Rule 6.3 – Face-off Location

Face-off locations are a key aspect of the game, as it often provides a competitive advantage to one team.

This rule is organized based upon the zone in which the face-off takes place.

Centre ice face-offs will only be conducted at the start of each period, following the scoring of a goal, after a premature substitution of the goaltender (except when the centre-ice location would provide a territorial advantage to the offending team), or when the officials incorrectly stop play for an icing infraction.
When an infringement of any rule has been committed by players of both teams, the ensuing face-off will be at the face-off spot nearest to where stoppage of play occurred, excluding centre ice, unless otherwise stated in the rules.

For any stoppage of play in any zone not caused by either team, the ensuing face-off will be at the nearest face-off spot, excluding the centre face-off spot.
When this situation leads to a time penalty or multiple time penalties being placed on the penalty time clock to one team, making that team shorthanded, the ensuing face-off will be conducted at one of the two end zone face-off locations in the offending team’s defending zone. There are five exceptions:

When a penalty is assessed after a goal, the face-off will take place at centre ice.
When a penalty is assessed at the end (or before the start) of a period, the face- off will take place at centre ice.
When a gathering occurs and a penalty is being assessed to the defending team, and any players of the attacking team that were beyond the top of the end-zone circles upon the stoppage of play, enter deeply into the attacking zone, the ensuing face-off will take place in the neutral zone at one of the face-off spots outside the offending team’s defending zone (see Rule 6.3 (e)).
When the non-offending team commits an icing infraction, the ensuing face-off will take place at one of the face-off spots outside the zone of the team that iced the puck.
When play has been stopped due to a premature substitution of the goaltender. In this case, the face-off will take place at centre ice, except in cases where the offending team would gain a territorial advantage, in which case the face-off would take place at the nearest face-off location that does not provide that advantage.

When the puck goes outside the playing area or strikes obstacles above the boards or glass (or wire netting in lieu of glass), play will be stopped. The resulting face-off will be at the face-off location nearest to where the puck last touched a player, their skates or stick, or an official, that does not give the offending team an advantage.
All face-offs in the neutral zone will be conducted at one of the two face-off spots nearest the blue-line of the team that caused the stoppage, thus causing a loss of territorial advantage, except as dictated below:

For violation of the off-side rule (see Rule 6.12 – Off-side) play will be stopped and the face-off will be in the neutral zone at the face-off spot nearest the attacking zone of the offending team, nearest to where the puck crossed over the blue-line.
Notwithstanding the above, if the puck is passed to an attacking player who is already in an off-side position, creating an off-side violation, the face-off will be at the face-off spot nearest to where the pass originated, without giving the offending team a territorial advantage. This may result in a face-off in the defending zone of the offending team.
Notwithstanding the above, if, in the opinion of the Officials, an intentional off-side play has been made, the face-off will take place in the defending zone of the offending team.
When an infringement of a rule (not a penalty) has been committed or a stoppage of play has been caused by an attacking player in their attacking zone, the ensuing face- off will be in the neutral zone at the nearest face-off spot.
Note: This includes a stoppage of play caused by a player of the attacking side shooting the puck on the back of the defending teams’ net without any intervening action by the defending team.
When a goal is illegally scored as the result of an action by the attacking player, the face-off will take place in the neutral zone.
When a gathering is taking place in the end-zone, following a stoppage of play, and any player of the attacking team enters into the end-zone beyond the top of the face-off circles after play has stopped, the ensuing face-off will take place at the nearest face-off spot in the neutral zone, near the blue-line of the defending team

Face-off locations in the end-zone are determined as follows:

When any stoppage of play in the end zone is caused by a defending player or the goaltender, the ensuing face-off will take place at the nearest defending zone face-off spot based on the cause of the stoppage of play and not related to the location of the puck when play was stopped.
When a team commits an icing violation, play will be stopped and the face-off will take place at the end zone face-off spot of the offending team, nearest to where the puck was shot.
When a goal is illegally scored as a result of the puck being deflected off an Official DIRECTLY into the net, the face-off will take place at the nearest end zone face-off spot.
When a team commits an intentional offside violation, play will be stopped and the face-off will take place at the end-zone face-off spot of the offending team, nearest to where the play was stopped.

INTERPRETATIONS
Interpretation 1	Rule 6.3 (b) When the puck strikes an official and goes out of the playing surface, the face-off takes place at the nearest face-off spot in the zone in which the official was located when struck with the puck.
Interpretation 2	Rule 6.3 (d) When the puck goes into the bench, the face-off will occur at the nearest face-off spot that does not give a territorial advantage to the team that last touched the puck. If a player on the bench is leaning over the boards and encroaching on the playing surface and the puck strikes that player, the face-off will occur at the nearest face-off spot that does not give a territorial advantage to that player’s team.
Interpretation 3	Rule 6.3 (d)(e) Where the puck is shot or deflected out of play from between the blueline and the corresponding neutral zone face-off spot, the face-off will take place at the nearest neutral zone face-off spot.
Interpretation 4	Rule 6.3 (e)(f) QUESTION: The Linesperson signals a delayed off-side. i. The defending player shoots the puck directly out of the playing surface from their defending zone over the boards in the neutral zone. Where does the face-off take place? ii. The defending team shoots the puck directly out of the playing area in the defending zone. Where does the face-off take place? iii. The defending goaltender makes a save and deflects the pucks out of the playing surface, on a puck that is shot in while a player is off-side. The zone has been cleared and the Linesperson has lowered their arm prior to the puck leaving the playing surface. Where does the face-off take place? ANSWER: i. The face-off takes place at the point from which the puck was shot, in accordance with Rule 6.3 (b), as the delayed off-side ceased once the puck entered the neutral zone. ii. The face-off takes place at the face-off spot outside the defending team’s blue-line. The delayed off-side takes precedence in this case as the puck is already illegally in the zone. iii. The face-off takes place at the end zone face-off spot, as the delayed off-side was no longer in effect.
Interpretation 5	Rule 6.3 (e)(f) QUESTION: The puck is shot by a player from behind their own blue-line down the ice. A teammate, who is over the centre red line, does not touch the puck but skates down the ice and precedes the puck across the attacking blue-line. Off-side is called. Where does the face-off take place? ANSWER: The puck will be faced-off at the nearest face-off location from where the puck was shot, with the limit being the face-off spot in the defending end zone of the team shooting the puck.
Interpretation 6	Rule 6.3 (e)(iii) The Linesperson signals a delayed off-side. Despite the Linesperson’s clear call, the offending player continues and goes directly to the net and forces the goaltender to freeze the puck. Where does the face-off take place? RULING: The face-off takes place at the face-off spot outside the defending team’s blue-line.
Interpretation 7	Rule 6.3 (f)(i) The determining factor as to what end zone face-off spot a face-off will take place is determined by the side of the ice on which the puck is shot, unless it is frozen on the ice by the goaltender, in which case the face-off will take place on the side of the ice that the goaltender froze the puck.