Stick Checks on Face Off Sticks May 13, 2021 World Games 2014 0 Forum Questions What (if any) allowances do we make for a face-off stick when doing a stick check? I try to avoid checking face off sticks but sometimes they get grabbed by mistake or a coach requests a check. My philosophy has been as long as everything else is good and the ball comes out freely, I'm not worried about the 3" at the throat of the cross or using the card to check it as those sticks gets so warped. Is this alright or should we be following the letter of the law? Question File Add new DuBan's Answer: Visual Text Kratz's Answer: Visual Text McCarrick's Answer: Visual Text Riti's Answer: Visual Text What Paul said. Tyma's Answer: Visual Text If you are checking the stick because the opposing coach asked for it to be checked, you pretty much have no choice but to perform the check strictly by the numbers. This situation isn't very likely, because it would likely result in the opposing coach retaliating and probably putting both face-off players in the box for two minutes non-releasable. There is no reason you can't use discretion about a face-off player's stick, at least as far as shape is concerned. The pocket being too deep or a ball not coming out readily would probably not be the result of the bending and distortion that a face-off player's stick undergoes during the game, so these should be penalized. If the check is because of your choice, nothing in the rules says you can't change your mind and ask for another player's stick once you realize that your first choice is a face-off man. A little prevention goes a long way here. Among the reasons for having a conference with the face-off players before the game is that it gives you the opportunity to tell them that they should remind you of their status as face-off players if you inadvertently ask for one of their sticks for a random check. You can then avoid the potential problem completely by changing your mind and choosing a different player. Answer File Question Answered Yes No
