Why can't the puck be placed on the ice for faceoffs?

[tarheelhockey]

If you were going to go this route, the best way would be to assign one team the first touch (as in a soccer free-kick). Perhaps the offensive team on either side of the red line, or the non-offending team in the case of penalties and infractions.

Otherwise you’d be dealing with false starts and re-dos all night.

 

[TaLoN]

Simply not worth the trouble it would be to change it. Too many new issues to deal with if you do. Better to deal with the issues you know than trying to predict and prevent the ones you don't.

 

[HockeyGuy1964]

Honest question. Every fan, from every team seem to get pissed at one point or another when waiting for the ref to "just drop the puck!"

Is there any reason besides, "it's just the way it's always been done," that I am missing about why refs don't just place the puck on the ice, stand up, back away and just blow the whistle?

No more false starts, no more refs getting sticks to the face, no more refs accidently faking out players when they get the shakes.

There really could be something I'm not realizing, but I can't think of a drawback.

What do you mean "no more false starts"?
There'd be more.
& they'd happen at the least opportune time.
& the games would be 3 hours longer having to chase down the puck to put it back on the dot to try it all again after 1 guy cheated.
& don't try to argue they could just penalize the offender & they'd get used to it because we have enough idiotic penalties to deal with & then we'd get a stupid penalty at the absolute worst time costing someone a Stanley Cup & we don't want that.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

No more refs getting sticks to the face? When was the last time you ever saw that happen on a faceoff? Never? These aren’t peewee players who don’t know how to control their sticks on the draw.

 

[biturbo19]

What if instead, now hear me out here...what if they used a drone to fly out to the faceoff circle and drop the puck. But also employed a swarm of other drones equipped with motion detectors and tasers. So if any player moves prior to the puck touching the ice, they are instantly tased to prevent them from gaining an unfair advantage on the faceoff. And thus significantly streamlining and speeding up the process of conducting a faceoff.

 

[crosby87]

Honest question. Every fan, from every team seem to get pissed at one point or another when waiting for the ref to "just drop the puck!"

Is there any reason besides, "it's just the way it's always been done," that I am missing about why refs don't just place the puck on the ice, stand up, back away and just blow the whistle?

No more false starts, no more refs getting sticks to the face, no more refs accidently faking out players when they get the shakes.

There really could be something I'm not realizing, but I can't think of a drawback.

Whats the difference between backing up and waiting to blow the whistle and just dropping the puck lol? you'll still get false starts and if anything itll be worse

 

[gritdash60]

Because they love their limited time on the camera, it's the same in every league and that's the only explanation i can come up with. Playing yo-yo with the puck is just something linesman do to increase their fifteen minutes of fame.

 

[Il Stugotz]

The puck should glow red, pulse thrice, then flash green on the fourth pulse to make it live. If a player touches the puck early they get zapped.

 

[TheGreenTBer]

Because they would literally tear the ref's arm off? Not like that'd be a bad thing

I fail to see the problem.

 

[ScottyK]

Make it shoot up in the air from under the ice an have a basketball jump ball

 

[Oddbob]

WHY CAN'T THE LINESMEN JUST DROP THE PUCK! All they literally have to do is let go of the thing in the center of the dot and nevermind what the players are doing.

 

[Ezekial]

My favorite line is: "Is there any reason besides, "it's just the way it's always been done," that I am missing about"

Because it's not the way it's always been done and had you really given any thought to the topic you would've looked that up prior to making a thread.

 

[ijuka]

Uh. If the puck's just static then both players will put their sticks on it and the puck will be frozen between them. It'll be really lame.

 

[JMCx4]

I find "(e)very fan, from every team seem(ing) to get pissed at one point or another" one of the greater charms of hockey, and of sports in general. If the sport changed any rule or practice just to please their fan base, then it would be simply a traveling circus show met with polite applause rather than a competitive event met with an array of emotions.

 

[JMCx4]

When hockey was first played that was how it was done: the ref would place the puck on the ice. However that changed due to players trying to be quick and go for it, which meant the ref's hands would be hit with sticks, leading to injury. To avoid that they started to drop the puck, leading to the practice of today.

So the players facing off should first slash the linesman THEN go for the static puck. The OP's wish is granted, while tradition stands!

 

[dire wolf]

Just for fun, they could try this: Put the puck at center ice. Both teams line up at their own goal lines. Ref blows the whistle, and both teams race to try to get the puck first. Would be mayhem. Maybe just for 3-on-3 OT as yet another gimmick.

 

[kaiser matias]

Just for fun, they could try this: Put the puck at center ice. Both teams line up at their own goal lines. Ref blows the whistle, and both teams race to try to get the puck first. Would be mayhem. Maybe just for 3-on-3 OT as yet another gimmick.

The first XFL tried that instead of an opening kickoff. It famously saw the first injury for the league, with the player separating his shoulder and missing the season.

 

[biturbo19]

Just for fun, they could try this: Put the puck at center ice. Both teams line up at their own goal lines. Ref blows the whistle, and both teams race to try to get the puck first. Would be mayhem. Maybe just for 3-on-3 OT as yet another gimmick.

I agree. Copying the original XFL is a very good idea. That was a highly successful enterprise.

 

[PromisedLand]

IMO face-offs should only be allowed in the neutral zone once in the d-zone, offensive team always should be give the possession of the puck

 

[chizzler]

Honest question. Every fan, from every team seem to get pissed at one point or another when waiting for the ref to "just drop the puck!"

Is there any reason besides, "it's just the way it's always been done," that I am missing about why refs don't just place the puck on the ice, stand up, back away and just blow the whistle?

No more false starts, no more refs getting sticks to the face, no more refs accidently faking out players when they get the shakes.

There really could be something I'm not realizing, but I can't think of a drawback.

Because that’s a rule.

 

[Ambisextrous]

Three stick taps. Everyone in the arena chants N - H - L