The puck has just been dropped and the centres are fighting for puck control.

A typical faceoff at centre ice

A faceoff is the method used to begin play in ice hockey. Ice hockey, often referred to simply as hockey, is a team Sport played on Ice. 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 sticks by an official. Centre ( center in the USA) in Ice hockey is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play is the middle of the ice A puck is a disk used in various types of games serving the same functions as a ball in ball games A hockey stick is a piece of equipment used in Field hockey, Ice hockey, or Roller hockey to move the ball or puck In Ice hockey, an official is a person who has some responsibility in enforcing the rules and maintaining the order of the game (NHL) At the opening faceoff of each period the referee drops the puck, subsequent faceoff drops are by a linesman.

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 do not always take place at the marked faceoff spots. If a puck leaves the playing surface, for example, the faceoff will take place wherever the puck was last played. However, all faceoffs other than those centre ice take place on one of the two imaginary lines parallel to the side boards extending from one end zone faceoff spot to the other. On June 20, 2007, the NHL Board of Governors approved a change to NHL Rule 76 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.

An official may wave off a centre from the faceoff if he or any of the players on his team violates the rules in an attempt to gain an unfair advantage during the faceoff. In this case, one of his teammates that is on the ice must switch positions with the centre and take the faceoff. Common faceoff violations include moving the stick before the puck is dropped or not placing the body square to the faceoff spot. In the NHL, a visiting team's centre's hockey stick must touch the ice before the home team's centre does. The National Hockey League ( NHL) is a professional Ice hockey league composed of 30 teams in North America In sports home is a term referring to both the City and Stadium, Arena, or Field where an athletic team plays games at their venue whilst

Faceoffs are also part of lacrosse. Lacrosse is a full contact Team sport played using a solid rubber ball and long handled racket called a crosse or Lacrosse stick. In a lacrosse faceoff, two players face each other in a crouching position, the back of the head of each player's stick pressed against that of their opponent, with the ball placed between the two sticks. At a signal from the official, each tries to gain possession of the ball.

History

Historical Alignment

In the first organized ice hockey (see Amateur Hockey Association of Canada (AHAC)) rules, both centres faced the centre line of the ice rink, like the wingers do today. The Amateur Hockey Association of Canada (AHAC was an amateur men's Ice hockey league founded in 1886 in existence until 1898 At that time, another forward position existed, the rover, who faced forward like centres did today, but a few feet away.

Historical Naming

Faceoffs were first called 'faces' of the puck.