FACE-OFF LOCATIONS
A SUMMARY AND INTERPRETATION OF RELATED CONCEPTS AND REFERENCES
Created by Steve Wallace, Technical Director of Officiating, Greater Toronto Hockey League.
For more information or to comment on this article send email to [email protected].
An electronic version of this article is available in the Learning Centre at www.refschool.com.
When Playing Rule 10.2 - Face-offs was modified in 2008, Hockey Canada released Information Bulletin i0905
and a clarification bulletin in August 2008 to specify how the rule would be applied. Subsequently, immediately
prior to the 2010/2011 season, Hockey Canada adopted a new way to apply Rule 10.2 when an off-side violation
results in a stoppage of play. Specifically, a “Gain the Dot; Keep the Dot” concept replaced the “Quadrant” system
previously used to determine neutral zone face-off locations in some off-side situations. This change effectively
voids Hockey Canada Information Bulletin i0905 (dated 15 August 2008) and a related follow-on bulletin (dated 19
August 2008). Therefore, the information in those two documents should be disregarded.
When this article was published, Hockey Canada had yet to release a written document explaining in detail the
latest changes to the face-off rule application. Therefore, until such information is released, this article is your best
source of information about face-off location rule applications.
SUMMARY OF FACE-OFF LOCATION RULES AND THEIR APPLICATION
1. Face-offs shall only occur at the 9 face-off spots marked on the rink.
2. The centre ice face-off spot is only used at the start of periods, after goals, after an erroneous icing call and,
unless otherwise stated in Rule 2.5(f) Note 3, when a premature substitution of the goaltender foul occurs.
3. When icing or intentional off-side is called the face-off shall occur at one of the offending team’s defending
zone face-off spots.
4. When a defending player causes a stoppage of play in his/her defending zone the face-off shall occur at the
end zone face-off spot nearest to where possession of the puck last occurred (see Figures 1 through 6).
5. When neither team is solely responsible for a stoppage of play in an end zone the face-off shall occur at the
end zone face-off spot nearest to where possession of the puck last occurred (unless otherwise covered in
the rules) (see Figure 7).
6. When an attacking player causes a stoppage of play in the attacking zone the face-off shall occur at the
nearest neutral zone face-off spot (see Figures 8 through 12). Additionally, as per Rule 10.2(j), when an
attacking player comes deeper into the end zone than the top of the face-off circles when a gathering occurs
after the whistle the face-off shall occur at the nearest neutral zone face-off spot (unless otherwise covered in
the rules).
7. When play is stopped due to an offside infraction (other than those considered intentional) the face-off shall
normally occur at one of the neutral zone face-off spots adjacent to the offending team’s defending blue line
(see Figures 13 & 14). However, if an off-side call is the result of a pass that originates in the offending team’s
defending zone, then the ensuing face-off occurs at the end-zone face-off spot nearest to the origin of the
pass (see Figure 15). Additionally, if the offending team has control of the puck in line with or beyond the
neutral zone face-off dots adjacent to their attacking blue line immediately prior to an off-side violation, the
face-off shall occur at one of the neutral zone face-off dots adjacent to the offending team’s attacking blue line
(see Figures 16, 17 & 18).
8. When play is stopped due to an off-side that occurs because, after having been cleared out of an end zone,
the puck deflects off an attacking player, defending player or official back into the same end zone, the face-off
shall occur at a neutral zone face-off spot (excluding centre ice) adjacent to the offending team’s attacking
blue line (see Figures 19, 20 & 21).
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9. When neither team is solely responsible for causing a stoppage of play in the neutral zone, the face-off shall
take place at the neutral zone face-off spot (excluding centre ice) nearest to the place where possession last
occurred (see Figure 22).
10. When one team is solely responsible for a stoppage of play in the neutral zone for a reason other than offside, the face-off shall occur at one of the two face-off spots nearest to the offending team’s blue line (unless
otherwise covered in the rules) (see Figures 23 through 27).
11. When the puck goes out of bounds off an official positioned in the neutral zone, the face-off shall occur at the
neutral zone face-off spot (excluding centre ice) nearest to the place where the official was struck by the puck
(see Figures 28 & 29). Similarly, when the puck goes out of bounds off an official positioned in an end zone
the face-off shall occur at the end zone face-off spot nearest to the place where the official was struck by the
puck (see Figure 30).
