Question about the Faceoff Rule

[LaxTV_Admin]

Ok, I might be obtuse, but I want to make certain I am reading this correctly

A.R. 24. If a non-time-serving foul is committed before, during or after a faceoff (but before possession and before the ball crosses the defensive-area line), wing players will be released immediately, but players behind the defensive-area line will not be released until the whistle blows to resume play.

Does this clearly identify that in the case of any faceoff violation before or after the whistle, the wing players will be released?

[laxfan25]

Yes, as with any technical faceoff violation where we are no longer having an actual face, the wing players are free to move wherever they want - the guys behind the lines are locked until the whistle.
One side note - what always surprises me is how many players think that on the faceoff the A&D need to be in the attack box, when the rule is "behind the restraining line". You can set up the attack really wide, which helps on face break opptys. when teams actually do this I get a lot of - "Hey, he's out of the box!" "So??"

Naturally the big change this year will be the faceoff violator having to sprint to the sub box. I think there will be a minute or two of discussion about this in Philly!

[LaxTV_Admin]

Thank you.

[LaxRef]

Ok, I might be obtuse, but I want to make certain I am reading this correctly

A.R. 24. If a non-time-serving foul is committed before, during or after a faceoff (but before possession and before the ball crosses the defensive-area line), wing players will be released immediately, but players behind the defensive-area line will not be released until the whistle blows to resume play.

Does this clearly identify that in the case of any faceoff violation before or after the whistle, the wing players will be released?

Yes. From discussion here and elsewhere, I realized this needed clarification and ran this change up the chain of command, where apparently someone agreed with me!

So, no arguments about this anymore: wing players are released on any foul. They can run down to play offense, run down to play defense, run off to sub, or stand behind the wing line scratching themselves.

[Matt_Gardiner]

I also wanted to get a confirmation on a part of the rule. After the faceoff violation occurs and before the whistle is blown restarting play, the ball is dead and all the dead ball rules apply? Right?

[LaxRef]

I also wanted to get a confirmation on a part of the rule. After the faceoff violation occurs and before the whistle is blown restarting play, the ball is dead and all the dead ball rules apply? Right?

Certainly. It's a dead ball situation.

[Rob Graff]

Ummm.... doesn't this change automatically negate the impact of the new "violation/get FOGO off" rule because the defending wings will get in the hole? Yes, you still have a 6 on 5 but one of your 6 is probably a lsm... and if you sub for the LSM, you'll lose the 6-5 advantage.

Rob

[laxfan25]

Hey, just teach the LSM's to play long-stick attack, like all the REAL D-men do! They all think they're Gary Gait in their minds. "With this long-stick I'll get AWESOME leverage on this shot - no way the goalie can ever stop it!"
If you put your LSM on the bench side they can step off pretty quickly, and the sub coming on may catch the D sleeping...
I'm sure you'll figure out a way to coach the play!

[John Paul]

Ummm.... doesn't this change automatically negate the impact of the new "violation/get FOGO off" rule because the defending wings will get in the hole? Yes, you still have a 6 on 5 but one of your 6 is probably a lsm... and if you sub for the LSM, you'll lose the 6-5 advantage.

Rob

...and one of the others may be a pure FOGO. Everyone will have to adjust their strategy in these situations to their personnel, or possibly adjust their personnel.

[Rob Graff]

Everyone will have to adjust their strategy in these situations to their personnel, or possibly adjust their personnel.

Bingo.

Rob

[LaxRef]

I know people have been curious about this. There was some clarification on mechanics this weekend:

Violation on faceoff. If the ball gets knocked away from center as a natural part of the FOGO's move--the one that caused the violation--no foul, but any attempt to push the ball away after that will be a delay of game.

Official signals the violation. The FOGO needs to know he needs to sub out, and the other faceoff man or a teammate must get the ball and get into his offensive end, at which point the whistle will blow immediately. The player has to get the ball; the officials will not chase it down for him. If the violator gets involved in the play before subbing out, flag for IP (sub infraction).

The violator must sub out and have a sub come on. At that point, the sub can go back out and the violator can come back on if desired.

As stated earlier, wing middies are released immediately and can sub out or drop into the attack area. It's still a brief 6-on-5.

The officials on the rules committee (non-voting members) had suggested the idea of keeping the violator at center until the whistle blew to restart play in order to keep the restarts consistent, but the coaches didn't like it. A fellow official suggested to me the idea of having the violator go behind his defensive restraining line and having him stay there until the whistle, at which point he'd have to sub out. This would also solve the problem of what to do if a team violates and then calls a dead-ball timeout; currently, that seems to bail you out of the fast break situation.

I hope that helps.

[Gvlax]

there was a pretty good write up about this new rule in the first edition of the MCLA mag. I didnt really understand it until i read the magazine.

[Zeuslax]

The officials on the rules committee (non-voting members) had suggested the idea of keeping the violator at center until the whistle blew to restart play in order to keep the restarts consistent, but the coaches didn't like it. A fellow official suggested to me the idea of having the violator go behind his defensive restraining line and having him stay there until the whistle, at which point he'd have to sub out. This would also solve the problem of what to do if a team violates and then calls a dead-ball timeout; currently, that seems to bail you out of the fast break situation.

It's fairly easy to see that the first proposal would have had an larger impact compared to the current ruling.

The second sugestion would not increase advantage time either with the violator subing on the D side of the field and pole chasing. It would look like an old-school fast break with a chaser.....with the correct amount of people on sides.

[laxfan25]

At the clinic they also mentioned that the coaches were concerned that the faceoff had become a continuous process of guys coming down and then rolling right into the faceoff on the quick,consistent whistle that we were advised to use last year - no varying the cadence at all.
Now they suggest that we vary it slightly, which is fine. But if the concern is that players are not stopping at all on their way into the faceoff, perhaps there should be a moment where they are required to come to a complete stop. I dunno, maybe we could do something like say "Down!" and then "Set!", where they have to be motionless? Nah, too radical a concept.

[LaxTV_Admin]

At the clinic they also mentioned that the coaches were concerned that the faceoff had become a continuous process of guys coming down and then rolling right into the faceoff on the quick,consistent whistle that we were advised to use last year - no varying the cadence at all.
Now they suggest that we vary it slightly, which is fine. But if the concern is that players are not stopping at all on their way into the faceoff, perhaps there should be a moment where they are required to come to a complete stop. I dunno, maybe we could do something like say "Down!" and then "Set!", where they have to be motionless? Nah, too radical a concept.

Am I incorrect in assuming the "Down" command does imply they go down an into a motionless state? The rule would then address that "never stopping" as they go down.