Rule 6.2 – Face-off Conduct

A face-off is where an Official drops the puck between the sticks of two opposing players to start or resume play. A face-off begins when the Official(s) indicate the location and the players take their appropriate positions. The face-off is considered complete when the puck has been legally and fairly dropped, meaning the puck contacts the ice surface before contacting the stick or any part of the body of the player taking the face-off. Should be puck accidentally contact the stick or any part of the body of a player taking the face-off, the official will stop play by blowing their whistle and conduct the face-off again.

The players between whose sticks the puck is dropped are considered to be “taking” the face-off. All other players on the ice, excluding the goaltenders, are considered to be “participating” in the face-off.

1. The players taking the face-off will stand squarely facing their opponents’ end of the rink, approximately one stick length apart with the toe of the blade of the sticks flat on the ice. All other players participating in the face-off must stand at least 4.57 m (15 ft.) from the players taking the face-off and they must be on-side, relative to the face-off spot at which the face-off is taking place. When the face-off takes place at any of the face-off spots in the end zones, the players taking part in the face-off will take their positions so that they will stand squarely on-side of the restraining lines, and clear of the face-off restraining lines.

   The sticks of both players facing off will have the toe of the blade touching within the designated white area and the player of the Visiting Team will place their stick within the designated white area first. All other players on the ice must position themselves and their sticks on side. If a player, other than the player taking the face-off, moves off-side, makes physical contact with an opponent or encroaches on the face-off circle prior to the dropping of the puck, then the offending team’s player taking the face-off will be ejected from the face-off.

2. No goaltender may participate in a face-off.

3. In the conduct of a face-off anywhere on the playing surface, no player facing off will make any physical contact with their opponent’s body by means of their own body or by their stick, except in the course of playing the puck, after the face-off has been completed. For a violation of this rule, the Referee will assess a Minor penalty or penalties to the player(s) whose action(s) caused the physical contact.

4. When a player commits a face-off violation, the official will eject the player from the offending team who was taking the face-off. Any other player of that team, other than the goaltender, may now take the face-off. The player who encroached must be identified clearly as the player causing the violation and that player is not eligible to take the face-off.

5. A team committing a second violation of any of the provisions of (a), (b), (c), or (d) during the same face-off may be assessed a Minor penalty by the Referee under Rule 10.1 (viii) – Delay of Game.
   
   

   A team committing a second violation of any of the provisions of (a), (b), (c), or (d) during the same face-off, where the offending player subsequently contacts the Linesperson before the Linesperson has had reasonable time to vacate the face-off location will be assessed a Minor penalty by the Referee under Rule 10.1 (a) – Delay of Game.

6. In the event of a “false start”, where the puck is dropped by the Official but the face-off has not occurred legally, the Official will stop play. No change of players may be made at this time, as the play did not officially start. If the game clock has begun counting down, it will be reset.