Ice Hockey Face Off Rules

For face off s occurring at a designated end zone face off spot the player s facing off will stand squarely facing their opponents end of the rink and clear of the ice markings.

Ice hockey face off rules. This is where the referee drops the puck in between two opposing players who then scrap to win position for their team. If both fighters receive five minute penalties substitutions can be made. The face off circle at center ice is where the puck is put in play dropping the puck by the referee at the start of each period and after a goal is scored. Nhl rink dimensions center ice face off circle.

There are few rules that you should know about face offs. During the dropping of the puck only one player from each team may be in the center ice circle. The visiting team s center must place the stick on the ice first. The most common major penalty is for fighting.

In all face offs not conducted along the center red line the attacking team s center must be the first to place the stick on the ice. A referee or linesman will signal that no more changes can be made to the players on the ice and. Since that season this is true only for face offs on the centre line dot. A play shall start when one of the officials drops the puck between the sticks of two opposing player s.

This rule also stipulates that when two rules violations are called against one team the face off occurs at the dot giving the least territorial advantage to the offending team. Rules of ice hockey the game starts in the centre circle with a face off. The stick blades of both player s shall be in contact with the nearest white area of the face off spot and clear of the center red area. On june 20 2007 the nhl board of governors approved a change to nhl rule 76 2 which governs face off locations.

All hockey face offs take place at one of those nine face off spots on the ice as directed by nhl rule 76 2. No player can hit the puck with their hands they must use hockey sticks players must line up in the. The face off procedure differs slightly between nhl and international rules. The rule now requires that all face offs take place at one of the nine face off spots on the ice regardless of what caused the stoppage of play.

Any skater can take part in the faceoff sorry goalies but it is most often the job of the center. A player charged with a major penalty is sent off the ice for five minutes. Rule 76 2 also dictates that with some exceptions a face off following a penalty must occur at one of the two face off dots of the offending team s end. Prior to the 2015 16 nhl season the away team s centre was required to place his stick on the ice first.

For face offs in either attacking zone the defending centre must place his stick first. A faceoff may also be used to resume play after a stoppage in any of the attacking or defending face off zones. At the referee s discretion an infraction commonly deemed a minor penalty can be increased to a major.