Faceoff Rules in Hockey: Where, How and Why Centres Get Thrown Out

Every stoppage in hockey ends with a faceoff: an official drops the puck between the sticks of two opposing players, usually the centres, on one of nine marked spots. The NHL's Rule 76 sets out where each faceoff happens, who puts his stick down first and what counts as a violation. A centre who breaks those rules is waved out and replaced by a teammate, and a second violation by the same team on the same faceoff costs a bench minor penalty.

All of the detail below comes from the NHL's 2026-27 rulebook unless a coaching source is named.

Nine spots, and which one the puck goes to

The rink has nine faceoff spots: one at centre ice, four in the neutral zone (two just outside each blue line) and two in each end zone, one either side of the goal. The rule is strict — no faceoff may happen anywhere else, or within 15 feet of the goal or side boards.

Which spot is used depends on why play stopped:

The penalty row has exceptions. If the penalty is called after a goal, or at the end or start of a period, the faceoff is at centre ice instead. And if the attacking team's point men skate into the zone past the faceoff circles during a scrum after the whistle, the faceoff moves out to the neutral zone — the rule's way of discouraging players from joining a melee.

The procedure, step by step

1. The line change ends. Once the referee lowers his hand to signal that no more changes are allowed, the linesperson blows his whistle.
2. Five seconds to line up. Both teams then have no more than five seconds to set for the faceoff. That limit is not enforced in the last two minutes of regulation or in overtime, though players must still follow the linesperson's directions.
3. The centres square up. Each stands squarely facing the opponent's end, about a stick length apart, with the blade of his stick on the ice inside the white area of the spot.
4. The sticks go down in order. At the eight spots away from centre ice, the defending player places his stick first, followed immediately by the attacker. At centre ice, the visiting player goes first.
5. Everyone else sets. No other player may be inside the circle or within 15 feet of the centres. In the end zones, the attacking team's players establish their positions first and the defending team then counters.
6. The puck is dropped. The clock starts the instant the puck is faced off; the whistle does not start play.

Two smaller rules complete the picture. A goaltender may never take a faceoff. And the two centres may not play the puck with a hand until a third player has touched it.

What gets a centre thrown out

The rulebook lists the faceoff violations. When one happens, the linesperson orders the offending team's centre replaced by any teammate already on the ice:

• Not set: the centre is not in position, or does not put his stick on the ice.
• Encroachment into the circle: any other player's skate crosses into the faceoff circle before the drop. A stick inside the circle is allowed if it touches nobody.
• Encroachment between the hash marks: the same test for the lines on the outer edges of the circle.
• Contact: any physical contact with an opponent before the puck is dropped. The referee may also call a minor penalty.
• Bad position at the dot: the centre's feet are not on either side of the restraining lines, or his blade is not in the white area.
• Gaming the clock: a centre who arrives at the dot just as the five seconds expire, to gain an advantage, is removed.
• Offside or early: a player lined up offside, or a centre who moves before the drop.

The linesperson does not need to blow the whistle again to deal with a slow centre. If a centre is still away from the dot when the five seconds run out, the puck can simply be dropped.