Figure 1
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Figure 2
Rules 10.2(h) & Situation 5 and 10.11(a)
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Rules 10.2(h) & Situation 5 and 10.11(a)
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Defending team shoots
puck out of bounds.
Defending team shoots
puck out of bounds.
Figure 3
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Figure 4
Rules 10.2(h) and 10.11(a)
Rules 8.3(d) and 10.2(h)
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Puck deflects out of
bounds off defending player.
Figure 5
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Figure 6
Rules 8.3(d) & 10.2(h)
Dro
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Hand pass from defending
zone to neutral zone.
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Offending team regains control after contacting
puck with high stick in the defending zone.
Rule 9.1(d) & Situation 6 and Rule 10.2(h)
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Offending team regains control after
contacting puck with a high stick.
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Figure 7
Figure 8
Rule 10.2 (f) & (g)
Dro
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Rules 10.2(e) & 10.11(a)
Puck out of bounds.
Attacking team caused stoppage.
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Puck unplayable (frozen). No team is
solely responsible for the stoppage...
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Figure 9
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Rules 9.1(d) and 10.2(e)
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p
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Offending team regains control after contacting
puck with high stick in the attacking zone.
Figure 11
e
Figure 12
Rules 10.2(e) and 10.11(c)
Dump-in unplayable on back of net.
Stoppage occurs in the attacking zone.
Puck unplayable on back of net.
Attacking team caused stoppage.
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Hand pass in the attacking zone.
Rules 10.2(e) and 10.11(c)
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Figure 10
Rules 8.3(d) and 10.2(e)
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F
Figure 13
Figure 14
Rule 10.2(g) & Modified Application of Rule 10.8(b)
Rule 10.2(g) & Modified Application of Rule 10.8(b)
“Stretch” pass into end zone.
Recipient is off-side…
Puck PASSED to teammate…Off-side called.
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Figure 15
Figure 16
Rule 10.2 Situation 7 and 10.8(b)
End zone to end zone “stretch”
pass. Recipient is off-side.
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Rule 10.8(b) & Situation 19
p
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Control at or beyond attacking
dot. Puck CARRIED across
blue line. Off-side called.
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Figure 17
Figure 18
Rule 10.8(b) & Situation 21(5)
p
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Control at or beyond attacking dot. Puck
SHOT into the attacking zone. Delayed offside signalled but off-side eventually called.
Figure 19
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Figure 20
Rule 10.2(e) and Rules 10.8(b) & (e) & Situation 13
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p
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Figure 22
Rule 10.2(e) and Rule 10.8 Situation 17
p
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Rules 10.2(g)
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Puck shot from defending zone
deflects off Referee. Off-side called.
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Puck shot from defending zone deflects
off a defending player. Off-side called.
Puck shot from defending zone deflects
off attacking player. Off-side is called.
Figure 21
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Control at or beyond attacking
dot. Diagonal PASS results
in an immediate off-side call.
Rule 10.2(e) and Rules 10.8(b) & (e)
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Rule 10.8(b)
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Puck unplayable (frozen). No team is
solely responsible for the stoppage.
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Figure 23
Figure 24
Rule 9.1(d) & Situation 6 and Rule 10.2(g)
p
Dr o
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Rules 10.2(g) & 10.11(a)
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Puck shot out of bounds from the neutral zone.
Hand pass in the neutral zone.
Figure 25
op
Figure 26
Rule 10.2(g) and 10.11(a) & Situation 2
Rules 10.2(g) & 10.11(a)
Puck shot out of bounds off the
crossbar from the neutral zone.
Dro
p
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her
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Puck shot from defending zone
deflects out of bounds off an opponent.
Figure 27
Figure 28
Rule 9.1(d) & Situation 6 and Rule 10.2(g)
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Dro
Rule 10.2(g) & Situation 10
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Puck goes out of
bounds off an official.
Drop here
Hand pass from attacking
zone to the neutral zone.
Figure 29
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Figure 30
Rule 10.2(g) & Situation 10
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Rule 10.2(g) & Situation 10
Puck goes out of
bounds off an official.
Puck out of bounds off Referee
positioned in neutral zone.
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p
o
Dr
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