Official's faceoff positioning

[shrekjr]

This will be about what I thought the other thread was going to be about....

Now that we don't say "set" and we are trying to get the faceoff to happen quicker, I find less time and ability to see as much, particularly of the player next to you such as being able to look for the back end of the stick being up off the ground or on the line or whatever. On a two man crew, you don't have help to watch the backside. Last night, after the first couple of faceoffs, the opposing faceoff man politely complained but the fact was I just couldn't see it from where I was! So I tried something new and instead of taking a step backwards, I stepped to the right and it was like a new world opening up. I was able to see most of the way down the stick by slightly leaning over while still staying out of the way before the whistle is blown.

Anyone else tried this or have any other suggestions?

[LaxRef]

It sounds like a good idea, and I will try it this weekend.

Overall, I don't like the new rule. The whole point was to clean up the faceoffs, but now not only do we not have time to check everything, but the guys can't even check themselves. For example, it's only natural for their heads to go into the neutral zone as they come down because they're looking to make sure the heads are aligned.

At this point, I think we should just go to a jump ball. :chuckle:

[laxfan25]

I recommend the women's faceoff - standing up with the ball between their sticks, and they have to throw it so it goes over their head. It'll take a few games at least for the guys to come up with cheats for that too!

[shrekjr]

I don't particularly like the women's faceoff, but it has to be better than what we're doing now. Because we are being told the get them down and blow the whistle in a hurry, we simply do not have the time to look for every possible rule violation. After the complaint I got last night, I tried to take an extra second to lean in and look, and while trying to do that, both players jumped because they have gotten used to the getting down and go. So if the rules committee doesn't want us to take the time to catch violations, why bother at all??? Either take away most of the faceoff rules and let the faceoff men lineup and do whatever they want to do, or give us a better system for monitoring the fouls (cheating!). :banghead:

[LaxRef]

I don't particularly like the women's faceoff, but it has to be better than what we're doing now. Because we are being told the get them down and blow the whistle in a hurry, we simply do not have the time to look for every possible rule violation. After the complaint I got last night, I tried to take an extra second to lean in and look, and while trying to do that, both players jumped because they have gotten used to the getting down and go. So if the rules committee doesn't want us to take the time to catch violations, why bother at all??? Either take away most of the faceoff rules and let the faceoff men lineup and do whatever they want to do, or give us a better system for monitoring the fouls (cheating!). :banghead:

Or do it XFL style: have both faceoff middies line up behind the restraining line. Blow the whistle, and let all 6 middies run full speed to midfield and crash into a heap!

[eme]

Who says you have to blow the whistle in a hurry on a FO?

"Guys, come down together and come to a stop and I want two main things. I want your heads straight up AND outside the little box. Don't anticipate the whistle because I will vary it."

Stand a little off to the right (left foot angled back) so you can see the heads and most of the shafts. Lean down with whistle already in your mouth almost as if you are taking the FO with them. Everything fine? Whistle.

Keep communicating with the FOGOs all game long. Praise them. "You guys have been doing it right all game long...let's keep it up...etc. etc."

[LaxRef]

Who says you have to blow the whistle in a hurry on a FO?

"Guys, come down together and come to a stop and I want two main things. I want your heads straight up AND outside the little box. Don't anticipate the whistle because I will vary it."

Stand a little off to the right (left foot angled back) so you can see the heads and most of the shafts. Lean down with whistle already in your mouth almost as if you are taking the FO with them. Everything fine? Whistle.

Keep communicating with the FOGOs all game long. Praise them. "You guys have been doing it right all game long...let's keep it up...etc. etc."

At the COC clinicians training--and I think at the convention COC meeting as well--we were specifically told to blow the whistle as soon as they were down and to not vary the cadence.

[shrekjr]

At the COC clinicians training--and I think at the convention COC meeting as well--we were specifically told to blow the whistle as soon as they were down and to not vary the cadence.

That's what we were told in our COC district meeting..."get 'em down and blow the whistle!"

[laxfan25]

I'll triple that notion - "don't vary the cadence" - which was one of the minor tools I used to use to stop 'em from jumping the whistle. I would LOVE it if we could take the time to do what you are suggesting, eme! I think if you tried it in most games you're going to get howls of protest, especially as the season gets under way.
My feeling? We'll see another change next season.

[Bobeo]

Why not very the cadence? Varying it would prohibit teams from jumping the count. Otherwise, you will have teams going at it as soon as they go down.

[LaxRef]

Why not very the cadence? Varying it would prohibit teams from jumping the count. Otherwise, you will have teams going at it as soon as they go down.

I think the explanantion is that the coaches don't want us to vary the cadence because they want fewer faceoff violations.

[3rdPersonPlural]

But you have two refs doing face offs. Each has his own cadence. If kids are taught to expect the same cadence, they'll commit MORE violations because of this simple fact.

[laxfan25]

I am in complete agreement that a uniform cadence is going to increase the propensity for jumping the whistle, which is why I was disheartened to see our guidance being given completely the opposite.
The supposition was that these guys are all keyed up to face-off - if you hold the whistle for a few seconds you're going to be getting violations. However, I've never delayed the whistle more than 1.5 secs, but do vary it by that half-second, which makes sure they're waiting for the whistle and not anticipating.
My personal feeling, the lack of a 'set" call and no variance in cadence are both going to contrbute to more, rather than fewer, face-off issues, but few will be called, which seems to be the coaches' desire.

[LaxRef]

My personal feeling, the lack of a 'set" call and no variance in cadence are both going to contrbute to more, rather than fewer, face-off issues, but few will be called, which seems to be the coaches' desire.

Despite the insistence that we keep changing the faceoff mechanics because the officials aren't calling the violations!

[shrekjr]

instead of taking a step backwards, I stepped to the right and it was like a new world opening up. I did this all night tonight for two games and I love it!!!