What Is a Faceoff in Hockey?

A faceoff is the method for putting the puck in play after any stoppage. Two players, usually the centers, line up opposite each other at a faceoff dot, and a linesman drops the puck between their sticks. Both try to win it — often by pulling it back to a teammate — and whoever gains control gives their team possession to start the next sequence of play.

There are nine faceoff dots on the ice: one at center, two in the neutral zone near each blue line, and two in each end zone beside the goals. The location depends on why play stopped. For example, an [icing](/icing-in-hockey-rules-explained/) call sends the faceoff to the offending team's defensive zone, while an [offside](/what-is-offside-in-hockey/) results in a neutral-zone faceoff outside the blue line.

Usually the center, whose job includes winning draws, but any skater can take one. Teams often have a faceoff specialist for crucial situations, and a player can be waved out of the circle for a violation — jumping early, poor stick placement — forcing a teammate to step in. Coaches match their best faceoff man against key opponents in important defensive- or offensive-zone draws.

Players win faceoffs with quick hands, timing, body positioning, and technique — tying up the opponent's stick, using their skates, or pulling the puck back to a defenseman. Anticipating the drop is key, but jumping before the puck lands gets a player thrown out of the circle. Elite centers win well over half their draws, a meaningful edge over a full game.

Every faceoff decides which team begins the next play with the puck, so winning them controls possession and momentum. Offensive-zone faceoff wins can lead directly to scoring chances, especially on the [power play](/power-play-in-hockey-explained/), while defensive-zone wins help clear danger on the [penalty kill](/what-is-a-penalty-kill-in-hockey/). Over a game, faceoff percentage adds up to a real possession advantage.

A faceoff violation is a minor infraction in the circle — a player moving too soon, a center not placing his stick correctly, or teammates encroaching. The first violation results in the offending team's player being waved out and replaced; repeated violations by the same team can draw a minor penalty. The rules exist to keep the drop fair and prevent players from timing their jump.

Both start play with a battle for the ball or puck, but the mechanics differ. A hockey faceoff is a quick stick battle over a dropped puck at a fixed dot, taken many times a game. A lacrosse faceoff is a crouched clamp-and-rake contest at midfield after each goal. The shared idea is a neutral restart that gives neither team automatic possession.