Faceoffs 101
While facing off can get quite complex and scientific at the higher
levels, all good FO men have a solid grasp of the basics. The most
fundamental aspects of FO are your stance and grip. Here are a few
things to keep in mind:
Stance
Your stance must be:
• Athletic
• Balanced
• A stance from which you can execute and defend against all moves, with 360 degree mobility
• Front foot already planted prior to “down” call
Grip
Things to remember:
• Right Hand: CONTROL HAND: Up to the plastic, as far as ref will allow you to go
• Left hand: POWER HAND: 10-18 inches from control hand
• Stick in the fingers, not fingertips or palm
• Hold stick lightly, just as with ball handling, with thumb and forefinger
STICK RATINGS
#1 STX Excalibur
Non-offset, so your hands are very close to the ball which gives you
more leverage on a clamp and strength on a tie-up. When this head is
pinched, it is very flexible, yet returns to original shape and hardly
ever breaks. It is strong in the right spots, flexy in others.
#2 Warrior Blade
The favorite head of more than half of all elite FO men, the Blade
offers extreme flexibility for great ability to plunge. It is
stock-pinched, but pinch can be manually added very high up on the head
while still maintaining 6.5” across the top. The Blade 2.0 just debuted
in the Fall 2007 collection by Warrior.
#3 DeBeer Shockwave
A favorite of power-clampers, this head is very strong in most all
spots, and can get some flex with continued use. The extra length of
this head can either be liked or disliked by users.
#4 Warrior Razer
Excellent for the Plunger, the Razer and all of its variations (Razer
Pro, Razer 2.0, etc.) are great field heads as well. The flexibility is
great, but the head often gets mangled after putting pressure on the
sidewalls. The original Razer is notorious for breaking on the sidewall
down near the throat. Not as much of a problem with the newer
versions.
#5 Brine Edge
A tough find on the stick market these days, the original Edge becomes
an excellent FO head when pinched, as you can easily pinch it up high
and with the same width. For non-offset users, the Oz is the same as
the Edge just lacking the offset. The lean sidewall makes this head a
favorite for all moves, especially the rake.
20 MINUTE TRAINING
PRIME POSITION
One man stands in ground ball scooping position, over ball. Second
player is to his back. Player #1 tries to maintain superior position,
while Player #2 tries to work around his hips and elbows. No pushes in
the back or holds are allowed by Player #2. They instead should win
position by hook-stepping their opponent followed by a hip check.
Player #1 does not scoop ball until 30 seconds is up. Goal for both is
improving box out skill. Player #1 should not lose his superior
position. Switch roles every 30 seconds with 30 seconds of rest in
between reps. 5 sets, each man, each position front and back. Low man
wins.
RECOVERY
Two players line up for draw. One is going first for 10 consecutive
draws. Both players are aware that first player is initiating his move,
then the second player is reacting to the movement of the first player.
This drill works on recovery on slow starts. Player to go first
should theoretically never lose. Go 10 clamps vs. 10 jumps, 10 rakes
vs. 10 jumps, then 10 clamps vs. 10 rakes. Try to beat your opponent
going early and late with all moves.
HOP SQUAT
Get in squat position (90 degree knee bend) with feet out wide-stance
and toes pointed 45 degrees out. Explosively jump and land 90 degrees
to the right for 10 reps, then 90 degrees left 10 reps, then 180 degrees
left 10 reps, 180 degrees left 10 reps, then rest for 120 seconds.
Repeat cycle 5 times. Make sure form stays consistent during fatigue.
Takeoff should be from heel to toe, landing should be soft and cushioned
by leg tension and landing toe to heel. Train your way up to 360
degree jumps that go in a left-right-left-right fashion without a pause
between explosions, but a reset of balance and leverage.