wherever the puck was last played. On June 20, 2007, the NHL Board of Governors approved a change to NHL Rule 76 (76.2, to be precise) which governs faceoffs. This change now requires all faceoffs to take place at one of the nine faceoff spots on the ice, regardless of what caused the stoppage of play. Rule 76.2 also dictates that, with some exceptions, a faceoff following a penalty must occur at one of the two faceoff dots of the offending team's end.
An official may remove the player taking the faceoff if the player or any players from the same team attempt to gain an unfair advantage during the faceoff (called a faceoff violation). When a player is removed, one of the teammates not originally taking the faceoff is required to take the faceoff. Common faceoff violations include: moving the stick before the puck is dropped, not placing the stick properly when requested to do so, not placing the body square to the faceoff spot, or encroachment into the faceoff circle by a teammate. In the NHL, the player from the visiting team
Home team
In team sports, the term home advantage describes the advantage–usually a psychological advantage–that the home team is said to have over the visiting team as a result of playing in familiar facilities and in front of supportive fans...
is required to place his stick on the ice for the faceoff first.
Other sports
Faceoffs are also used in lacrosseLacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
. In a lacrosse faceoff, two players face each other in a crouching position with the ball placed between the two sticks. At a signal from the official, each tries to gain possession of the ball. A player can not hold on to the ball.
A faceoff is also similar to a jump ball
Jump ball
A jump ball is a method used to begin or resume play in basketball. It is similar to a face-off in ice hockey or ball-up in Australian rules football...
in basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and a ball-up
Ball-up
A ball-up in Australian rules football describes a method of restarting play at a neutral contest after a stoppage within the field of play. It is not to be confused with a boundary throw-in which occurs in most cases when the ball is forced out of bounds...
in Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
. They also involve two opposing players attempting to gain control of the ball after it is released by an official.
A faceoff-like event has been attempted in at least one league of American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
. The XFL
XFL
The XFL was a professional American football league that played for one season in 2001. The league was founded by Vince McMahon, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of WWE...
, a short-lived professional football league that played its lone season in 2001, instituted an "opening scramble," replacing the coin toss, in which one player from each team attempted to recover a loose football after a twenty-yard dash. The team whose player recovered the ball got first choice of kicking, receiving, or defending one side of the field. Because of an extremely high rate of injury in these events (one XFL player was lost for the season after separating his shoulder in a scramble), the event has not gained mainstream popularity in any other football league, and the coin toss
Coin flipping
Coin flipping or coin tossing or heads or tails is the practice of throwing a coin in the air to choose between two alternatives, sometimes to resolve a dispute between two parties...
remains the method of choice for determining possession at the beginning of a game.