“Winning a faceoff in the offensive zone will eventually pay off with a goal using the right play”

OFFENSIVE ZONE – 19 FACEOFF PLAYS

Lots of different faceoff positions are listed here. Some more effective than others. Sometimes simple is better. Be sure to choose the best ones to fit the skill sets and age of your players. You can choose code names for each play specific to your team so the play names can be used on the ice in a game without the other team knowing the play:

Wall Winger One Timer Behind Centre
Our RW sets up behind our Centre at the top of the faceoff circle opened up ready for a one time shot (or our LW and RW can switch before the faceoff)
Upon the puck drop back to our RW, he can shoot or pass to either our RD or LD for the shot
Our LW net front goes to the faceoff dot to impede their RW coming through
Our Centre goes to the net for any rebound
This is an effective quick play with the RW behind the puck if the faceoff is lost

Wall Winger Behind Centre, Wall D Down, Then Up
Our RD lines up in RW’s position at the wall
Our LW is directly behind our Centre
Our RW goes to the faceoff dot on the puck drop in case the faceoff is tied up and blocks out their RW coming through
Our RD goes back to the blueline near the wall on the puck drop
Our Centre draws the puck back to our LW who shoots or passes it to our LD or RD who shoots
Our Centre goes to the net to screen or for any rebound

Winger Off the Wall Behind Centre
Our LW and RW switch positions
Our Centre draws the puck back behind him or just skates over it protecting the puck from the other centre by lifting his stick off the ice
Our LW cuts behind our Centre picking up the puck for a quick shot on net
This is a effective quick play with the LW behind the puck if the faceoff is lost

Net Front Winger to Wall, Wall Winger to Net
Our net front LW goes to the wall on puck drop behind our Centre
Our RW wall winger goes to the net to take their LD with him
Our Centre draws the puck back to our RD at the wall
Our RD moves along the blueline a few steps and passes back to our LW at the wall around the top of their faceoff circle
Our LW moves to the middle if there is space and shoots

Wall D Down Wall D Indirect To Wall Winger Up Wall
Our Centre draws the puck back to our RD at the wall
Our RD moves down the wall with the puck
At the same time our RW at the wall moves back to the blueline just off the wall and receives an indirect pass off the wall from the RD
Our RW with the puck moves to the middle and shoots
Our Centre and LW go to the net to screen

Wall Winger High Roll
Our RD sets up behind the centre but closer to the wall a stride or two inside the blueline
Our LW sets up at the wall
Upon the puck drop back to our RD, our LW goes up the wall towards the blueline behind our RD and gets a hand off pass from our RD as our LW goes around our RD
Our Centre moves off the faceoff dot impeding their RW from getting through to our RD or LW
Our LW can now shoot or pass to our LD moved out wider
Our RW net front goes to the net to screen

Wall Winger Mid Roll

Our LW sets up at the wall
Upon the puck drop back to our RD from our Centre, our LW goes across behind our Centre mid way between the 2 faceoff circles
Our RW net front goes to the corner
Our RD can pass to our RW who in turn passes to our LW or our RD can move laterally along the blueline and pass to our LW
Our LW shoots
Our Centre moves off the faceoff dot impeding their RW from getting through to our RD

Wall Winger Over Blueline and Back In
Our RW sets up at the wall
Upon the puck drop back to our RD from our Centre, our RW goes up the wall past our RD and over the blueline and back in a stride or two beside our RD towards our LD
Our LD moves down to the top of the other faceoff circle
Our RD moves in front of our RW and either hands the puck to our RW for a shot or carries it wide for a shot or passes to our LD for a shot
Our Centre moves off the faceoff dot impeding their RW from getting through to our RD
Our LW goes to the net to screen

Wall Winger to Net, Net Front Winger to Top Of Circle
Wingers line up normally
Our Centre draws the puck back to the top of the circle and our LW moves to the top of the circle to get the puck
Our RW goes to the side of the net on the weak side
Our LW either passes to our RW at the side of the net or to our LD at the blueline for a shot

Net Front Winger High To Blueline
Wingers line up normally
Upon the puck drop back to our RD our LW skates back to the blueline in between our 2 D
Our LD moves to the weak side slightly lower down than usual
Our RW goes hard to the net
Our RD can pass to our LW or our LD and all can shoot if there is a good shooting lane

Centre To Net
This play works best when they line up 5 across or when they line up with their wingers on either side and one D is low behind their centre
Also this play works better when their net front D is on his back hand on the draw
Wingers line up normally or RW goes directly behind the centre at the top of the circle
Our centre makes a point of talking to the RW before the draw to make the other team believe the play is to the RW behind our centre
Our centre flattens his stick as the puck is dropped and gently flips the puck towards their net a few feet as our centre moves to pick the puck up
Our LW goes to the far side of their net for a possible pass into an open net as their goalie is out to cover our centre

Wingers to Their Corner
Line up as usual with our wingers shoulder to shoulder with their players. They have a faceoff formation which is vulnerable behind them
As soon as the puck is dropped, our centre knocks the puck hard forward into their corner and at the same time our wingers bust through their players to the puck.
One of our players gets puck control behind their net and sets up a pass either to our centre or our defencemen or tries to bring the puck right out in front to score.
This play can take them completely by surprise as usually our centre tries to draw the puck back or ties up.

Centre to Boards D to Centre To Winger
Line up with LW at boards and RW net front
Our centre draws puck back to RD
Our centre moves laterally to the high net front
Our boards side LW moves up just past the top of the faceoff circle 3 strides away from our centre
Our RD with the puck passes to our centre who chips it over to our LW for a one timer

Centre to Boards RD to LD To LW in Corner to RD
Line up as usual
Our centre draws the puck back to our boards side RD
Our LW heads towards their LD at the boards and veers into their corner
Our RW cuts towards where our LW lined up and veers to the net
Our RD passes the puck to our LD and our Rd goes to a soft spot in the high slot
Our LD passes the puck to our LW in the corner who in turn passes it to our RD in the high slot
Our RD shoots
Our Centre covers for our RD in case the play doesn’t work

Centre to Boards RD to LD To RW in Middle
Line up as usual
Our centre draws the puck back to our RD
Our RD passes to our LD who moves wide to above the top of the weak side faceoff circle
Our RW swings up towards the blueline and down into the middle slot
Our LW cuts towards their LD
Our LD passes to our RW in the high slot and our RW shoots

RD top of Faceoff Circle to LW Going to Blueline
- Regular line up but RD at the top of the faceoff circle
- On the faceoff win back to our RD our LW goes up to the blueline and curls behind our RD
- Our RW goes behind their net to the weak side next to their net above the goal line
- Our LD fades to the weak side to just over their faceoff circle
- Our RD passes to our LW who may shoot, or pass to our LD
- Our LD may shoot or pass to our RW

C to RD Rim to LW to C
- Regular Lineup
- C to RD who skates down wall and rims the puck to our LW behind their net on the weak side
- Our LW passes to C who has moved to the weak side in their faceoff circle for the shot on net

C to RD Skates Low Passes to RW in Slot
- Regular Lineup
- C to RD who skates down wall low and passes to RW curling off the boards or
- RD goes behind their net and passes to our LD moving into the weak side slot or to RW or wraps it around the net
- C goes back to the blueline to cover for RD

C to LW Skates To Wall Passes to RW At Net
- Regular Lineup
- C to LW who skates behind C and then with the puck to the wall
- RW skates off the wall to the weak side of their net opening a passing lane with LW
- LW passes to RW
- RW tips the puck into the net