Face-off location when a penalty is assessed
When players are penalized at a stoppage of play so as to result in penalties being
placed on the penalty time clock to one team, the ensuing face-off shall be conducted at
one of the two face-off spots in the offending team’s end zone. There are only four
exceptions to this application:
(i)
when a penalty is assessed after the scoring of a goal - face-off at center ice;
(ii)
ice;
when a penalty is assessed at the end (or start) of a period - face-off at center
(iii)
when the defending team is about to be penalized and the attacking players
enter the attacking zone beyond the outer edge of the end zone face-off circle - face-off
in the neutral zone (see paragraph 11 of this section);
(iv)
when the team not being penalized ices the puck - face-off in the neutral zone
outside the blue line of the team icing the puck.
Here are some examples to help clarify.
Example 1
Whistle goes in the end zone when the goalkeeper freezes the puck. A scrum ensues
and the attacking point men come in beyond the top of the face-off circles. When
all is said and done, the defending team is penalized one player. Where is the faceoff?
As soon as the attacking players enter the zone beyond the top of the circle, the
officials indicate that the face-off will be in the neutral zone. However, once this has
been determined and THEN the defending team is penalized, the face-off location
moves back to the defending team's end zone as a result of the penalty assessed to
the defending team.
Example 2
Whistle goes in the end zone when the goalkeeper freezes the puck. A scrum ensues
and the attacking point men come in beyond the top of the face-off circles. The
Linesmen intervene and no penalties are assessed. The face-off location is moved to
the neutral zone due to the attacking point players coming into the zone. Prior to the
face-off in the neutral zone, a defending player is assessed a minor penalty. Where is
the face-off now?
Since one team was penalized and no exceptions are applicable at this point, the
face-off is moved back into the end zone of the defending team (penalized team).
Example 3
The Referee has signaled a delayed penalty against the defending team in the
defending zone and is About to call a penalty. When they gain possession of the
puck causing the whistle, a scrum ensues around the goal and the attacking point
men move into the end zone beyond the top of the circles. Where is the face-off?
Even though the defending team is the only team penalized on the play, the face-off
must take place in the neutral zone outside the defending team's zone as a result of
the attacking players entering the zone beyond the top of the face-off circles as per
exception (iii) of Rule 76.2.
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