Faceoffs2014

Some material from Josh BlaisdellUSL 2014 Convention

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Faceoffs Communication

Tell players & coaches what you’ve seen on other faceoffs

Youth - adjust players so they have a fair faceoff Check with coaches first – not in tournament play Communicate with players on what they’re doing wrong Communicate with the coaches

Move to one side of X if field chewed up Be consistent with violations Have a clear voice Stay motionless – whistle in mouth Learn from each face-off

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Pre Face-Off Player Checklist Remind the face-off players what is expected

Sticks parallel and perpendicular Ball in middle of crosse Hands off the plastic Go down together No movement after the word “set”

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Positioning Sturdy = Safe Wide base Whistle in mouth Hands on lower thighs Stay motionless and with the scrum

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Procedure “Down, Set, Whistle” Vary the cadence Don’t get in a pattern Don’t get complacent Be in a position for a reason Practice good game management

Be consistent

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Legal Face-Off Player’s simultaneously go down Crosses are parallel to the midline Crosses are perpendicular to the ground Nothing in the neutral zone Players have until the word “set” to adjust After “set” an movement is illegal procedure Players may not back out and reset

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Possible Violations All fingers not in contact with the ground Feet touching the crosse Head in the neutral zone Foot to the right of the crosse Legal to lean over the center line

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Everything to the left of the crosse

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Crosses parallel to the center line

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Perpendicular to the ground

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Back of the crosse faces the ball

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Ball needs to be centered

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Up to but not touching the midline

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Staying with the face-off Stay with the face-off as long as possible Move with purpose Learn from each faceoff

What are they doing Who is winning

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Common Situations A1 is in the neutral zone after “set”

Stand them up, no whistle, award ball to B B2 moves between “set” and whistle

Double tweet-whistle Signal the bench Move player over center line & other 5 yards away No Release until whistle is blown

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Common Situations Both players violate positioning

At younger levels, stand them up and restart Early in season – verbal correction Late in season – someone violated first

Player taps ball on the way down Stand them up, reset the ball, and restart

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Not so Common Situations After the faceoff but before possession

A player becomes injured => Reface A player loses a piece of equipment => Reface The ball is knocked out of bounds => Award

possession Violation Tree

Pre-whistle violations trump wingline violations Wingline violations trump post-faceoff violations Time serving penalties are always served and

trump all non-time serving penalties

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After the whistle Every face-off starts a count Pre-whistle violation – quick restart & start a 10

second count Trail has timer Face-off player must attempt to control ball, not

opponent’s body Can’t use elbow, forearm, shoulder for leverage Plunge

Ball in back of crosse – signal possession Can leave ball in the back as long as they want Ball must come out on first pop, or signal

withholding

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After the Whistle Enforce loose ball situations (hold, push, stepping on

crosse) Watch for hand coming off crosse Signal possession and work into position Watch the rake and step

Does the foot hit the crosse or the crosse hit the foot? Legal vs Kicking the crosse

Signal violation If possible don’t blow whistle. If blown, several tweets Be sure players stop and separate Signal violation to players and verbalize Signal to the bench, allows times for players to separate No rush to restart

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Post Face-Off Transition from face-off to covering your

position Continue to officiate the face-off as long as

possible Possession is everything

Locate all players in your projected route Keep the play and players inside of you Watch for push, playing with free hand

Quick play-on, no release until whistle restarts play

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Delay of Game Players need to drop the ball directly on the

ground after a violation Rolling the ball away to prevent a quick restart

is a 30 second time serving Delay of Game penalty

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Rule 4-4-3 During the faceoff in all penalty situations,

there must be four players in the defensive area and three players in the offensive area.

Exception: When a team has three players in the penalty area, a player may come out of his defensive area to take the faceoff but must remain onside. This player will be offsides if he touches or crosses

over the midline

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Rule 1-7-5 New for 2014 Rule 1-7-5 “Any crosse used on a faceoff may

not have tape on the plastic throat of the head.” “Show me your hands”

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Rule 4-3-6 Grabbing the ball It is illegal for a player to deliberately use his hand or

fingers to play the ball. This shall be enforced immediately as an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. It is illegal for a player to grab an opponent's crosse with the open hand or fingers. This shall be enforced immediately as an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.NOTE: Inadvertent touching of the ball when the hand is grasping the stick should not be called as an unsportsmanlike conduct foul.

Seeing the grabbing of a ball can be very difficult to see. Face-off men are smart and will only attempt to do this if they know you are in a position you can’t see Stay with the scrum as long as you can Change your pre-face off position Learn from each face-off

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Where’s the ball

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Positioning Have a reason to stand where you are Don’t just stand in a spot because you were

told to 90 degrees 180 degrees 45 degrees (sometimes)

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What can you see & what can’t you see

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90 degrees Great look at top hands, heads of crosses, and

neutral zone Can’t see butt ends Be careful standing so close to the face-off

Stand about 3-4 feet away Don’t stand at 90 if the player is trying to push the

ball forward Pinch & Pop

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What can you see what can’t you see

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180 Degrees Clear view of perpendicular and parallel sticks Usually a very safe position to stand in Be aware of wing men charging in Watch for pinch and pop to a wing Can’t see

White’s right foot or leg in neutral zone White’s hand on plastic

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What can you see what can’t you see

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45 Degrees Can see both player’s hands, parallel and

perpendicular sticks, some of the neutral zone Can’t see Red’s inside leg

Be aware of pinch and push with a side step from Red

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Wing Official Where to stand

Have a reason to vary from the wing line while running right for lead and left for trail Wing at 45 pinched to view both wing lines better Wing at bottom of wing line to stay consistent Wing at restraining line late in period Wing on midline to help with line

Watch the wings Leaving early, interference Don’t forget about the far wing in a 2-man game

Watch the restraining line Pick up the ball if it comes to you

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3-Man Face Off Can vary position Face-off official can stay with the face-off and

not worry about the goals Late in periods, move wing officials to top of

restraining lines Change position to help view all angles on

face-off Communicate to each other

Bench does not signal ready until Single Side is ready