Referees drop the puck for a good reason. - FactzPedia

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Referees drop the puck for a good reason.

 

Referees drop the puck for a good reason.


Before 1914, hockey refs used their hands to place the puck between the two players’ sticks in a faceoff.

For obvious reasons, this wasn’t a good idea.

After many cuts, bruises, and likely broken bones, they began dropping it between the pucks instead.

After a whistle blows, you will see the refs quickly skate to a face-off circle, indicating where the battle will happen. As both teams make their way to the face-off circle, you will see all the players line up, and then the referee holds his arm straight out over the ice ready to drop the puck. He is very still until he drops the puck. Once he is in that position, players on either side of the referee must be in the correct position within 5 seconds, or they are excused from the circle.

You will often see players try to line up last, giving themselves the best advantage to win the face-off. This strategy is risky because if lining up takes to long, the ref will make a judgment call and choose one player to remove from the circle. Rarely do you see the referee kick both players out of the face-off circle, although it does happen. If both players are in the correct position (both skates facing straight at the other player, not at any angle), but one player is giving instruction to teammates, the referee will drop the puck anyways.

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