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Face-off Face-off is the act of starting play after each stoppage of play.     Your Athlete Can: Never Sometimes Often Pick up stick and put proper end on ground Grip the stick with one hand controlling stick Grip the stick with two hands controlling stick Identify the face-off circle Stand outside of the face-off circle Keep stick on own side of the face-off circle Wait for the whistle before sweeping React to whistle Sweep puck out of the circle Sweep puck to intended target           Teaching the Skill Use one of the face-off circles on the court. Have your center stand on one side of the line, with an opposing center on the other side. Show the centers where to put their sticks (anywhere on the circle on their side of the line) and then help them sweep the puck from the circle so they understand what they are supposed to do. Explain to the athletes that they will do this "on the whistle" and that they cannot take control of the puck, but must sweep it to another athlete. After an athlete does this for the first time, the coach should make any corrections to the athlete's stance (too far away, too close, etc.), hands, feet and body positions. Repeat exercise until each athlete has a firm grasp of his or her own responsibility.     Teaching Points Your athletes will need to understand that they must continue to sweep the puck until it leaves the circle or until another athlete has taken possession. If the puck does not clear the circle on the first sweep, the athletes should continue sweeping, or they can kick the puck out of the circle with their foot. Once another athlete has touched the puck, they can then attempt to take control of the puck themselves by putting their stick inside the center of the puck.   Key Words "Listen for the whistle" "Eyes on the puck" "Use both hands" "Sweep the puck"   Coaching Tips Most athletes will want to sweep the puck "back" to their teammates. Teach the athletes to control the puck and that they can sweep the puck forward, sideways or backward depending on your coaching preference and the ability of the athletes.   Faults & Fixes   Common Mistakes Correction Drill Reference Center puts the stick inside of the puck at whistle Teach the center to sweep the puck Sweeper Pass Drill Center misses the puck when sweeping Teach the center to sweep the puck Swiftest Sweeper Drill Center cannot control the direction of sweep Teach the center to sweep the puck to target Cone Sweep Drill Center takes control of the puck before another athlete touches the puck Teach the center to wait until the puck touches another athlete before taking control Sweeper Pass Drill

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